The Socialist 6 January 2016

Fight the flood of cuts

2016: Crisis-ridden capitalism will meet with bitter mood of resistance

No retreat on resisting council cuts!

Fight the flood of cuts

Support junior doctors' and student nurses' action

Another black man shot dead by the police

UK's private rail fares six times public rates

Birmingham Labour to axe at least 1,200 jobs in £165m cuts onslaught

UK wage growth will be lowest since 1920s

NHS England chiefs block hospitals from publicising emergencies

What we saw: Sadiq Khan's promises on London transport

Them & Us

Floods, climate change and capitalism

Carlisle Socialist Party's action plan on floods

Profit system exacerbates flooding

Tories' hypocritical green policies pledge

Renationalise the water industry

No government majority as Podemos partially recovers

Union action needed to defeat attack on student nurses

Nationalise rail now! Rail workers strike around the country

Steel: public ownership needed as private buyers threaten pay and pensions

Condescending Tories savage Yorkshire fire service

Workplace news in brief

Dark comic book fantasy throws light on abusive relationships

"I chose to be involved in politics, Michael Crick"

Letters

A 'People's Budget' to defeat cruel cuts

Stop the closure of Calderstones hospital!

2015 marks best fighting fund total this century!

Eleanor Marx: celebrate a life of struggle for socialism

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Floods, climate change and capitalism

The Tory government has blamed climate change for the floods which have devastated northern England and parts of Scotland.

However, these extreme weather events were entirely predictable. In fact, cabinet ministers were advised just days before storm Desmond hit Cumbria that such floods would occur and that current flood defences were inadequate because of spending cuts.

However, Prime Minister David Cameron ignored these concerns in order to pursue his austerity agenda. Consequently, thousands of homes, shops and businesses have been ruined, costing billions of pounds.

The Tories - having been severely criticised in 2013, when in coalition, for cuts to the Environment Agency's flood defence budget - have attempted to parry renewed criticism by pledging an extra £40 million spending - a fraction of the cuts made since 2010.

Moreover, a 40% reduction in council funding by the government over the last five years has also resulted in abandoned flood defence schemes and a lack of maintenance of existing defences.

Clearly, measures to protect communities against the effects of climate change require a fight to defeat government austerity cuts.

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What we think

2016: Crisis-ridden capitalism will meet with bitter mood of resistance