ACG online public meeting, August 21st at 7pm
It was immediately apparent that the new Labour government is prepared to carry on administrating capitalism in the same way as its Tory predecessors. Health Minister Wes Streeting repeated his previous promises that the NHS would be further privatised. Keir Starmer has made very clear that his priority is extra spending on the military, and that this overrides any legislation to help the poor and needy. This could cost up to £209 billion. Labour is quite prepared to carry this through, whilst failing to fund the NHS and social spending.
Starmer gave full support to NATO. He assured allies of Britain that it would be business as usual as regards foreign policy and pledged £3billion a year towards military support for Ukraine until 2030/31. This is a rise to 2.5% of GDP. Starmer also gave a green light for the use of Storm Shadow missiles supplied by Britain, to be fired into Russian territory by the Ukrainian military.
Labour will not bring reform to the system. The Labour Party has presented a so-called deal for workers which promises no tangible benefits or improvements for the working class and their conditions which have hit all-time lows over the last few years. The Labour Party’s commitment to guaranteeing the interests of capital has won them support from the British right-wing print media, most notably the Sun who have backed the Labour party for the second time in the 21st century.
Labour’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, is using the old arguments of her previous Tory predecessor, George Osborne, that there is no money in the coffers to justify her commitment to austerity. When Osborne became Chancellor in 2010 he referred to “thirteen years of fiscal irresponsibility” under previous Labour government. Reeves has done the same with talk of “fourteen years of…economic irresponsibility” under the Tories. It refused to spend £2.5 billion to £3.5 billion estimated by Reeves that would lift the child benefit cap. An ending of the cap would have a beneficial effect on over a million children and their families.
Reeves also abolished the winter fuel grant for millions of pensioners. Meanwhile Starmer talks big about law and order. Starmer went on LBC radio to say that Labour were pushing for longer sentences for climate protestors and that “they need to feel the force of law.”
In the face of all this, and the rash of racist riots, what are the opportunities for social change, what should revolutionaries see as a way forward against this new anti-working class government?
Free event, register here: