All Organisations subcategories:
Committee for a Workers International
Nationalist and National Liberation
Pro capitalist and Imperialist
Left and radical keywords:
International Socialist Resistance (54)
Revolutionary Communist League (1)
Socialist Peoples Party (Denmark) (1)
ISR
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: International Socialist Resistance - Young people - Socialist - ISR - Privatisation - Pay
International Socialist Resistance
Fight for a political voice for young people!
Blair has claimed that young people are apathetic towards politics. He claims this in the face of more and more young people participating in demonstrations and campaigns; in the face of school students booing him during his general election campaign; in the face of over 75% of young people taking part in civic and political activities outside school. The truth is that young people are apathetic towards him, his party and the other parties of big business.
Sarah Sachs-Eldridge, ISR national co-ordinator
Alex Folkes, campaign director of Vote at 16, said political parties needed to take a more coherent approach to getting young people involved in politics - and that included giving them the right to vote. International Socialist Resistance (ISR) believes that young people who can join the army, get married and work should certainly be allowed to vote but the main question is who is there for young people to vote for?
As the local elections appear on the horizon, the main parties try to show their concern for the low youth vote. The Liberal Democrats support the votes at 16 campaign. New Labour show concern that young people are not engaged. The Tories claim they want to listen to young people more.
But all three continue to implement and propose the same policies of cuts and privatisation, all three represent and do the bidding of the fat cats and all three have no interest in representing working class people - young or otherwise.
There are plenty of issues that we are angry about and are campaigning on. While billions are spent on the war we are told that there is not enough money to publicly fund education. While companies declare obscene profits and company directors award themselves billions of pounds in salaries we are told that £3 an hour is a fair minimum wage.
Not only will we have massive student debts to pay back but we are told that we will have to save more and pay more towards our pensions. We are told we will have to work longer before we can retire and yet there is no shortage of money in society.
Blair makes promises on tackling poverty in Africa and continues to spend taxpayers' money on promoting privatisation in the poorest countries. We see what privatisation has done so far - MRSA in the hospitals, deaths on the railways and we are promised even more!
We are told that fossil fuels are running out and that the environment is under attack and yet Blair seems to be pinning our future to nuclear power despite all the dangers associated with that. How can we trust a PM and ministers who have lied about war, about their financial interests and about the introduction of top-up fees to put safety first?
We want a party that will represent us and fight for our future. We want a party that is clearly democratic, where we can have a say as socialists and as young people. We therefore support the Socialist Party's initiative to launch a campaign for a new mass workers' party. At our 2002 conference we resolved to fight for a new party that will be a genuine political alternative and which will:
- Offer a radical voice for workers and young people, a genuine socialist alternative to the profit-driven policies of all the mainstream parties.
- Stand against war and imperialism, and support the international solidarity of oppressed peoples.
- Guarantee decent pay and rights at work for all workers.
- Abolish tuition fees and guarantee all students a living grant to support them through their education.
- Fight against discrimination on the basis of race, disability, gender or sexuality.
- Be funded by, and run in the interests of, the masses not the millionaires.
We believe that the Socialist Party's initiative is our best chance to achieve this. Fight for your future! Fight for a political voice for young people! Fight for socialism!
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999