Things fall apart A VISITOR from Mars would be gobsmacked. The election is being eld in a society falling apart. Thirgreatly deepened the chronic crisis of British capitalism. Britain today is in deep decay - decaying industry, decaying living standards, decaying health and social services.
The country's whole infrastructure -its industry, communications, schools, hospitals, transport - need totally re newing. Yet none of the major politica parties challenges the absurd idea that the capitalist market can solve these problems.
Labour is standing on its least radical 1974 it promised 'a fundamental shi in wealth and power to working people . In 1983 its manifesto contained dozens today's Labour leadership is a model of pro-market, tight money, rectitude.
That is the measure of Thatcherism's impact on British politic. feats inflicted on the tra de unsons above allın the miners strike,ereatee ne aasis for the crushing and marginalisaton. of the Labour left.
Nowhere is this more vividlv shown than in local government. Yesterday's radical municipal socialists are oday's local Kinnockite apparatchiks, cutting 1 cynical glee. Erstwhile Bennite crusaders like Margaret Beckett sit on the Labour tront bench preaching orthodox monetansm.
Thus the door to radical politics stavs firmly shut in Labour's new orthodoxy. But there is a socialist angwer. The crisis March 21, 1992 No. 18 can only be solved by making a radical break with pro-market politics. Socialist Movement minority government. But there is still the possibility of an outright Labour victory if Kinnock becomes prime minister the left must regroup and build broad supertam p chater. of al Secite, -capitalist organising such an opposition in every part of the labour movement.
Such a programme of demands would necessarily be limited to a few key demands which break the logic of pro-capitalist politics. But today socialists must elaborate their own answers, not just bemoan the fact that Kinnock But A Barlow Clowes society Ton Britain is a rip-off society. A fen spectacular rip-offs make the headlines, while the daily rip-off by big business. tinanciers companies and stockbrokers go unozens of people are being imrisoned for poli-tax non-payment. At around five weeks. Financier John Barlow. Kingpin of the Barlow Clowes em pire, stole €150m from small investors and got ten years. At the same rate as 36,000 years! Robert Maxwell and his oll tax defaulters he should have jail. ing was done. vast majority of the rich who makea killing from people do so perfectly legally. They are monevlenders and the ›olicies. The Socialis people responsible for a society in wrueh tens or thousands lose their homes from mortgage default each year, and millions are put on the dole. people talked about Brichrouic despair for millions. somewhere to live, insurance racial attacks. €300 get fluencé. sons stole £450m from pensioners and it is still to be seen whether anyone goes to John Barlow was unlucky; he bent the rules a little and got caught. For years the Bank of England and financal institutions knew about his activities and nothBut the the ain as a society of 'private affluence and public squalor. Today it is a society of Abonene super-affluence for a tiny few, and brash capitansm is a soctesy inca pable of providing the basic necessities of life; a secure job with a living wage, decent education and training, a health service that works, equality for women and freedom from pors Even services which are available in some capitalist countries -like a funchoning transport system and clean streets are a utopian dream in 1992 BriLondon, the centre of Thatcherite 'afis a living testimony to the real state of British society. Hundreds of the swanky new abartments in Docklands are empty because no one can afford struggle. At the same time, thousands of people, nainly young people, are living rough Nothing could be a more of the country. Capitalism isn't working The long decay of capitalist Britain is now compounded by a terrible Two thousand workers are losing their jobs every day. Official unemployment is at 2.6 million, but real unemployment is roketing towards 4 million. But the real employment situation is much worse than One of Thatcherism's terrible legacies is the vast increase in part-time, low-paid, insecure jobs - especially for women. This, combined with the semidestruction of the benefits system, has created a vast army of the new poor.
Over twenty per cent of the workforce earns less than the Council of Europe decency threshold, about €9,300 a year. Single parents, pensioners, and young people unable to get a job constitute the new underclass of the impoverished.
Students are being forced into dire poverty by the attack on the grants system, and the quality of their education is fading fast. The simple of finding somewhere to live, and then continuing to attord it, has become a nightIrony of ironies, all this 'victory" and 'success" of capitalism is being trumpeted by ruling class ide ologists. People in Bastem Europe are being told every day wonders of Western-style capitalism. But Western capitalism isn't working, especially in Britain. That is the ruth that Li bour's leaders refuse to tell Fight ior socialist In this general election campaign socialists have to tell the simple truth. We need a Labour government to break the logjam represented by Major's Tories, but a Labour government will by itself solve nothing.
Workers will need to fight back under a Labour govemment, and the left will have to campaign for socialist policies, as well as championing every workers'