The Socialist

The Socialist 2 October 2008

Market Meltdown! Profit system failing


Market madness!


Bradford & Bingley: We need real nationalisation

The bishop and the 'bank robbers'

Russia: economic crisis looms

What is short-selling and will the ban have any effect?

Short-sellers back Tories

Another nail in New Labour's coffin


Student debt soaring

Lots of new recruits for Socialist Students


Climate change calamities: Socialist planning needed

Cuts and privatisation threaten new floods


Local government pay dispute in Scotland: solid support for strike

Unison goes to arbitration - a strategy or surrender?

Union calls ballot over health pay

Unions must fight to defend Ford jobs

Lincoln - fight council cuts plan

Workplace news in brief


Jean Charles de Menezes


Conditions in China


Liberty by Glyn Maxwell at Shakespeare's Globe

 
 
Socialist Party logo Socialist Party on the climate change demo December 2007, pic Paul Mattsson Socialist Party News
Socialist Party Policy statements
Socialist Party contemporary Marxist analysis

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Short-sellers back Tories

FACED WITH New Labour's right-wing government, the Tories sometimes present themselves as a party of the people. But the Tories, the traditional main party of capitalism, still propose outrageous coddling of the rich and attacks on the rest of us.

Roger Shrives

At their conference, London Tory mayor Boris Johnson spoke out against what he calls 'over-regulation of banking'. But it's not only Boris who loves big business.

Much of the Tories' cash comes from hedge funds and other firms who engaged in 'short selling' shares and other nefarious activity that worsened the recent financial turmoil. Super-rich traders have poured at least £3 million into Tory coffers.

Traders who were accused of making a killing by driving down the price of shares in banks like HBOS and Bradford & Bingley are among them. According to The Mirror, 20 hedge funds and investment firms have given millions to Tory central office since Cameron became party leader in 2005.

Paul Ruddock, founder of Lansdowne Partners, ('worth' £350 million) is one. He donated more than £210,000 since 2006. He made money from short-selling before the ban on it. This helped drive down Barclays and Anglo Irish Bank shares. His firm allegedly made £100 million from betting that Northern Rock would collapse.

Other glorified gamblers have put their money on Cameron's Tories and their openly 'free market' policies. The rich have several parties to choose from. We need to build one for the rest of us.


In this issue


Socialist Party editorial

Market madness!


Credit crunch

Bradford & Bingley: We need real nationalisation

The bishop and the 'bank robbers'

Russia: economic crisis looms

What is short-selling and will the ban have any effect?

Short-sellers back Tories

Another nail in New Labour's coffin


Socialist Students

Student debt soaring

Lots of new recruits for Socialist Students


Global Warming

Climate change calamities: Socialist planning needed

Cuts and privatisation threaten new floods


Socialist Party workplace news

Local government pay dispute in Scotland: solid support for strike

Unison goes to arbitration - a strategy or surrender?

Union calls ballot over health pay

Unions must fight to defend Ford jobs

Lincoln - fight council cuts plan

Workplace news in brief


Socialist Party campaigns

Jean Charles de Menezes


Comment

Conditions in China


Socialist Party review

Liberty by Glyn Maxwell at Shakespeare's Globe


 

Home   |   The Socialist 2 October 2008   |   Join the Socialist Party

Subscribe   |   Donate   |   Bookshop

Related links:

Tories:

triangleLegitimacy of Cameron and Clegg further shattered

triangleMay 2012 local election reports

triangleLeveson exposes links between Tories and Murdoch

triangleThe main parties

triangleHousing safety nets for young people being scrapped by Tories

triangleTories stand for the 1%... We need a voice for the 99%!

Rich:

triangleDon't accept the misery of austerity

triangleA strategy to stop austerity and bring down the government of the super-rich

triangleRich list: The good times roll for the 0.00001%

triangleTUSC: the electoral alternative to the parties of the rich

Hedge funds:

triangleFinancial vultures kill Peacocks

triangleMadoff with the money!

triangleThem & us

Short-selling:

triangleWhat is short-selling and will the ban have any effect?