
The Socialist 14 May 2014
VOTE TUSC - For the millions not the billionaires

For the millions not the billionaires
Fight back at the ballot box on 22 May
Building Labour: when workers first formed own party
Southampton: Showing what's possible
Liverpool City Council 1983-87: "We had a choice"
Why we're standing as TUSC candidates
On the campaign trail with TUSC
Ukip - the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party
Housing evictions - main parties to blame
Gove robs education budget to fund 'Free Schools'
What's socialism got to do with fighting austerity?
South Africa: The ANC victory, WASP and the EFF
Capitalist politicians can't solve Boko Haram crisis
Ireland: Election campaigns "referendum on austerity"
Care UK strike: NHS workers v NHS privatisation
PCS: Re-election of a fighting, socialist leadership
Leadership challenged at Usdaw conference
Brighton: Determined to fight college cuts
Transport workers' international meeting
Fight together for pay rise - Come to NSSN conference
Freedom Riders- action brings victory
Building TUSC, building socialism
Donate to the election appeal!
Why I joined the Socialist Party
PO Box 1398, Enfield EN1 9GT
020 8988 8777

Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/811/18595
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Editorial from the Socialist issue 811
Ukip - the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party
Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, has declared that Ukip is set to top the poll in the European elections. A Sky News poll this week indicated what lies behind Ukip's surge. A massive 72% of voters don't trust the Westminster parties.
For some Ukip appears the most effective stick to beat them with.In reality, however, Ukip is the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party. Ukip receive wall-to-wall publicity in the capitalist media, in stark contrast to forces to the left of Labour.
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), is contesting 560 seats in this year's local elections yet has received very little mainstream media coverage.
Farage's constant presence in the news does not represent 'fair' coverage based on a measurement of a party's support. In the 2012 local elections, for example, Ukip received an average of 13% of votes where they stood, compared to TUSC receiving an average of just over 6%. Yet Nigel Farage has been on Question Time eleven times during this parliament, and 27 times since 2009, more than any other politician.
Ukip have even been given assistance by the police. When one blogger posted a list of policies espoused by Ukip candidates - including scrapping paid maternity leave, raising income tax for the poorest 88%, speeding up privatisation of the NHS and cutting education spending - he received an official police visit asking him to remove the offending post, despite it not having broken any laws.
Growing anger
As anger at the mainstream politicians has grown, the capitalist class have had a semi-conscious policy of encouraging support for Ukip as a 'safe' form of protest. Ukip's right-wing nationalist programme does not offer any way forward for working class people; its politics are to the right of the Tory Party.
Ukip is a party of bankers and millionaires, with Farage a millionaire ex-stockbroker. Ukip's big-business donations include one from the ex-chair of Lonmin, the mining company responsible for the August 2012 murder of striking workers in Marikana, South Africa.
However, using populist supposedly 'pro-worker' rhetoric (but completely opposing workers defending themselves via strikes) combined with right-wing nationalist, anti-immigrant propaganda, they have been able to partially step into the vacuum that exists because of the absence of a mass workers' party. Many workers who vote Ukip do not know - or care - what they actually stand for, but want to use them as a means to voice their protest.
In 2011, in the wake of the huge - 750,000 strong - trade union demonstration against cuts to public services Ukip supporters initiated a counter-demo which demanded 'more cuts'. A paltry few hundred turned up.
Ukip could be similarly marginalised on the electoral plane, if the leaders of the trade union movement were leading a serious struggle against austerity. This would mean strike action - including a 24-hour general strike against austerity - but also the building of a political party that opposes austerity.
Instead, at this stage, the majority of the trade union leaders continue to try to mobilise behind Labour, despite its support for austerity and now Miliband's threat to increase Britain's already repressive anti-trade union laws.
TUSC, however, is starting to take the fight against austerity onto the electoral plane. It is supported by the transport workers' union, the RMT, and many prominent trade unionists. Its candidates are trade unionists, anti-cuts activists and community campaigners.
But TUSC is operating in this election on a financial wing and a prayer. If it had the resources of the trade unions behind it - even just the £1.5 million that Unite has reduced its affiliation fee to Labour by - every person in this country could have a leaflet with an anti-austerity message and every town and city could have a billboard with a clear anti-cuts, pro-working class message.
Real alternative needed
Only a genuine workers' party is capable of cutting across Ukip. All the establishment parties are concerned by Ukip's growth but they are incapable of stopping it.
How can the axe-men and women of the pro-austerity parties attack Farage for posing as standing up for 'the little man and woman' when actually supporting an extra £77 billion worth of cuts in public services which would devastate lives? It is mistaken and counter-productive for socialists to organise joint anti-Ukip campaigning with the pro-austerity parties.
How can the big three parties, all up to their necks in expenses scandals, effectively answer Farage - who himself has claimed over £60,000 worth of expenses? A debate with Dave Nellist - the national chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition - who for nine years was a workers' MP on a worker's wage, would be a very different proposition.
It is not possible to say how long Ukip's surge will continue. Certainly they will see a new swathe of councillors elected on 22 May, and do well in the European elections. It is possible they will be able to use this as a springboard to increase their vote in the general election. It is vital to counter Ukip.
This should include exposing the blatant racism, sexism and homophobia of many of their candidates. However, central to undermining Ukip will be revealing them to be just one more party for the 1%, and more importantly beginning to build an electoral voice that really does stand for the millions not the millionaires.
European elections: Vote No2EU - Yes To Workers' Rights

The Socialist Party supports No2EU - Yes To Workers' Rights in the 2014 European elections
While TUSC is standing in local elections, for the European elections the Socialist Party is supporting No2EU - Yes To Workers' Rights, which is led by the RMT union.
No2EU opposes the pro-privatisation, pro-profiteering, anti-worker policies of the European Union.
No2EU says:
- Yes to workers' rights
- Exit the EU on the basis of socialist policies
- Reject EU treaties and policies that privatise our public services
- No to public spending cuts whether they come from Brussels or Britain
- Repeal anti-trade union rulings by the European Court of Justice and the EU
- Yes to international solidarity of working people
In this issue
Vote Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
For the millions not the billionaires
Fight back at the ballot box on 22 May
Building Labour: when workers first formed own party
Southampton: Showing what's possible
Liverpool City Council 1983-87: "We had a choice"
Why we're standing as TUSC candidates
On the campaign trail with TUSC
Socialist Party news and analysis
Ukip - the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party
Housing evictions - main parties to blame
Gove robs education budget to fund 'Free Schools'
Socialist Party feature
What's socialism got to do with fighting austerity?
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: The ANC victory, WASP and the EFF
Capitalist politicians can't solve Boko Haram crisis
Ireland: Election campaigns "referendum on austerity"
Socialist Party workplace news
Care UK strike: NHS workers v NHS privatisation
PCS: Re-election of a fighting, socialist leadership
Leadership challenged at Usdaw conference
Brighton: Determined to fight college cuts
Transport workers' international meeting
Fight together for pay rise - Come to NSSN conference
Readers' reviews
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Freedom Riders- action brings victory
Building TUSC, building socialism
Donate to the election appeal!
Why I joined the Socialist Party
Related links:
May ends in June! Boot out the Tories!
Tories facing electoral meltdown
Tommy Robinson BBC demo: socialist fightback needed to undermine far right
Government limps on... Corbyn and unions must call urgent, mass action
Swansea Socialist Party: The TUSC anti-austerity challenge in the Welsh parliament
Help fund a challenge to austerity at the ballot box - donate today!
Cardiff East Socialist Party: Saving the music industry from pandemic and austerity
Union fight to save musicians' livelihoods
Victory for Judith, defend Moe
Teachers demand fighting union strategy
Stop domestic abuse service closures in Brighton
Public sector workers respond to the budget
Why we need socialists in London city hall
President of 'big four' Labour-affiliated trade union joins TUSC committee