Ken Douglas, Socialist Party national treasurer
Socialist Party members smashed through the fighting fund target, raising a fantastic £28,497 – 116% – in the three months leading up to Christmas. In the whole of 2012 our members raised £109,228!
This was a magnificent effort – as well as campaigning in the town centres and shopping arcades they also found time to relax and have a party, while still ensuring that fighting fund was raised!
Branches were campaigning on a whole number of issues, including against cuts, privatisation and hospital closures in the NHS, forced privatisation of schools through the academies programme and the profiteering of the energy companies.
At the same time we explained how we could stop this government of Con-Dem millionaires in its tracks through building a campaign to resist the council cuts alongside a 24-hour general strike of public and private sector workers.
Now we have to ensure that we maintain our fundraising drive throughout 2013 – this is vital for our campaigning to reach as many people as possible.
With sickening hypocrisy, the Con-Dems have just approved a below-inflation 1% cap on benefit increases.
The six million people who are in work but living below the poverty line, the unemployed, pensioners and disabled people will all see the buying power of their income fall.
In contrast, the richest 1,000 people in the UK saw their wealth increase to £414 billion in 2012, with the additional bonus of a tax cut courtesy of Cameron and Osborne, and can look forward to piling up more ill-gotten gains in 2013.
Unlike the Con-Dems we don’t enjoy the support of the super-rich! We rely on the support of ordinary people; the small donations made to our party in the shopping centres, on picket lines and on protests and demonstrations. Can you help by making a donation?
