Server appeal: Members provide a huge boost to our resources

Ken Douglas, national treasurer

The Socialist Party would like to thank all those who made donations towards the purchase of a new computer server for our headquarters. The campaign has raised a magnificent Ł11,794.

We bought our current server in 2006 and the software it runs will no longer be supported by Microsoft. The computer network at our national centre has also expanded, as our staff has increased, and has now gone beyond the limit that the server was designed to support.

Many of our members and supporters have donated to the appeal, including readers of the Socialist who are not members of the Socialist Party. They recognise the vital role our paper and our organisation plays in highlighting and supporting the struggles of workers and young people against austerity and putting forward a programme to fight the vicious attacks of this Con-Dem government of millionaires.

We have had many donations ranging from Ł5 from a member who is unemployed, a series of payments amounting to over Ł50 from a widowed pensioner to several hundred pounds in donations from another reader and Ł300 from a disabled supporter. Our appeal has also reached across the world as shown by a donation made by a reader of the Socialist who is working in the Middle East.

The Socialist Party has no rich backers. Big business and the press barons don't back us, instead we rely on the skills, solidarity and sacrifice that workers contribute to building a movement that fights for them. These are far more valuable to us than all the money and influence of big business.

Thanks must also go to our members who have specialist knowledge in information technology who are putting in many hours voluntarily to both build and maintain our IT system. This has enabled us to make a huge saving compared to the commercial price for this equipment, including support, maintenance and other services. We would not be able to purchase a new server of this capability for the price we are paying without that support.

New, high-speed cabling has already been installed and the server itself is in the process of being assembled and will be installed in the next few weeks.

Thanks again to all our readers and if you haven't yet had a chance to donate to the appeal then Ł206 will bring the total to a round Ł12,000! You can pay via the Socialist Party website http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/main/donate and mark your donation 'Server appeal' or telephone 020 8988 8777.

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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 click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.