Nationalise the rip-off drug companies

Nothing quite exposes the rotten and intensely selfish and individualist nature of the capitalist system like the amount of wealth generated by the pharmaceutical industry. It was reported in the Times that a small group of "entrepreneurs" have exploited a loophole on non-branded drugs to inflate the price of them by up to 12,500% - an increase of Ł263 million a year. This is enough to employ an extra 7,000 junior doctors.

This is a not a new phenomenon - as reported in the Socialist last year, 'pharma-bro' Martin Shkreli bought the patent for a common AIDS drug, Daraprim, and increased its price more than 1,000%.

These are extreme examples, but they are indicative of the global trend of increasing prices in recent years and of the massive disparity between the cost to produce pharmaceuticals and the price at which they are sold to healthcare providers.

The Socialist Party sees that the only solution to this potentially life threatening exploitation is to fully nationalise the profiteering pharmaceutical industry and kick big business out of the NHS.

Gareth Bromhall, former healthcare assistant and Swansea Socialist Party

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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.

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