Take the wealth off the 1%
Elaine Brunskill, Socialist Party National Committee
If you save every single penny you earn for the next 52 years you could become one of the richest 10% in the UK.
Mind, to do this you would need to be an average wage earner on £37,430 a year. Oh! Also, living rent free surviving on fresh air!
These figures come from recent research by the Resolution Foundation which highlights the growing wealth gap between rich and poor. Unsurprisingly, the report tells us “wealth mobility in Britain is low – people that start life wealthy tend to stay wealthy, and visa versa.”
Of course, no working-class person can save everything they earn. However, for a growing number of workers, disabled and young people a lack of any savings is a huge issue.
A fifth of adults have less than £1,000 tucked away in savings, including one in ten adults who have no savings whatsoever.
This leaves millions dreading any unexpected one-off costs. A car breakdown, broken washing machine, even your kids having a growth spurt and needing new shoes can push families over the edge. Meanwhile the cost-of-living crisis tightens its grip.
Prior to Starmer’s election, some hoped that life under Labour would be better than it was under the hated Tories. However, 15 short months later any such hope has fizzled out. Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister since polling began, and Rachel Reeves is the most unpopular chancellor – that’s some record!
The Budget on 26 November will undoubtedly serve the interests of capitalism at the expense of working people.
With both the Tories and Labour languishing in the polls, for the bosses getting parties that can reliably represent their interests elected is looking shaky. They’ve got away with it so far because the working class doesn’t have its own party. This has led to a layer of workers looking towards Reform, who pretend to be anti-establishment, but have nothing to offer except divisive racist scapegoating and more austerity.
Amidst all this, Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s Your Party has the potential to become a party that can really represent the interests of working-class people. If this potential is realised it could light up the sky – giving real hope to millions.
The Socialist Party will be in the thick of the coming struggle, putting forward the necessity of Your Party adopting socialist policies to fight austerity, build council homes and bring back services. And ensuring that trade unions, local community groups fighting cuts and socialists are at the heart of this battle.
There are a tiny minority at the top of society that hoard unimagined wealth and use it solely to increase their plunder. There are more than enough resources to provide us all with a decent standard of living; instead of letting them stay in the clutches of the mega-rich bosses, the working class should be in control. A democratic socialist world is possible, let’s fight for it.
