Support the fightback in Con-Dems’ Dickensian Britain

Socialist Party Christmas appeal

Support the fightback in Con-Dems’ Dickensian Britain

Ken Douglas, Socialist Party national treasurer

Christmas is coming and the bankers are getting fat! While wage cuts and fuel price rises are the norm for us, we can at least console ourselves that Britain is leading Europe in the number of fat-cat bankers earning more than €1 million.

It could be a scene from Dickens’ Christmas Carol with Scrooge sitting on his piles of money while refusing to light the fire in the grate for his freezing workers.

However, unlike Scrooge, there will be no miraculous transformation in Cameron and Osborne. They may fear that the piling up of such extreme wealth while they preach austerity could ignite a movement against the corrupt bankers and their political lackeys, but they will carry on so long as they can get away with it.

They can be put under pressure – their reaction to the popular wave of anger against the fuel companies’ profiteering shows this.

Like Scrooge allowing his workers a few sticks of kindling, the government has been forced to make some apparent concessions. But at the same time, despite their per-household profits rising by 300% in three years, the fuel companies still threaten more price rises.

That’s why this Christmas, as always, members of the Socialist Party will be out campaigning in the workplaces, the town centres and on the housing estates.

Workers are fighting back against this Scrooge government – university lecturers, housing workers, firefighters, teachers have all taken action recently. But to have the maximum effect we need to combine all the struggles against austerity in the form of a 24-hour general strike.

The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future changed Scrooge’s outlook but it is the reawakening of the tradition of struggle of the working class that will drive the Con-Dems back.

The Socialist Party has a vital role to play in this process. That’s why we are appealing to all readers of the Socialist to consider making a donation to the fighting fund to help us end the year with the finance we need to continue our struggle in 2014.

We know that money is tight for our readers but every donation, no matter how small, will help us get to our target. You can donate via our website socialistparty.org.uk/donate or by telephoning 020 8988 8777.