Image by Suzanne Beishon

Image by Suzanne Beishon   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Baffled Blair

Labour’s top Tory infiltrator, Tony Blair, has admitted “I really mean it when I say I’m not sure I fully understand politics right now”.

The pro-privatisation warmonger is bewildered by plunging support for his anti-worker politics. He cannot understand why self-described socialists like Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn are making headway.

But while some of the super-rich scratch their heads, socialism makes more and more sense to workers across the world. The excellent support for Ireland’s Anti-Austerity Alliance, including the Socialist Party, proves that yet again.

Parliament’s pay

Bloated MPs are on course for yet another pay rise in April: a cool grand.

The inflation-busting increase brings the basic MP’s salary to £74,962 a year. That’s before expenses, any ministerial or shadow ministerial allowances, plus outside consultancies, directorships, speaking fees and the rest.

The Socialist demands MPs take no more than the average wage of a skilled worker. The three MPs who supported Militant, the Socialist’s predecessor, did just this in the 1980s.

Meanwhile wage growth for the rest of us has been negative since the Great Recession. And when it comes to pensions – millions will be worse off under Tory changes. 16 million workers, mainly younger, will lose thousands. MPs will take home a tidy amount based on career average earnings.


Queen v Crow

The blacklisting union busters building London’s Crossrail system have announced they will name it the “Elizabeth Line” after the Queen. Elizabeth II has countless public institutions named after her which she did nothing to make.

Why not name the new line after the late Bob Crow, general secretary of transport union RMT? Bob was a working class hero who fought for workers’ and passengers’ rights every day.