Them & Us

Families in poverty

New research commissioned by the TUC shows:

In two years, the majority of British children - 7.1 million of the nation's 13 million youngsters - will grow up in families which are struggling "below the breadline" because of welfare cuts, tax rises and wage freezes
460,000 children would be pushed below those levels by the increase in VAT and cuts to tax credits, 170,000 by sluggish wage growth and 80,000 by the curbs on public sector pay
90% of families will be worse off in 2015 than in 2010
The boost they received from raising tax thresholds has been virtually wiped out by the increase in VAT to 20% in 2011

Academies cheat

There has been a significant increase in the number of teachers at academy schools contacting a confidential support line to report being pressured into artificially increasing their students' grades.

The charity that runs the helpline points out that it is clearly mainly in academies because of the removal of local authority oversight in these schools.

That's capitalism!

A United Nations report last year estimated that 60 million jobs could be created globally if countries switched to a low carbon economy.

However, a survey by the European Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change found, unsurprisingly, that companies won't invest in projects to tackle global warming because they are obliged to maximise profits.

Since coming into office in 2010 the UK's coalition government investment in 'clean energy' projects has slumped from £2.73 billion to £1.1 billion in the most recent quarter.

Bums on red leather

After the government recently appointed 30 new peers, the 785 member House of Lords is now ranked the second largest legislative body in the world - surpassed only by China's National People's Congress!

Mega business mogul Sir Anthony Bamford (chairman of JCB, estimated wealth in excess of £3 billion) received a peerage.

Any link between Sir Anthony donating £2.5 million to Tory party coffers and his peerage is, ahem, purely coincidental.

In 2008 despite Bamford's wealth, and notwithstanding JCB's £187 million yearly profit, the company gave its 2,500 workforce an ultimatum - take a £50 a week pay cut or lose hundreds of jobs.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.