The Socialist 28 June 2017

Tories out - Corbyn in

Step up the fight to kick out Tories and Blairites

After Grenfell - fight for safe homes

Camden evacuation - residents expose risks - Blairites duck responsibility

Grenfell fire compounded by overcrowding: build more council homes now

Reports: organising to fight for safe homes after Grenfell

Council union responds to Grenfell

Police accused of killing cover-up

NHS secret cuts plans exposed

Barclays finally charged for having hands in till

Students 'skirt' school uniform issue!

Homelessness - Corbyn offers housing revolution

Benefit cap defeat for government

Tories may have broken election laws... again

What We Saw

Liverpool's 1983-87 socialist council

Trump and the fossil fuel corporations - a lethal combination for the planet

Jobstown Not Guilty - verdict imminent

Trade unions must organise to kick out the Tories

Unison conference: confident delegates take control, give Corbyn 'rapturous' welcome

Refuse workers strike against bullying bosses

"What do we want? Pay parity.

Organise the 'youthquake'! Young Socialists - Generation Socialist

Cardiff: unity in solidarity with Grenfell

Corbyn inspires thousands at Glastonbury

To join the struggle to save the NHS

From Militant to the Socialist Party - what you thought

Pentrich Rebellion 200 years on

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Benefit cap defeat for government

Rally against benefit cuts in Cardiff, photo Becky Davis (Click to enlarge)

Karen Seymour, Mansfield Socialist Party

A court challenge was won on 22 June against the enforcement of the benefit cap for people with children under two years old. This is set at £23,000 in London and £20,000 outside the capital.

The ruling was made in response to a judicial review brought by four lone parent families - shockingly including two who had been made homeless due to domestic violence. To avoid the cap, they had to be able to work at least 16 hours a week. Because they could not, the cap was enforced.

What is forgotten here is that the cap amount includes housing benefit which goes to the landlord of your property. It is not money that can be used for day-to-day expenses!

Even the high court judge said the cap was causing real misery to these families, and it served no real purpose!

Not surprisingly, the government intends to appeal, and insists that the cap incentivises work. That's doublespeak for: "We want to punish you because you are unemployed!" The Victorians had the same attitude to those who were unfortunate enough to have no work.

This is yet another example of the war that is being waged against working class people by those who seek to govern us. It is not a measure that saves the government a huge amount of money, but it is designed to make life just that little bit more difficult - to wear us down so that we will not fight back.

We need to show them we know their game and we won't take any more. The ruling class is terrified of our power and strength when united. Let's use it to bring an end to the benefit cap, benefit cuts and all austerity.

Labour under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership could deliver real improvements to workers' living standards. Let's kick out the weak and divided Tories and get Corbyn in as soon as possible.

In this issue

What we think

Step up the fight to kick out Tories and Blairites