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Socialist Party news and analysis
Brutal Tory axe to fall on poor: The Tories plan to savagely cut £12 billion from welfare benefits. This brutal axe will fall on disabled people and carers, among many low-income and vulnerable households
The planned cuts will hit disabled people and their carers, photo Paul Mattsson
Education will be a vital question on people’s minds in the general election and local elections on 7 May. But most voters will have very different priorities from the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government
How to fight the anti-union laws
Supporting Labour will not defeat them: The Tories have raised the prospect of even more repressive legislation, including insisting that 40% of union members have to vote for action rather than a simple majority of those who vote. When you consider the low turnouts in elections, only 15 MPs would have been elected in 2010 on this basis and probably not one councillor. Of course, neither would we have the Con-Dem coalition, which won on 37% of the electorate!
Main parties have no alternative strategy: Despite an underfunding crisis – against the backcloth of government austerity – a recent Kings Fund report shows the National Health Service (NHS) bearing up well and high patient satisfaction rates
End punitive benefit sanctions now!
Darren, a Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant from Leicester, has been sanctioned, without proper justification, following a new DWP pilot scheme involving daily signing at a Jobcentre. Darren explains what happened
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: campaigning for a working class party
On 16-17 April Numsa, South Africa’s metalworkers union, the largest union on the African continent, will be convening a ‘conference for socialism’
Working class action key: Nicos Anastasiades, member of Xekinima (CWI Greece) spoke to Steve Score, editor of the Socialist
Solidarity with Cypriot workers
Tunisia: thousands demonstrate
CWI members took part in the demonstrations at the recent World Social Forum in Tunis where thousands of young people, women, unemployed people and activists came together
Elections 2015
Kick out rotten MPs and councillors
Paul Couchman, TUSC prospective parliamentary candidate for Spelthorne in Surrey and council candidate for Laleham and Shepperton Green, says why he is standing
School crossing campaigner stands for TUSC
Derbyshire county council plans to scrap all school crossing patrols in the latest round of a monumental £157 million cuts programme
Gloucester College hustings: Scrap all fees
Sue Powell, TUSC parliamentary candidate for Gloucester, spoke at a Gloucester College hustings on 19 March in front of 50 students
An early day motion supported by all the main unions in further education, calling for the reversal of devastating cuts in further education provision, now has the support of over 50 MPs
Socialist Party general election appeal 2015
“Good luck to all comrades standing for a better society for the masses,” says Kerry Brier, who has donated £20
Socialist Party workplace news
This weekend, delegates at the National Union of Teachers (NUT) annual conference are discussing how to fight government attacks on pensions, pay and workload
NUT members in Sheffield during the 10 July 2014 public sector pay strike, photo Karl Lang
Unison special conference votes for new pay claim
London bus companies forced into pay talks
Following on from the two successful days of strike action in January and February, London bus workers – members of Unite the Union – have forced many of the bus companies and Transport for London (TfL) to talks on 9 April
Bolton Uni: reinstate Damien and Jenny Markey!
The campaign for the reinstatement of sacked trade unionists Damien and Jenny Markey began on Monday 30 April at Bolton University with around 50 people, including staff, trade unionists and university students, protesting at the outrageous actions of the university management
RMT members and supporters protested outside a West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) meeting against plans for driver-only operated trains on the Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises
Food workers’ victory: Two hundred and seventy workers at the giant multinational Refresco-Gerber in Bridgwater, Somerset have won a victory against reductions in terms and conditions after a series of strikes from January to March
Socialist Party youth and students
Students occupy for free education
Students across London have been occupying universities, demanding free education and improvements to services. Members of Socialist Students and the Socialist Party have been supporting the movement
Socialist Party comments and reviews
Election 2015 Cameron and Miliband Live
TV Review: With parliament dissolved, the 2015 general election campaign has officially commenced. And while the winning party, or more likely combination of parties, is hard to predict, one thing is certain – whoever forms the next government will continue with capitalist austerity
Axing Clause IV: Making Labour safe for capitalism
In April 1995 a special Labour Party conference dropped Clause IV, part 4 (the ‘socialist clause’) of its constitution
Working in the NHS: Low pay, cuts and stress
As an NHS worker I feel as though I have been hit from all directions for the last five years. The nursing unions Unison and RCN have accepted this year’s paltry 1% pay rise
The Great Money Trick: Another World is Possible
The new look Socialist – thumbs up from readers
The launch of the redesigned Socialist has proved a hit among readers and sellers. Socialist Party members in Walthamstow, east London, sold 46 copies on a public sale last Saturday using the back page