Socialism

The future of the NHS hangs in the balance. Nearly five million people are waiting for treatment. Covid has pushed our health services to the limit, but years of underfunding meant it was already in crisis before the pandemic. Waiting lists were already rising, as were the huge staff shortages.

But rather than addressing these problems as a priority, the government is proposing more drastic reorganisation of the NHS.

Thousands of NHS workers, in dozens of towns and cities, protested on Saturday 3 July against the Tories' insulting 1% pay offer. Just days later, on 5 July, it was announced that workers in the NHS will be awarded the George Cross medal. Not something that will pay the bills for the thousands of nurses who are forced to visit food banks.

And then, the next day, the government presented its health and care bill in parliament, spelling out plans for further privatisation and even less democratic oversight of our NHS.

Socialist Party members have been helping to organise numerous protests since.

In this podcast we speak to a number of our members both before and after the 3rd of July about the struggle for a 15% pay rise and what the health and social are bill is trying to do to our NHS.

Further reading here;

Unite to fight Tory pay insults

Build for strike action

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32850/28-07-2021/unite-to-fight-tory-pay-insults

Public sector pay: NHS, teachers -Prepare for action!

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32845/22-07-2021/public-sector-pay-prepare-for-action

NHS: Kick out the privatisers - Fight for a 15% Pay rise

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32804/14-07-2021/kick-out-the-privatisers-fight-for-a-15-pay-rise

Fight the health and care bill

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32732/30-06-2021/fight-the-health-and-care-bill

Fight is on to save our NHS

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs

NHS after 3 July protests

Trade unions must organise serious action

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32731/30-06-2021/nhs-after-3-july-protests-trade-unions-must-organise-serious-action

Tories threaten to axe free prescriptions for older workers

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32808/14-07-2021/tories-threaten-to-axe-free-prescriptions-for-older-workers

Scrap the privatising health and care bill

For a publicly funded, democratically run, NHS

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32807/14-07-2021/scrap-the-privatising-health-and-care-bill

Tories in crisis - Preparing for struggle in post-Covid Britain

Far from an era of sustained economic upswing, social peace and a Tory ascendency opening up for post-Covid Britain, the prospects ahead are for heightened class conflict and turbulent political times.

The last fifteen months have been unprecedented in the history of capitalism. In Britain a total failure to deal effectively with Covid in its early stages left the government struggling to cope with a developing health catastrophe, via belated and inadequate lockdowns, leading to the deepest economic recession in 300 years. As in other major economies, only levels of state aid unprecedented outside of wartime prevented worse disaster.

The population has been through a deeply traumatic experience. Almost 130,000 have died of Covid, with many more suffering long term health problems. Over six million were claiming Universal Credit in May 2021. Eleven and a half million have been furloughed at some point, usually resulting in a 20% pay cut. Despite a formal ban on evictions, 130,000 families have lost their homes so far.

Now, albeit with delays and reverses, Britain appears to be edging towards its post-pandemic future. What will that hold?

We speak to Hannah Sell - General Secretary of the Socialist Party and Rob Williams - Industrial organiser for the Socialist Party

Further reading here;

Preparing for struggle in post-Covid Britain

http://socialismtoday.org/preparing-for-struggle-in-post-covid-britain#more-628

For a fighting programme and a new left in Unite

http://socialismtoday.org/for-a-fighting-programme-and-a-new-left-in-unite

Batley & Spen by-election

Another condemnation of Starmer's New Labour

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32764/05-07-2021/batley-amp-spen-byelection-another-condemnation-of-starmers-new-labour

Chesham and Amersham by-election

Urgent need to build alternative to pro-capitalist politicians

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32691/23-06-2021/chesham-and-amersham-by-election

Fight is on to save our NHS

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs

Hopeless Hancock replaced

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32730/30-06-2021/hopeless-hancock-replaced

Unite general secretary contest: Vote for Sharon Graham

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32690/23-06-2021/unite-general-secretary-contest-vote-for-sharon-graham

Retail has felt the full impact of the Covid pandemic but the resulting heightened struggle between different capitalist interests within the sector, and between big business and retail workers, reflects longer-term trends.

During the pandemic, we saw shortages of basic goods during the first few weeks – what was this due to?

There were lots of talk around food shortages due to how much food the UK imports, around the Brexit negotiations – what do socialists think should be done about this?

As part of overcoming these shortages, the big supermarket companies started pooling some of their distribution networks – what does this say about the role of the market?

Iain Dalton - chair of Usdaw Broad Left talks to Socialism

Further reading

http://socialismtoday.org/trouble-on-the-high-street

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/29523/04-09-2019/what-strategy-can-end-the-retail-jobs-massacre

Website of Usdaw members in the CWI - usdawactivist.wordpress.com

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/25218/05-04-2017/what-would-a-socialist-food-industry-look-like

https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31554/28-10-2020/food-and-a-capitalist-brexit-no-trust-in-tory-deals

6 May 2021 saw the election of a majority of MSPs to the Scottish parliament committed to a second referendum on Scottish independence.

Is an independent Scotland now inevitable?

How will Boris Johnson and the Tories respond?

Should socialists and the workers' movement fight to lead the struggle for self-determination for Scotland?

Philip Stott, national secretary, Socialist Party Scotland, speaks to Socialism the Podcast

What can the Palestinians in Palestine and Israel do to develop their struggle?

What are the UN and governments around the world doing to try to get a ceasefire?

And what about the methods of Palestinian struggle? Do the rockets fired from Gaza help the Palestinians’ struggle?

And what about the working class in Israel? How possible is it for Israeli workers to remove warmongering political leaders?

How can Palestinians achieve national and democratic rights?

What is the socialist solution to the poverty and repression of Palestinians?

Further reading

For a socialist solution to poverty and repression of Palestinians: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32530/19-05-2021/stop-the-israeli-state-terror

Conflict in Jerusalem widens across Israeli cities and to war on Gaza: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/05/13/conflict-in-jerusalem-widens-across-israeli-cities-and-to-war-on-gaza/

Socialists fight for Palestinian liberation and workers' unity: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/27320/09-05-2018/socialists-fight-for-palestinian-liberation-and-workers-unity

The Tories are claiming victory – but what is the perspective for Johnson and his party? The austerity they are planning for the working class and the lack of solutions that they have for all the problems we face will smash any hope-against-hopes there is that they will improve things.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is the electoral coalition in which the Socialist Party participates. Following Starmer’s reclaiming of the Labour Party for big business TUSC was back in action standing no-cuts and socialist candidates for this election. How did TUSC get on?

Why does the working class need a political voice and how can it be built?

This episode of Socialism looks at the 2021 elections in Britain and what they tell us about the crisis in Labour - and the key tasks facing the working class and the fight against the coming post-covid austerity.

Further reading

Hartlepool sums uo Labour crisis https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32480/09-05-2021/hartlepool-sums-up-labour-crisis

Scotland: Pro-independence majority in highly polarised election https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32494/12-05-2021/scotland-pro-independence-majority-in-highly-polarised-election

Welsh Labour holds on to government but new crises loom https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32493/12-05-2021/welsh-labour-holds-on-to-government-but-new-crises-loom

TUSC is back https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32495/12-05-2021/tusc-is-back

Is the Liverpool road still possible? http://socialismtoday.org/is-the-liverpool-road-still-possible

And what about beyond the US – how will this spending play out on the world stage? What does it mean when Biden says ‘America’s back’?

Do these packages represent a new New Deal comparable to that of Roosevelt in the 1930s? What results did FDR’s version achieve?

How should the left respond to this turnaround of approach? We ask what role does the left need to play in this era of political, economic, environmental and social crisis?

This episode of Socialism looks at Biden’s massive stimulus package and discusses why it can’t solve the problems of US and world capitalism

Further reading

An era of capitalist turmoil – only socialism offers humankind a future: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/04/28/an-era-of-capitalist-turmoil-only-socialism-offers-humankind-a-future/

New start – new hope for peace: http://socialismtoday.org/new-start-new-hope-for-peace

How green is Joe Biden: http://socialismtoday.org/global-warning-how-green-is-joe-biden

New opportunities in Peru: http://socialismtoday.org/new-opportunities-in-peru

The withdrawal of the six football clubs in England from the Super League - after protests and action by fans, players and other club staff - will be rightly celebrated.

That’s the start. What is necessary now to reclaim football?

The billionaire owners who attempted to rob our clubs and game are still in charge. They cannot be trusted and must be removed, along with the rest of their big business mates and structures in football.

This episode is a recording of the introduction at a national online meeting hosted by the Socialist Party. The speaker is John Reid, author of Reclaim the Game, a pamphlet that was first written in 1992 at the outset of the Premier League, currently on its 13th edition.

This bonus episode of Socialism looks at the football super-league and how we can reclaim the game.

Further reading

Article - Super League defeated. Football: no trust in billionaire owners - kick them out and reclaim the game https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32411/21-04-2021/no-trust-in-billionaire-owners-kick-them-out-and-reclaim-the-game

Article - Football abuse scandal: Reclaim the game for justice and democracy https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32287

Article - Football: Beware the billionaires bearing gifts https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31486

Pamphlet – Reclaim the Game? http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=45581862

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 23 April 2021 and by the time we’ve published it more revelations have emerged from the murk of Westminster.

Johnson won the last general election by distancing himself from his own party - including Cameron - and ludicrously posing as some kind of champion of the 'little people' against the elites. But this scandal has the potential to wreck any last shreds of that illusion.

What should the workers’ movement put forward given the failure of Starmer’s pro-capitalist Labour Party to offer any serious opposition to Johnson?

Can workers and young people fight on the political plane given how rigged the system is?

This episode of Socialism looks at the corruption and cronyism at the rotten heart of capitalist politics.

Further reading

Article - Editorial of the Socialist: Issue 1130 Corrupt politicians with snouts in the trough: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32390/21-04-2021/greensill-scandal-corruption-build-a-socialist-alternative

Article from April 2014 - Ending MPs’ expenses scandal requires socialist change https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/18483/16-04-2014/ending-mps-expenses-scandal-requires-socialist-change

Article - Tory sleaze is back! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/13292

Article – Is the Liverpool road still possible? http://socialismtoday.org/is-the-liverpool-road-still-possible

How can elected positions be used to advance the struggle of working class and young people against the bosses’ and the Tories’ Covid austerity?

The Socialist Party is part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, organising to work with trade unionists and socialists to offer a programme that builds on Corbyn’s anti-austerity stand at the ballot box on 6 May.

Liverpool offers rich lessons of how elected representatives, political organisations and trade unions can link up in struggle against Tory attacks.

This episode of Socialism looks at the fight for a socialist mayor in Liverpool

Further reading

Articles - on the situation in Liverpool from the Socialist paper: https://www.google.com/search?q=liverpool%20mayor&sitesearch=socialistparty.org.uk

Articles - Is the Liverpool road still possible? http://socialismtoday.org/

Podcast - Tony Mulhearn, Militant and the city that beat Thatcher: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/43-tony-mulhearn-militant-and-the-city-that-beat-thatcher

Book - Liverpool – a city that dared to fight: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=6428725