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Home | Join the Socialist Party | News | Subscribe | Donate | Bookshop Your CommentsClick here to send your Comments [The latest comments appear at the top of the page.] 16 May 2007 I have just joined the Socialist Party I
feel I have found a place were the working men and women of this country
can have a voice. Two things have pushed me over the edge as of late, I
work as a temp for Her Majesties Courts Service in Liverpool and on the
May Day strike, I was told by the employment agency if I do not pass the
picket line and go into work I will be sacked, I have never passed a
picket line in my life before hand and had no intentions to do so, it went
against everything I stood for. Daniel, Liverpool May 11 2006 I am a former New Labour party member. While I do not see myself as being especially active I would like to give moral and modest financial support to a real left wing party. Ciaran, London May 9 2006 I am intererested in the socialist party and would love to learn more about it! Andrea, United States of America May 4 2006 I was a Militant supporter in the past -but left the Labour Party when Blair was elected. I was a member and active in Bradford when Pat Wall was about. I would like to give some level of support again but would need to think at what level. Thanks Sean Devon Apr 24 2006 Fed up with the working class no longer having a true represnetation in the U.K. and the gradual rise of the BNP must be halted! David Warwickshire Apr 22 2006 We are making a point of writing to you about lslington Homecare
services. The council has initiated a review into the home care service,
particularly looking at whether to privatise the small part of home care
that is run by the council and provides services to the most needy and
vulnerable such as dementia and high level personal care use of hoists.
However whilst the council will tell you that this review will look at all
options the intention is made clear in a budget report which states that
the council will save £200,000 by "externalising current in house
provision". The result of this back door policy will leave Islington
without an in-house home care service. Mike London Apr 22 2006 This site will, I think, prove a powerful tool or at least one of many tools for an attempt to establish an international socialism Ajit Nepal Fri Apr 21 2006 fight back! stand up! violence does not equal progress steve Southampton Thu Apr 20 2006 I am a firm believer in the Socialist ideology. Mbongeni South Africa Tue Apr 18 2006 i am only 15 is that a problem?? Sara Kilburn No Sara, it is not - Ed Sun Apr 16 2006 I believe in a world that is sustainable, equal and just. Simon, Wigan Thu Apr 13 2006 I truly support and want to join the resistance. we have been enslaved by capitalists and war freak nations so we have to fight, enhance the Resistance and establish a socialist revolution... Ronald Philippines Mon Apr 10 2006 I am one with your Idealisms and sense of realizations with today's problems especially capitalism wherein only countries like america etc profit from their capitalist-imperialist policies. Here in the Philippines, we have suffered that fate for we were a former US Colony in the early 20th century and until now, The Philippines is still poor while the americans here and american businesses here benefit greatly from us and our people. We are in a neo-colonial status and most of us, even though educated are treated as second rate citizens in our own country and underpaid for labors that the US wants us to do for their corporations. Ronald Philippines Sun Apr 9 2006 being an African, i feel Capitalism is no different to pre-colonial times when we were raped out of our resources. Change is long overdue and I believe socialism is the only way to help lift my people out of poverty. Chris Dartford Fri Mar 31 2006 I have signed the declaration campaign for a new workers party. I am a lecturer at Cardiff University and am a member of AUT. I am my School AUT rep and I have recently joined the Cardiff AUT Executive. I'm a working class boy from rural Somerset, so was particularly interested in your campaign to recruit more members in rural areas. I'm concerned about many things in this country at the moment: for example, the AUT's own struggle for decent pay and conditions, the mess that the NHS is in, the corporate takeover of higher education and I am a member of the Stop the War coalition. Having two young kids means I don't have time to be as active as I would like at the moment, but I know that joining the Socialist Party and campaigning for a New Workers Party is the right thing to do. There is potentially a huge undercurrent of un-tapped support here in South Wales. Mike Caerphilly Fri Mar 31 2006 I just read Hannah Sells' thoughts; and am inspired by a new idea that would place governing in the hands of the working class. Please let me know how I can contact her also. Thank you. Joan United States of America Hannah’s book is here: Socialism in the 21st century: the way forward for anti-capitalism, by Hannah Sell. Fri Feb 17 2006 I want to join you and i would like to contribute. I am an government
office worker and very disappointed with todays world policies specialy on
racism and toward working class. Murtaza Pakistan Fri Feb 17 2006 after long thought i decided to come into the fold of socialest party due to great inspiration by Marx Abdullah Pakistan Fri Feb 17 2006 I WOULD LIKE TO HELP BRING ABOUT REAL AND LASTING CHANGE , FIRST TO THE U.S., THEN TO THE WORLD. GLEN United States of America Mon Feb 13 2006 Down with G.W.Bush Elvis Lehkec Croatia Fri Feb 10 2006 dissilusioned active labour party member Carl, tadcaster Mon Feb 6 2006 my contribution to a future global socialist society, that reflects Marx'and Engels's approach to the (democratic)workers revolution on the way to a socialist society bart, United Kingdom Sat Feb 4 2006 I cannot find the membership subscription rates anywhere - what is the monthly rate for an employed person please? Paul, Northallerton For more information on this please read: Welcome to the Socialist Party Jan 24 2006 I believe Socialism, based on the theories of Marx and Engels is the
only humane, scientific alternative to the brutism of monopoly capitalism. Chris, Surrey Jan 25 2006 I have been so long to find a friend or otganization to share my thinking about socialism, for about 7 years ago i studied and read about socialisam and marxisme.May be join with this organization i can actualize my self, sory if my english bad. Asep Indonesia Jan 25 2006 I love socialism and want to get involved Duncan Reading 24 jan 2006 Socialism! For a better future, free from the capitalist oppression we are all victims of! Im part of a group of anti-capitlist activists. We campaign for socialism in the town of Epsom we live in, but also around london and in school. I am friends with a subscriber called Adam who is also part of our organisation. I hope we have your support and you can communicate with us to help us spread the socialist word effectively and save our future generations from the prejudice society that suffocates us. Thank you, Chris, Surrey 22 january 2006 as a full time trade union official i see the restraints placed on the unions on a regular basis. i wish to break that cycle and be a more effective means of defending workers rights against a right wing labour government. Anthony, Norwich 22 January 2006 I would much like to get involved in politics... when I am older, I may join the socialist party at a later stage. :) Adam, Surrey 18 Jan 2006 I think the council tax in its current form is totally unfair and a system that you mentioned about ability to pay would be a big step in the right direction. Lyndon, Cheshire 5 January 2006 SALUTE! ABDIKHALIQ AHMED, Birmingham We have received a number of letters on Big Brother and George Galloway, some of which are shown below. Submit your opinions to our comments page. 18 January 2006 Big Brother What a sad spectacle Celebrity Big Brother is. Like the circus freak shows of earlier centuries that exploited people's physical characteristics, Channel 4 is playing psychological games with a group that includes vulnerable people in order to increase its TV profits. Surely the 'reality' TV show is on its final trajectory when we witness the bullying and public destruction of Jodie Marsh, a victim of the tabloid culture of the exploitation of women and minor celebrities that allows these so-called newspapers to offer up a daily diet of titillation, near-nudity and sex stories. Then there is the exploitation of the now notorious Michael Barrymore, again destroyed by a celebrity lifestyle, including drug and alcohol abuse. Millions, if not billions of pounds, have been made for the TV companies and inventors of the Big Brother concept. Much is made of the idea that this is democratic television, 'people's' TV, but the reality is that it is owned and controlled by millionaires who have no interest in anything other than profit. Alison, Walthamstow 18 January 2006 Gobsmacked Gobsmacked! The only way to describe my MP's entry into the Big Brother house. Just before Christmas, I attended a Respect public rally where George Galloway laid down a challenge to launch "an uprising that will not stop until it has swept New Labour from power" in Tower Hamlets council. On the back of a series of well-attended estate meetings opposing New Labour's privatisation of council homes, the new year was gearing up for a battle for the borough. At an earlier public meeting however, George had made the point that he was "not prepared to commit political suicide" when asked whether he would follow the same road as the Liverpool councillors in the 1980s, who organised mass support from the working class in Liverpool and nationally to take on the Tory's spending cuts. In a borough with chronic housing shortages and the worst overcrowding in the country, a huge mobilisation to battle for resources is required. Unfortunately, Respect has not yet developed a programme or strategies to meet this challenge. Nor has it developed the accountability required to sustain this challenge amongst its own ranks. This was shown in the recent episode with councillor Ghulam Mortuza, who defected from Labour last March after 19 years as a Labour councillor. He was made leader of the two-person Respect group on Tower Hamlets council, and then re-defected back to Labour in November! And now we have the Big Brother episode. The Liverpool city council struggle is rich in lessons for the working class and points to how even the most vicious governments can be defeated with a determined leadership and a programme to inspire the working class. Liverpool was eventually betrayed by the spinelessness of other Labour councils not following the same road. But it is surely better than 'committing political suicide' smoking cigars in your pyjamas on national TV. It is still not too late for Respect to learn these lessons. Hugo, Tower Hamlets 18 January 2006 Lessons of history The Socialist Workers' Party (SWP), the party behind the Respect 'coalition', forgets the lessons learned by working class movements throughout history. What were the main lessons of the Chartists, who were constantly betrayed by the leaders they sent to represent them? That the working class needed their own party and a leadership who were democratically accountable to the membership. At the recent Respect conference, resolutions that were aimed at establishing some form of accountability were dismissed by the leadership. What is the result? Respect's MP, George Galloway, follows his own agenda without reference to the organisation that got him elected and Respect's national secretary doesn't know what Respect's main public representative is doing. This situation has been unexpectedly thrown into stark relief by the fact that Galloway is making a public fool of himself in the Big Brother house, in the name of Respect. However, it is possible that this episode may have one positive outcome if it educates the membership of the SWP in the importance of learning the lessons of history. Richard, Walthamstow 17 January 2006 Media hypocrisy The only winner from George Galloway's participation in Celebrity Big Brother (CBB) has been Channel 4. You can't buy that kind of publicity. Typical of the capitalist media, Channel 4 has prevented Galloway from explaining his views or Respect's policies in a positive way, so all we are left with is the embarrassment of what has been shown. Galloway doing CBB while he's supposed to be representing his constituents has caused justified anger. He was elected in Bethnal Green and Bow mainly through a groundswell of anger against the previous MP, New Labour loyalist Oona King, who failed to represent local people. The hypocrisy of Labour and sections of the media, who have been falling over themselves to attack him, is sickening. It is bad that George Galloway has locked himself away from his constituents and any news for up to three weeks. It's true that Oona King never did anything like that, but we might have been better off if she had. Time and again, Oona King used her time in Parliament to vote against the interests and wishes of her constituents in order to further her own political career. She helped New Labour charge university tuition fees, push through privatisation and invade Iraq, to name but three. Galloway's speeches can be impressive - as he showed in the US Senate. You just can't rely on it. Perhaps an MP prepared to live on a workers' wage rather than the £60,000 a year parliamentary salary would do a better job. Naomi, Tower Hamlets 17 January 2006 Anti-war movement MP George Galloway's anti-Iraq war stance attracted much public support both in Britain and internationally. He undoubtedly won over many new supporters by his uncompromising anti-war stance against the British and US establishments. However, it has become painfully clear in the last week that one individual MP, without being accountable to the movement that got him elected, can easily take an alarming trajectory. George's participation in the celebrity Big Brother programme has allowed the programme makers to portray him as a laughing stock in the eyes of the public. But his demeaning behaviour isn't only restricted to himself. Unfortunately it is being used by the apologists of the war to besmirch the whole of the anti-war movement at a time when the failure of imperialism in Iraq is becoming daily apparent. Simon, east London 17 January 2006 The party's over It's the start of a new year. The parties are over, the decorations are packed away for another year. The prospects of a happy new year soon disappears, as we hear threats of hospital closures, job losses, further attacks on the sick and unemployed. The government want to see 3,000 benefit claimants working by March 2008 in Stoke on Trent. How are they going to do this? Wait for it! 'Pathway to Work' - to slash the number of people living on incapacity benefit, income support and job seekers allowance (JSA). The JobCentre plus and the Learning and Skills Council want to run projects with central government. These include the Pathway to Work scheme, which aims to cut the 30% of the city's working age population classed as economically inactive. We all know what this is about - cutting the benefits of the sick and disabled and forcing people onto schemes with no real jobs so they can claim they have cut the unemployment figures. They are going to introduce this project in October. There are 4,385 people in Stoke claiming JSA but there aren't 3,000 jobs in the whole city. So how is the government going to find these jobs before 2008? By that time the real jobless figures will have doubled. A Holdway, Stoke on Trent 15 January 2006 Les Miserables Derek McMillan's interesting review of Les Miserables in the socialist issue 422 missed out on one aspect of the current production's transfer to the Queens Theatre a while ago from the much larger Palace Theatre. The producer of the show, Sir Cameron Macintosh, also insisted that the smaller orchestra pit meant that the size of the band would have to be cut. The missing musicians can be replaced by a 'virtual orchestra' instrument, the Sinfonia, which is a super-synthesiser-sampler played by a keyboard player. A ballot of West End musicians agreed the recommendation of the Musicians' Union leadership to allow the use of the instrument as a "one-off" - largely because of the fear that otherwise the show would close. Musicians saw this as the thin end of the wedge. There are constant examples of producers trying to replace live musicians by backing tapes or reduce pit band sizes to maximise profits. Macintosh of course is a multi-millionaire, as is his friend Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. The lyricist and composer of Les Miserables, Boubil and Schonberg, have made more money than Victor Hugo, financially astute though he was, could have imagined in all his dreams! Producers argue that theatre audiences want to hear the full orchestra sound that they hear on their CDs or DVDs but this argument becomes self-perpetuating when that is all that the audience is presented with. It would be more honest and more artistically credible to rewrite or re-score the piece for smaller forces - but of course the real determining factor is the desire to extract the last possible drop of profit from the ticket price. Bob Scratchet, Orchestra Pit, Theatre of Hard Knocks 15 January 2006 Migrant workers During the first part of the 21st century history will read as follows: war, poverty, starvation and slavery for the majority of people in the world. Just as it did in the preceding centuries. Over the last year or so there has been a growing army of migrant workers in Europe. These workers find themselves victims of racism, employer abuse and super-exploitation, none more so than those from eastern Europe. We call it 'slavery without the chains'. The new slave masters (agencies) promise these workers hundreds of pounds a week, yet they are lucky to see £50 a week after stoppages. The recruiting agencies get these people to sign a six month contract, which is 18 pages long, illegal and takes all their rights away. If a worker breaks the contract (for instance if they leave the agency), they have to pay £300 to the agency in this country and £200 to the same agency in their own country. If they are sick and get a doctor's certificate but the company doesn't believe them, then the company can with-hold their pay. Stoppages also include rent, contract fees, breakages and just about anything else the company wants - workers have to pay for the hire of the room for their own induction! Take the case of one worker who worked 56 hours in six days who, to their surprise and mine, drew £80 after all the stoppages. This system will exploit anyone and anything in pursuit of profit. For the sake of humankind and the planet this rotten system has to go. Rebel with a cause, Rotherham 15 January 2006 Housing question Lois Austin's article on housing (the socialist issue 422) raises many interesting points that deserve further development. The sale of existing stock at auctions is not limited to housing associations. Many local authorities are selling significant numbers of properties, frequently at the same time as criticising housing associations (HAs) for doing the same thing. Increasingly HAs are carrying out very limited development of new housing themselves, but instead are taking housing from private developers through S106 Agreements. These properties are typically very small flats with very high service charges and are not suitable as family accommodation. Many HAs are now large property companies divorced from their original community roots. The article calls for democratic public ownership of the giant construction corporations, banks and finance companies. This should apply to large HAs. HAs such as the London-based Peabody Trust could either be broken up with the stock being transferred to local authorities or put under the control of the Mayor of London. What do other readers think? David, Wandsworth 4 January 2006 If I were Patricia Hewitt I would hang my head in shame at the state of the NHS. I was there at 5.7.48 and I think Ernest Bevan would be disgusted at what has happened to it. Getting decent treatment is virtually an impossibility as I know now to my COST. Unfortunately I am 79 but then so is the Queen and she isn't suffering as I am. What am I to do? Irene, Dorset Home | Join the Socialist Party | News | Subscribe | Donate | Bookshop |