• Socialist change to end climate change
London climate strike 20 September 2019, photo Paul Mattsson, photo Paul Mattsson

London climate strike 20 September 2019, photo Paul Mattsson, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Theo Sharieff, Socialist Students national organiser

Donald Trump is yet again visiting Britain, on 3 December, to conduct a meeting with representatives of Nato in London. And once again he will be met by protests.

Trump’s last two visits to Britain have been met with lively protests, and in the summer of 2018 over 250,000 people flooded the streets of London to protest against the political ideas which Trump represents – an openly racist, sexist, and ultimately anti-working class president who ruthlessly stands in the interests of the billionaire class in the US.

Trump is also an out-and-out climate change denier, and in 2017 announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement.

He did this to help boost the profits of a big section of the American capitalist class, despite the agreements’ very limited measures against climate change, including the fact that the targets set out by the agreement are completely voluntary!

The capitalist class, in its endless pursuit of bigger and bigger profits, is in a constant battle against the protections workers and young people have won in defence of the environment – protections which would restrict the rights of big business to plunder the planets resources and burn fossil fuels.

Trump’s visit this year falls in the middle of the general election. He will no doubt be keen to emphasise the ‘special relationship’ he and Boris Johnson both share during his visit.

Johnson and Trump are two sides of the same coin – they both stand up for the interests of big business, putting profits and privatisation ahead of not only the environment, but also ahead of our living standards, access to affordable housing, free education, public services, and our futures.

In Britain, we have an opportunity at this election to kick out Johnson and the rest of the Tories, and elect a Corbyn-led government – which would reflect the interests of the working class and young people.

Defeating Johnson would represent a huge blow for Trump and the rest of the billionaire class internationally. On 3 December, let Trump know he and his political ideas aren’t welcome in Britain.

And on 12 December let’s channel that anger to kick out the Tories and fight for a Corbyn-led government with socialist policies!