Stop cuts! Tax the rich!

Submitted by Janine on 20 December, 1997 - 9:45

Unbudged by the rebellion of 61 Labour MPs against the government's cuts in one-parent benefits, New Labour ministers are now refusing to deny reports that they will make "substantial savings" in benefits for the disabled. And their plans for NHS spending indicate a 1.5% real cut in Health Service resources next year.

This will mean worse cuts than anything the Tories did. The Blair government's line is to make lots of "hard choices" now, while their political credit is still passably good or at least the opposition to them is still finding its voice - choices hard for the working class, that is, though very "soft" indeed for the rich - and reserve the option of a few sops in some years' time when the opposition gets stroppier.

Their first priority is to prove themselves as a "pro-business" government. They want to make the private-profit system of capitalism work, in the only way it can work, by squeezing the working class.

They say they want to replace welfare by work. If this meant creating decent new jobs for the jobless, it would be fine. It does not. The Labour government is cutting jobs, by cutting services like the NHS and pushing privatisation. "Welfare-to-work" just means pushing more people to do the existing jobs at low wages and poor conditions, and pushing the rest into the black economy.

The 61 Labour MPs who voted against cuts in parliament, or abstained, have put down an important marker. They have created a chance to build on their stand and create a big movement for public services and benefits.

As the Liberal-Blairite pundit David Marquand puts it in a new book, the new untamed capitalism "may well be immune from the influence of those progressive politicians who do their best to defend the welfare state against cost-cutters, marketisers and privatisers. The only effective counter-force would be a progressive coalition from the bottom up". Marquand is right, and the Welfare State Network is already building that progressive coalition. It will take off from the MPs' vote by petitioning, campaigning, selling papers, and lobbying MPs to get the cuts blocked and reversed in Parliament. It will also campaign in the trade unions.

If 61 MPs can stand up against Blair on lone-parent benefit cuts, why can't the union leaders? Especially so when they're seeing their last promise from Blair of any substance - laws for union recognition - being trashed by him? Now is the time for every worker, trade unionist or activist concerned for the welfare state to join the movement. Tax the rich! For a workers' Budget! For a workers' government! Make the unions fight!

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