TONY BLAIR could rue the day that he called top-up fees his “flagship reform”. That’s what Thatcher said about the poll tax and look what happened to her! 18 million non payers (led by Militant, the forerunner of the Socialist Party) sank the hated tax and Thatcher with it.
Blair ignored two million on the streets of London protesting against war with Iraq. He ignored opposition to foundation hospitals. But top-up fees could be the final straw.
Over 80% of the population are totally opposed and even Labour MPs have had enough. Half of 100 Labour backbenchers surveyed by the Financial Times said they will vote against – they don’t care if it brings Blair down too!
But we can’t rely on Labour MPs to fight this or any of the other attacks on working-class people by this government. Labour, with or without Blair, is a party of big-business and the rich.
We need to build a political alternative that fights for the interests of the millions of working-class people who feel that they have no political voice. The election of a second Socialist Party councillor in London last week (our fifth councillor nationally) shows that a clear, campaigning socialist alternative gets results.
Join us and help build a viable, mass alternative in every area to New Labour and the profit system they represent.
