British Perspectives 2006
Contents
Building an alternative to the profit system
Socialist Party Conference 2006: 250 DELEGATES and visitors attended the Socialist Party's national conference, held in Skegness from the 11-13 February. Below are reports from the main debates at the conference. These can only give a flavour of the rich discussions...
Britain
These preliminary remarks on the international situation indicate the background against which events will unfold in Britain. One thing is absolutely clear: the next historical period will not be a repetition of the past decade.
International developments
arely have perspectives for Britain been more affected, even determined, by the march of events internationally. This current phase of capitalist globalisation has some similarities, but at the same time is different, to the ‘globalisation’ – although not known by this term at that stage – of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which crashed in the catastrophe of the First World War. That period was marked by the export of capital to ‘colonies’, which became protected markets, as well as sources of cheap raw materials.
Social counter-revolution
Assuming that Blair lasts in power for some time, which is not at all certain given the shedding of his authority in the past period, he intends to complete his counter-revolution against what remains of the state sector through a relentless privatisation programme.
Revolt of the low paid
This has fuelled the revolt of the low paid, which under the surface is of volcanic proportions. The bitterness of this section of the working class burst out in the Gate Gourmet dispute, which has not resulted in a victory for the workers because of faulty right-wing TGWU leadership.
Education, health and welfare
Since 1997, "education, education, education" has been the dominant theme of Blair and his entourage. White Papers on this issue have rained down like confetti on the heads of the British people, and particularly teachers.
Perspectives for the Labour Party and a new mass party
We have recently produced quite a number of articles, in both the journal and the paper, on the Labour Party, both in its current state and on historical issues, in so far as they touch on the need for a new mass party of the working class in Britain.
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