Them & us

Them and us fishes, photo Suzanne Beishon (Click to enlarge)

Prizes for them...

Finance capitalist Gina Miller is Britain's most influential black person this year, says the Powerlist Foundation.

The privately educated hedge fund manager gained prominence for her legal and electoral campaigns against the EU referendum result. She suffered unacceptable bigoted abuse and threats.

The Socialist is in favour of taking Brexit out of the Tories' hands. We want a socialist, internationalist exit. This must include democratic accountability to the working class.

It doesn't mean sticking with the reactionary, neoliberal Single Market. That would serve Miller and the capitalist class - not Europe's young people and working class.

... poverty for us

Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of the EU population is in poverty or at risk of poverty.

EU numbers agency Eurostat puts the figure at 23.4%. That's down from 25% in 2012, though! Slow hand clap.

And the number of EU billionaires rose last year. From 482 to 489, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

Incidentally - our choice for the accolade that went to Gina Miller? There's plenty of candidates. But the majority-black workers who struck for decent pay at Barts NHS Trust in east London are real heroes.

Socialism 2017 (11 and 12 November, central London)

Discussions include: 'Can the EU be reformed in workers' interests?'

Find out more and book tickets at socialism2017.net

Free baths for MPs... bedroom tax for us

Axe the bedroom tax (Click to enlarge)

Tory MP Tim Loughton has charged Ł662 of water bills to public expenses over the last two years.

Loughton is co-chairman of the 'Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group'. He explains his water costs include an hour-long morning bath routine.

Meanwhile, Loughton has consistently voted to fine council tenants for having spare rooms. Back in 2015, a man from Lancashire had to have his toes amputated due to frostbite.

He was forced to live in a tent with his father who suffers from neurological disabilities. He was evicted from his home of 30 years for not being able to pay the Conservatives' bedroom tax.

The bedroom tax is a cruel attack on some of the poorest people in Britain. The Socialist Party says: axe the bedroom tax!

James Hunter, South Tyne and Wear Socialist Party

Have you got news for the 'fishes'? Email: [email protected]

Donate to the Socialist Party

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.