Them & Us

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

Clegg in California

Facebook has hired failed politician Nick Clegg as head of global affairs. The Guardian said "when ex-politicians use their public profile to make millions, it feels like exploitation."

As a politician Clegg paved the way for trebling tuition fees and helped the Tories pursue vicious austerity when they couldn't muster a majority in parliament from 2010 to 2015. In a self-justifying article in the Guardian Clegg omitted to mention Facebook's paltry tax payments, privacy infringements, or his reported Ł1 million-plus pay.

Right-wing Labour MP Chuka Umunna came to Nick Clegg's defence after the Blairite himself landed Ł65,000 a year for 12 hours 'work' a month at a think tank.

Bonus embarrassment

After being asked about his Ł100 million bonus, Jeff Fairburn, the CEO of housebuilding firm Persimmon, walked off a BBC TV interview. Following an outcry, Persimmon's three-person senior management team agreed to give a proportion of their handout to charity taking home a mere Ł166 million between them.

Nurse pay

Nurses and doctors marching to save the NHS, 4.3.17, photo DavidMBailey Photography (Click to enlarge)

Nurses on zero-hour contracts at the Royal Free Hospital in London face hourly pay cuts of up to 91p according to the Ham and High newspaper. Already the nurses don't receive sick pay or holidays.

The hospital trust claims that nurses pay is topped-up to include the equivalent of other workers' annual leave. But some nurses estimate this latest cut will cost them Ł5,000 over three years.

Repeat racism

The police force that tasered its own race relations adviser, Judah Adunbi, has targeted him again. In Janaury 2017 they supposedly mistook the Bristollian know as Ras Judah for Royston McCalla, a man wanted on drug offences (see 'Bristol police taser own race relations adviser' at socialistparty.org.uk).

According to Judah Adunbi, a police car pulled up next to him and the officers were giggling and laughing "hey Royston, Royston" and "are you Royston or are you Ras?"

Costly cuts

Support in education is not up to scratch for children with special educational needs and disabilities according to a Guardian investigation. 89% of parents that challenged inadequate support were successful at tribunal hearings. In August, Bristol parents proved that Ł5 million worth of education support cuts by the Blairite Labour council were illegal.

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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.

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