The Socialist 17 October 2018

Tories’ Brexit bust-up - general Election Now

Tories' Brexit bust-up - general election now

Universal credit = universal misery

New anti-poll tax type revolt needed today

Homeless driven from Windsor streets for royal wedding: abolish the monarchy and end homelessness now!

Toxic fracking gets the go-ahead while protesters jailed

No to fat-cat top judges' £59k pay hike - fight for decent pay for criminal justice workers

Tory and Trump hypocrisy over murder of Saudi Arabian journalist

Fully fund mental health services now

PCS union: nominate Chris Baugh as Left Unity candidate for assistant general secretary

Striking Brum home carers reject 'final' pay cut offer

South Western rail workers launch five-day safety strike to save guards

Uber drivers strike against unfair 'deactivation' and low pay

Bolton hospital workers strike

Grimethorpe dinner ladies stage all-out strike against redundancy

Cable makers' pay strike bites as production falls 33%

Newham finance staff fight pay and grading insult

Libres y Combativas: striking for women's rights in the Spanish state

The renewed relevance of Engels' classic Socialism: Utopian and Scientific

Demo against far-right DFLA

Socialism - the podcast offering Marxist analysis for the movement against capitalism

'Corbyn-council' faces a choice: Implement or fight the cuts

Devon foster carers fight 30% cut in allowances

De Montfort freshers stall

Peterloo film exposes bloody nature of capitalism

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Marching in Haringey, Feb 2018, photo North London SP (Click to enlarge)

Haringey 'Corbyn-council' faces a choice: Implement or fight the cuts

Nick Auvache, North London Socialist Party

Aditya Chakrabortty hit the nail on the head when he said "any new Labour administration will be judged on how much change it makes for the people it claims to represent" in the Guardian on 10 October.

Myself and two other socialists stood in Seven Sisters ward in the May elections, as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC).

We said "let's turn Jeremy Corbyn's words into action in Haringey". We pledged to work alongside any Haringey Labour councillor who wants to put those ideas into practice.

One of the key demands we raised was "no redevelopment of Wards Corner without social housing and safeguarding the 'Latin American Corner' local businesses."

Socialist Party members stood alongside anti-private development Labour Party members when they organised and deselected the worst of the old Blairite councillors. We said this was now our chance for a socialist anti-austerity council in Haringey.

We warned:

"Haringey is set to be a 'Corbyn council' and will be under intense scrutiny, not just from the press, Tories and pro-austerity wing of the Labour Party, but from the working class.

"We cannot wait till the next general election. It is imperative that under a 'Corbyn council' the residents of Haringey stop paying the price for Tory austerity through cuts and privatisation of council services, homes and jobs.

"Any other approach not only condemns people to more suffering under the Tory cosh, but also risks the current huge support for Corbyn-led Labour."

Expectations are high in this council. The council leader claims to have no choice, being constrained by Tory cuts and the 'poison pills' left by the previous administration.

The 'Corbyn' Labour council has a clear choice. They should stand up and help mobilise a big campaign to kick the millionaire developers out of our borough.

Instead of preparing to accommodate another 10% of cuts next year, they should prepare a socialist needs-based, no-cuts budget.

They should use reserves and borrowing powers to stave off cuts, and mobilise the trade unions, local residents and community groups in a struggle to press the Tories to provide the necessary funding.

The excuses not to do this lessen every day as the Tories teeter on the brink. Such a struggle could help push them out of power and bring in a Corbyn-led Labour government which should guarantee to underwrite any debt incurred in resisting Tory cuts.

As Chakrabortty points out, the council needs to pick the right side in a small case. Corbyn will face much bigger fights in government.

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 16 October 2018 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.

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