In the general election campaign the competition between parties is no longer solely focused between the two or three main parties as in the past. The wafer thin differences between austerity policies and the possibility of a hung parliament have focused voters’ attention towards the smaller parties. Especially in Scotland where the SNP dominate since the 2014 referendum and could become the third party in the UK.
The struggle for Scottish independence, in which the fight against austerity was the central question for workers, revealed many things. To oppose that Tory and Labour united and formed a coalition against the right for self-determination. They both threatened Scotland with punishment if it separated.
Initially Labour were saying a vote for the SNP is a vote for a Tory government, the Tories say it’s a vote for Labour and putting the Union at risk. Both are against independence and for austerity. The contradictions are huge because the SNP do not plan to end austerity.
As in Scotland, votes for smaller parties in England and Wales, such as the Green Party, are also votes against austerity. But the only way to defeat austerity is to build a workers and left alternative that is independent of any capitalist party, as has been the historic struggle of revolutionary Marxism.
All the main parties will continue with austerity and continue to scapegoat immigrants for capitalism’s ills such as unemployment, low wage rates, housing shortages and benefit cuts.
These problems arise out of policies that are driven by political subservience to big capital. That immigrants pay more in proportion to the state than workers in general is an awkward fact. The Financial Times reported last year that European immigrants to the UK paid far more in taxes than they received in benefits over the past decade, making a net fiscal contribution of £20bn.
Why is immigration a political football? It is the need to divide working class, and allow these political parties and parliament to survive. If someone receives a low wage whether immigrant or native it is the employer who is to blame. The only remedy is working class organisation.
No party plans to reverse the undemocratic anti-union laws. While trade unions continue to support Labour the rank and file must begin to link with community struggles to end the paralysis that their leaders support.
From social war to social blitzkrieg
Permanent austerity is the Tory strategy. Plans include deepening the attack on the poor, cutting benefits and obliterating welfare support. With plans to cut £12bn from welfare and £30bn overall by 2018 if they return to government it means a move from a social war to social blitzkrieg. Labour if elected will continue as they have over the past five years in local councils with privatisation and cuts, and contempt for working class residents and communities.
Some Tory proposals were leaked to the BBC including a freeze on in-work benefits; reduction of the benefit cap from £26,000 to £23,000; child benefit payable for the first two children only; scrapping state industrial injuries benefit; taxing disability benefits and reducing the eligibility for carers’ allowance. This will affect millions of people who are already struggling with current cuts. Even greater austerity is planned but is being concealed until after the elections.
Labour’s shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has stated he will not reverse Chancellor George Osborne’s budget and will not reverse austerity cuts.
A major concern for many is the future of the NHS and this is one of the key battle grounds, but Tory, Lib Dem and Labour have all encouraged the internal market and privatisation.
When the Tories say they will save the NHS they mean to increase privatisation within the NHS. To achieve their saving of 30 per cent by 2018 will also mean massive privatisation of remaining public services.
Miliband claims he is leading the charge against big business. How? Not by saying he will restore full public ownership to the NHS but by proposing a profit cap on private health companies. Outsourced NHS contracts valued at more than £500,000 would be required to include a profit cap, with the default level set at 5 per cent. It will make them quake!
It is a cowardly policy. In reality Miliband is in awe of capital, and is making it clear that he will not challenge big business’s right to privatise the NHS.
Whilst cutting vital services they plan to invest in the nuclear submarine Trident, committing themselves to policies of more wars of oppression, more environmental and planetary destruction. Tory and Labour agreed a budget for Trident in 2015 of £100bn.
Labour: “Better break the poor than the law”
The Labour Party Buy is selling a coffee mug that states “Controls on Immigration”. This highlights their policy towards the most vulnerable men, women and children. It is taken from UKIP’s racist policy. Some trade unionists are shocked, which means they are waking up to just how racist the Labour leadership is.
Rachel Reeves, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, made it very clear that she supports Tory attacks on the poorest, sick and disabled, “We are not the party of people on benefits. We don’t want to be seen, and we’re not, the party to represent those who are out of work…Labour are a party of working people, formed for and by working people.”
In 1921 the right wing of the Labour party could not stop the fight by London Poplar council. They fought under the slogan, “Better to break the law than break the poor,” for a rate reduction, for adequate relief for the poor and council workers’ decent wage. This is the history of the Labour Party and this is what people still remember when they vote Labour.
UKIP
UKIP is polling around 13 per cent which could mean gaining seats from zero to ten. However, they continue to exhibit racist and anti-women attitudes and policies, which are reasons why they are struggling to maintain the surge achieved last year in the Euro and local elections.
Green Party
The Green Party is receiving a surge in support. It seems to some to be an alternative to the big capitalist parties but it is not a party against all cuts and austerity. They have proposed using volunteers to replace waged workers in some council services.
In the Brighton and Hove council, where the leader is a Green Party member, they crossed the picket lines of a wild cat strike by refuse workers in 2013. The councillors wanted to use the capitalist policy of cutting council workers’ pay through “pay modernisation”. When the trade unions responded they accused them of causing trouble!
When it comes to the commanding heights of the economy the Green Party allow the multi-nationals to carry on as they are. They naively ask them to act in a responsible manner. Who do they think is pulling the strings of the main parties?
Some will vote the SNP or Green Party because they can no-longer vote Labour, and see it as a vote against austerity. But Labour could form a coalition with the SNP and Green Party, and all implement cuts against the working class in Scotland, England and Wales.
Who will the ISL support?
We are for a workers and left alternative against capitalism and all those who support it.
The ISL support the left candidates such as Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and Left Unity (LU) because they are against all cuts and austerity, but we support them critically.
We have criticisms of TUSC for not building, in most cases, community campaigns in between elections and their top to bottom methods. We think TUSC and Left Unity should have called a national conference as the ISL helped to do in Liverpool with the No Austerity conference that was democratic and open to all who want to fight against austerity with a programme to unite workers and the left in struggle.
Left Unity say (February 2015) that, “we will support any candidate, whether they are from the Greens, the Labour left or a smaller party committed to equality, who states clearly that they will never vote for austerity.” We disagree with the proposal to give support for two capitalist parties.
The main question is to bring to the fore the great traditions and fighting capacity of the working class.
The union rank and file and communities of the working class will have to build a mass movement to defeat austerity. The elections should be used to help build this.
We have to build with all those in the working class who want to fight, that means welcoming all immigrants. They should have the right to work, stay, vote and fight. We say, No divisions, No scapegoating of immigrants.
Support all strikes, student occupations and mobilisations during the elections.
Defend Adult Education from a 25 per cent cut.
Whatever the balance of power in parliament after 7 May workers will have to continue to fight.
Build a workers and left alternative on the streets, in our communities and in our workplaces!
