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From The Socialist newspaper, 27 January 2016
Right-wing Labour councillor smears TUSC policy as 'BNP'
A right-wing Labour councillor in Tower Hamlets, east London, has accused anti-austerity activists of emulating the far-right, racist British National Party (BNP).
Councillor John Pierce attacked supporters of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) after they attended a council oversight and scrutiny committee meeting.
TUSC includes transport union RMT and the Socialist Party.
Activists were making the case for a legal no-cuts budget. They referred to Stoke's Tory-Independent council, which is using reserves to delay cuts. Unrelated to this, one of Stoke's independent councillors is apparently a former BNP member.
Right-wing Labour councillor smears TUSC, pic Naomi Byron (Click to enlarge)
I am disappointed Cllr Pierce attempted to smear TUSC as "advocating the policies of the BNP".
This was in response to TUSC arguing for Tower Hamlets Council to use some of its £71 million general reserves to temporarily stop cutbacks, in order to launch a mass campaign to win the money back from central government.
To say this is supporting BNP policies is ignorant in the extreme. BNP councillors have voted for cuts time after time. One BNP councillor in Kirklees boasted: "You get rid of 25% of council staff and no-one would notice."
The cuts Tower Hamlets Labour is proposing attack the most vulnerable. Worst of all, they are not necessary. The council has the money to protect jobs and services, buying time to coordinate trade unions and the community to fight for more funds.
Naomi Byron, Tower Hamlets Socialist Party
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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.
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In The Socialist 27 January 2016:
Socialist Party news and analysis
Housing: smash the Tory wrecking bill
Davos summit: a broken capitalist system
Google pays pittance for avoiding £2bn tax
Red doors and wristbands scandal
Steelworkers may face benefit cut-off for not seeking bar jobs
Oscars snub black artists: fight racism and austerity in the arts
Labour councillor smears TUSC policy as 'BNP'
Top tweets: #TraditionallySubmissive
Teachers under attack
Teaching: a perfect storm is brewing
Teachers need national strategy for a national struggle
A day in the life of a teacher and mother
International socialist news and analysis
New wave of protests in Tunisia
India: student death exposes caste oppression
What we think
Tories 'Prevent' civil liberties
Council cuts and the fight in Labour
Labour councillor suspended for fighting cuts
Dave Nellist's byelection appeal to Jeremy Corbyn: 'let's discuss how to fight the cuts'
Labour election post-mortem: nothing to report!
The dark arts of Labour's right
Councillors must fight to defend our services
'People's budgets' and local democracy
Lewisham: no backsliding in council cuts fight!
Workplace news and analysis
"I have left work many times in tears" - a council worker
Trade union bill will stretch resources and limit action
Birmingham teachers strike to resist academy attack
Care services under threat in Haringey
Readers' comment
The end for deep coal mining jobs in Britain
Obituary: Dean Meehan 1962-2016
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Protesting against closure of Huddersfield A&E
Coventry children's services closure protest
New Socialist Party branch fights against St Austell austerity
Socialist Party discusses the fight for socialism
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