Seamus Smyth, East Midlands Socialist Party regional organiser
How many times must we witness the horrors unfolding in Gaza plastered across our screens? And how many times will we hear the same hollow words from Starmer and the Labour government, claiming to champion peace while continuing to arm the Israeli state?
While at home, they prepare to gut vital public services and slash support for the most vulnerable, all in the name of serving the super-rich. ‘What has changed since the Tories?’ is the most often asked question on our campaign stalls. And it’s obvious. Under Labour, the priorities of the capitalist class remain untouched.
Meanwhile, as Trump maintains his support for Israeli bombardment and advocates for the mass displacement of the Palestinian people, Starmer is extending a warm invitation for him to visit the UK this September.
This is the true face of capitalism: war and destruction. It’s a system that has already cost countless lives – and it’s upheld by politicians across Britain, the US, and beyond, who continue to back the Israeli state’s cruelty without question.
The same leaders who greenlight war and pour billions into death and devastation are the ones tearing apart our public services and deepening the crisis for working-class people.
Outrage
Across Britain over the last year, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in protest, voicing their outrage and exposing the hypocrisy of this government.
But this movement must go further. Its power lies in joining forces with the organised working class and the trade union movement. Unions can play a decisive role – mobilising their members on demonstrations, defending those targeted for speaking out, and coordinating action between arms and logistics workers and anti-war campaigners.
At the same time, we must raise the urgent need for genuine political representation for working-class people.
The statements by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn indicating a new political party “will take shape” reflects growing frustration with the political status quo.
It would be a welcome step that can inspire young people, trade unionists, and anti-war activists demanding an alternative to war and austerity. But for the new party to succeed, it must be rooted in struggle and the everyday experiences of working-class communities.
The movement for peace in Gaza must be channelled into a serious challenge to capitalism and oppression.
The Sultana and Corbyn statements are a promising beginning, but need to be grounded in the struggles of working-class people to unite in the fight against war and poverty.
Ending war and oppression, in Gaza and beyond, means breaking with capitalism and building a new socialist future from below.
The working class deserves nothing less, and the time to build it is now.
