From this morning's Guardian:
It is time to organise a broad movement of active resistance to the Con-Dem government's budget intentions. They plan the most savage spending cuts since the 1930s, which will wreck the lives of millions by devastating our jobs, pay, pensions, NHS, education, transport, postal and other services.
The government claims the cuts are unavoidable because the welfare state has been too generous. This is nonsense. Ordinary people are being forced to pay for the bankers' profligacy.
The £11bn welfare cuts, rise in VAT to 20%, and 25% reductions across government departments target the most vulnerable — disabled people, single parents, those on housing benefit, black and other ethnic minority communities, students, migrant workers, LGBT people and pensioners.
Women are expected to bear 75% of the burden. The poorest will be hit six times harder than the richest. Internal Treasury documents estimate 1.3 million job losses in public and private sectors.
We reject this malicious vandalism and resolve to campaign for a radical alternative, with the level of determination shown by trade unionists and social movements in Greece and other European countries.
This government of millionaires says "we're all in it together" and "there is no alternative". But, for the wealthy, corporation tax is being cut, the bank levy is a pittance, and top salaries and bonuses have already been restored to pre-crash levels.
An alternative budget would place the banks under democratic control, and raise revenue by increasing tax for the rich, plugging tax loopholes, withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, abolishing the nuclear "deterrent" by cancelling the Trident replacement.
An alternative strategy could use these resources to: support welfare; develop homes, schools, and hospitals; and foster a green approach to public spending — investing in renewable energy and public transport, thereby creating a million jobs.
We commit ourselves to:
• Oppose cuts and privatisation in our workplaces, community and welfare services.
• Fight rising unemployment and support organisations of unemployed people.
• Develop and support an alternative programme for economic and social recovery.
• Oppose all proposals to "solve" the crisis through racism and other forms of scapegoating.
• Liaise closely with similar opposition movements in other countries.
• Organise information, meetings, conferences, marches and demonstrations.
• Support the development of a national co-ordinating coalition of resistance.
We urge those who support this statement to attend the Organising Conference on 27 November 2010 (10am-5pm), at Camden Centre, Town Hall, London, WC1H 9JE.
Signed:
Tony Benn
Caroline Lucas MP
John McDonnell MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Mark Serwotka, general secretary PCS
Bob Crow, general secretary RMT
And many others, of whom I am not one.
But I do think active but passive and democratic resistance to the ConDem assault of the people of this country in th pursuit of profit for a few is essential. Which is why I think this worth highlighting.
It is also encouraging to see some many of the ideas in the Green New Deal embraced by this campaign.
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Really good, powerful, inspiring stuff from what looks like the beginnings of a red-green coalition (as opposed to the blue-yellow coalition doing most of the damage at the moment.) Great to see Tony Benn still doing this kind of thing at 85 years old – an inspiration to us all.
And yes, the Green New Deal and Compass’s “In Place of Cuts” (which Richard and I both worked on) look to have been influential on this statement.
The same might yet happen in Jersey… 😕
It’s sad to see “place banks under democratic control” on this list – smacks of meaningless sloganising rather than real thinking.
Effective regulation of the financial sector – and avoiding the “socialisation of risk” – remains *the* outstanding political challenge of our times. The Coalition is never going to be interested in solving it – it’s a shame to see some on the Left resort to cliches rather than really think about the problem.
@Marc Daniels
I can’t see the conflict you are referring to
I think the statement is shorthand acknowledgement for the complexity of the issue
I can’t see shallowness of thinking in what is a very short document that is bound to resort to such messaging as a result