Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/873/21541

From The Socialist newspaper, 7 October 2015

Kick out the Tory entryists

"We've got to stop talking about austerity. It doesn't get us anywhere and it doesn't mean anything." Labour needs to boost its standing with business and reinforce trust in its economic competence. This must include a commitment to "ban the word austerity".

The comments of a jaded journalist offering perjured counsel to Corbyn perhaps? Malicious advice from George Osborne, trying to talk up Britain's supposed economic recovery at the new leader's expense?

Tories in disguise

No. Here's another clue: "I got it at all these hustings... often people coming up to me saying 'oh you know, if only people had been anti-austerity we would have won the election'. That's bollocks. That's not supported by the evidence. And the SNP didn't win because of austerity - that again is a total myth."

These are actually the words of diehard New Labour Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw reported in the Western Morning News on 30 September. Never mind Trojan horses in the Parliamentary Labour Party looking to overthrow Corbyn through devious displays of disloyalty.

Even Caesar's assassins Cassius and Brutus showed more subtlety than Bradshaw's guide to the art of political murder.

Jeremy Corbyn has been a spectacular lightning rod for exposing all the pent-up fury at what the Tories have done to us since 2010. Bradshaw and his ilk have long aided and abetted Cameron's war on the poor. Now he even seeks to deny that austerity exists.

Jeremy Corbyn

What better argument for mandatory reselection of Labour MPs? Bradshaw and the local clique of councillors around him spent the last few weeks in their constituency bunker ruling out dozens of enthusiastic leadership voters.

These exclusions allegedly include people whose only crime was not to answer their door to a party canvasser last May and so could not be considered 'one of us'.

Jeremy must give genuine socialists in the Labour Party the mechanisms to kick the Tory entryists out once and for all!

Better to break the law...

In the late 1980s the moves to bring in the Poll Tax, that provided a wealth transfusion to the rich from the poor, started. There were two basic strategies to beat this draconian legislation. The battle to defeat the anti-trade union bill should learn the lessons of this campaign.

...than break the poor

The first strategy called 'Stop It' was promoted by the then right wing leadership of the Labour Party and a motley group of supporters. It was designed to delay the legislation until the Labour government came over the hill to the rescue. It didn't happen.

The second strategy was summed up in the slogan "better to break the law than break the poor". Many people, including 35 Militant (forerunner of the Socialist) supporters, went to prison for refusing to pay the Poll Tax.

A mass democratic movement of 18 million people, led by Militant supporters, organised in the communities, trade union branches, street by street, workplace by workplace, defeated the Thatcher government and led to her resignation in 1990.

Tories attack workers

Under the cover of bringing the party into disrepute, Labour used our actions against the poll tax to expel many good socialists and activists from the Labour Party, opening it up for the right wing Blairites to take control.

This anti-trade union bill, if enacted. aims to break organised opposition to welfare and benefit cuts. It will let wages and pensions be cut to the bone. Better to break the law than break the poor!

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In The Socialist 7 October 2015:

Socialist Party news and analysis

'No time to lose' to organise against austerity

Kick out the Tories!

Back our doctors and nurses

NHS cutters pay doctors not to refer sick patients to hospitals

Tories: let pensioners freeze to death, they can't vote us out then

Them & Us

Socialist Party feature

The housing crisis - a crisis of the profit system

International socialist news and analysis

Catalonia

International news in brief

Workplace news and analysis

Emotional and inspiring strikers secure victory

Junior doctors campaign

RMT president election: back Sean Hoyle

Steely anger in Redcar as plant is mothballed

No wage cuts! Fund equal pay in Derby

Workplace news in brief

Socialist Party reports and campaigns

100,000 march against Tory cuts

Kick out the Tory entryists

Anger after violent youth deaths in south London

Enthusiasm for socialism at freshers fairs

Leeds to get 'ethical' letting agency

Cuts to school crossing supervision in Derbyshire

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