Workfare Walk of Shame
As part of the National Week of Action Against Workfare from July 7th to 14th, some members of LRC are taking part in a direct action against workfare’s main offenders.
Workfare isn’t just unpaid labour for the unemployed and a major attack on benefits. It is an attack on all working people – on their jobs, pay & conditions, and their ability to organise. We need to fight workfare together, whether or not we are in work, and whether or not we are on benefits.
Join us for Brighton’s Workfare Walk of Shame. Meet Saturday, 7 July, 11am at the Clock Tower, North Street, Brighton.
Invite your friends, family, campaigning group, union branch.
Also, if you can, bring things to liven it up: banners, placards, musical instruments and noise makers.
Save Your Railway
On top of rocketing energy bills, the government wants us to pay inflation-busting rail fare increases of up to 30 per cent – or even more – over the next three years.
At the same time the government’s policy calls for fewer, more overcrowded rail services, ticket-office closures, the axing of tens of thousands of front-line railway staff, the break-up of Network Rail into ‘mini-Railtracks’ and reduced safety standards.
But the railway companies are being given the green light to make even bigger profits on top of the astonishing £11 billion of YOUR money that has been drained from the industry since privatisation.
Elsewhere in Europe railways are cheaper and more efficient because they have been kept in a unified structure in the public sector.
Come to the public meeting and discuss how we can save our railways and campaign for a rail network fit for the 21st century.
Speakers:
Mike Sargent, executive member Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union
(Crawley MP Henry Smith invited)
7.30pm, Thursday 21 June
St John’s Church Hall The Broadway,
Crawley Town Centre,
RH10 1HE
Defend Welfare & Pensions
Austerity has failed. As the economy plunges back into recession, the Coalition government insists that there is no alternative to their ‘Plan A’ strategy of cuts and privatisation.
Who pays the price for continuing with this failed strategy? Are we really all in this together? Is there an alternative?
Speakers:
John McDonnell MP
Dot Gibson (National Pensioners Convention)
Ellen Clifford (Disabled People Against Cuts)
Thierry Schaffauser (GMB)
7pm, Tuesday 12 June
Brighthelm Centre
North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD
£2 waged; £1 unwaged
Cameron and Osborne have repeated again throughout this week that there is no alternative to their failing austerity programme. There needs to be a clear statement from the Left that there most certainly is an alternative to austerity and it goes beyond just cutting less deep and less fast. Below is a brief statement of what that alternative could contain, written by John McDonnell. It is not meant as a definitive statement but at least a broad depiction of what a radical alternative would comprise. If you are willing to put your name to the statement please do so by emailing John at mcdonnellj@parliament.uk
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The Radical Alternative to Austerity
The austerity programme of the Coalition government is not just failing; it is prolonging and deepening the recession. Cuts in investment in public services, in jobs, wages, pensions and benefits are creating mass unemployment and mounting hardship. Austerity is creating a spiral of economic decline as cuts produce high levels of unemployment which in turn reduces tax income and prompts another round of cuts and job losses. The Government’s austerity measures are also unfair as the only people the Government seems intent on protecting from the recession are the rich.
There is an alternative to austerity
There is no lack of wealth and resources in our country that we can draw upon to tackle this recession. The problem is that this wealth and these resources are held in the hands of too few people and are not being used productively to create the growth and jobs we need. If we can release these resources, we can overcome the current recession and start to build a prosperous future for our country, linking with others across Europe and the United States to overcome this global economic gridlock.
Releasing the resources within our own country is not difficult. It simply requires the introduction of a limited range of redistributive measures which will raise the funds we need from those most able to pay and who have profited most out of the boom years. This redistribution can be achieved through:
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a wealth tax on the richest 10%,
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a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions,
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a Land Value tax,
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the restoration of progressive income tax of 60% on incomes above £100,000
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and a clamp down on the tax evasion and avoidance that is costing us £95 billion a year.
Investing the resources released can halt the spiral of decline
With unemployment rising month by month we urgently need to get people back to work and earning a decent living. We can do this by investing the resources we have released through taxation in modernising our economy, its infrastructure and our public services to meet the needs of our community.
Instead of cutting and privatising our health, education and local services, this means:
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investing in a mass public housing building and renovation programme, in universal childcare, in the modernisation of our public services, in the NHS, in creating a national Caring Service, in our schools and colleges, in our transport infrastructure and in the extension of broadband;
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investing in alternative energy, combined heat and power and insulation to both tackle climate change and create one million climate change jobs;
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establishing a national investment bank with the resources levied from the banks so that there is no shortage of funds to lend for manufacturing growth and research and development.
To be successful the recovery programme has to be fair
We will need the support of a significant majority of our people if we are to drive through this type of radical regeneration and redistribution programme. To gain this level of support means the Radical Alternative must be seen to be fair. This means addressing many of the inequalities of our current system. For those at the top it means ending the bonuses and limiting high salaries to no more than 20 times the lowest paid in any company or organisation.
For all others it means replacing the minimum wage with a living wage and a living pension and living welfare benefits, reducing the working week to 35 hours, closing the gender pay gap, controlling rents and energy prices, and restoring rights at work. For young people it means a guaranteed job, apprenticeship, training or college place for every young person with the burden of fees abolished.
There is no shortage of resources to implement this programme of reform. The problem is the distribution of these resources. The Radical Alternative simply releases the resources we have to regain control of our economy and invest in our future.
Never again can we let them say that there is no alternative.
John McDonnell
United We Stand: Tackling Racism
As massive spending cuts threaten all communities, some seek to scapegoat ethnic minorities, refugees and migrants.
Their rights are now under attack. These rights form the basis of an open, diverse and multicultural society.
Discuss with leading campaigners what can be done to defend these rights, and oppose racism and bigotry.
Speakers:
- Jeremy Corbyn MP, Labour MP for Islington North
- Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary
- Zita Holbourne, PCS Exec & co-Chair BARAC
- Michael Abatan, Justice for Jay, the brother of Jay Abatan, a PCS member killed by a racist attack in central Brighton in January 1999
- Stafford Scott, Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign
- Nic Eadie, Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG)
- Chris Whitwell – Friends, Families & Travellers
7pm – 9.30pm, Tuesday 22 May 2012
Brighthelm Church & Community Centre
North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD
£10 waged; £5 concessions
We Can Afford Housing and Welfare
The Tory cuts agenda is set to cause great damage to our public services, jobs and the quality of life of all our communities.
Nationally Cameron and Osborne are carrying out cuts on a scale that Thatcher could only dream about.
There is an alternative to this attack. This timely meeting will bring together leading figures to discuss building the widest possible alliances against the Tory cuts and the progressive alternatives we need.
Speakers:
Teresa Pearce MP, Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead
Kevin Maguire, Associate Editor, Daily Mirror
Andy Winter, Chief Executive of Brighton Housing Trust (BHT).
Andrew Fisher, co-ordinator of the socialist economists’ network LEAP – the Left Economics Advisory Panel, and he is also the Joint National Secretary of the LRC.
2pm – 4.30pm, Saturday 19 May 2012
Brighthelm Church & Community Centre
North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD
£10 waged; £5 concessions
The LRC at Brighton Fringe 2012
The LRC will be making the headlines at the Brighton Fringe this year with a series of events on a range of topics during May 2012.
IN CONVERSATION WITH TONY BENN
And what a way to start the series. Over three weeks, around 675 events will take place during the Fringe but only one of these will bring together Tony Benn, John McDonnell MP and Owen Jones for an afternoon of discussion and questions and answers with the audience.
This is an unprecedented opportunity to hear from three of Britain’s most prominent socialists on today’s key issues, with only limited tickets available.
Speakers:
Tony Benn is a former Cabinet Minister and the longest-ever serving Labour MP. After 50 years in Parliament, he stepped down in 2001 to “spend more time on politics”. As well as writing and publishing his diaries, Tony is currently President of the Stop the War Coalition.
John McDonnell is MP for Hayes & Harlington in north-west London and Chair of the LRC. Amongst other posts, John is also Parliamentary Convenor of the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group of ten left-wing trades unions, representing over half a million workers.
Owen Jones is the author of “Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class”. He regularly writes for The Guardian, The Independent and The New Statesman and recently appeared on the BBC’s ‘Question Time’. In September 2011, Owen was voted the most influential left-wing thinker of the year by readers of the Left Foot Forward blog.
2 – 4.30pm, Saturday 12 May 2012
Brighthelm Church & Community Centre
North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD
£10 waged; £5 concessions
The next meeting of Sussex LRC takes place at Community Base in central Brighton at 19.30 on Tuesday 7 February 2012.
Our guest speakers will be Mark Seddon and Michael Chessum, NUS National Executive Council.
Speakers:
Mark Seddon is a previous editor of Tribune and was a constituency representative on Labour’s NEC for 8 years during Blair’s leadership before leaving the UK to become Al Jazeera’s correspondent at the UN in New York. Mark has recently published “Standing for Something: Life in the Awkward Squad”; see here. Mark will entertain us with reflections on his experiences and a life being lived on the Left.
Michael Chessum is one of the leaders of the student protests, as a member of the NUS National Executive Council and co-founder of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts. See: http://anticuts.com/ for more information on the work of NCAFC and try this link here for Michael’s defence of student protesters reacting against police provocation, when interviewed live on BBC News in December 2010. Michael will update us on the student protests, including those of 9 November 2011 which were overlooked by most media. What is being considered next? Where does the movement go now and who or what are its primary targets?
19.30, Tuesday 7 February 2012
Community Base, South Wing Entrance,
113 Queen’s Road, Brighton BN1 3XG
FREE – register now by email: sussexlrc@hotmail.co.uk
Defend welfare – stop workfare
Click on the image to download the colour welfare flyer.
The welfare state is under increased attack from the coalition government. Since coming to power they have announced over £20bn in welfare cuts, while giving £25bn in tax breaks to businesses.
The LRC is urging all members to fight against attacks on welfare by challenging anti-welfare attitudes within the Labour Party and in wider society (download new LRC flyer ‘Defend Welfare’) and by taking direct action in conjunction with other organisations. If you are a Labour Party member, please get this model motion passed in your CLP.
It is important that we demonstrate the Labour left’s commitment to the welfare state and that we do not share the bigoted attitudes of the Labour Party leadership and former secretaries of state for welfare. The LRC has produced a new flyer for members to download, print and distribute. Download the LRC’s Defend Welfare flyer.
If you would like bulk hard copies of the flyer email info@l-r-c.org.uk with the quantity you require.
Resources / further reading:
- Disabled People Against Cuts website
- PCS pamphlet – Welfare: an alternative vision
- Boycott Workfare website
- CarerWatch website
- National Pensioners Convention website
- LRC flyer: Defend Welfare
- Sarah Evans on Britain’s care home shame
- Andrew Fisher on defending welfare
- Louise Whittle on workfare
- John McDonnell MP on the 2009 Welfare Reform Bill
- LRC: Fight to defend welfare goes on
How trade unions can defeat the cuts
A great opportunity for those of us who can’t attend the trade union protest in Manchester to still rally together against Tory Party conference. The meeting will start at 19.30 but you will be welcome to arrive from 19.10.
Speakers:
Janine Booth, RMT Executive – who will discuss the role of trade unions in fighting government cuts and the historical example of Poplar Council
Maria Exall, CWU Executive & TUC Council – another leading trade unionist who’s been busy fighting plans to privatise our postal services. Maria will discuss tactics for fighting privatisations and saving our services.
We should also be joined by Jon Rogers, UNISON Executive – currently campaigning against the spread of school academies and confident that the recent campaign has succeeded in preventing Brighton’s Varndean comprehensive from being turned into an academy, but continuing to stress the need for vigilence to protect our schools everywhere.
We will receive short updates from the local area LRC sub-groups in Hastings, Worthing/West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, with a special report on the re-founding of Worthing & District Trades Council and information about the Lewes Festival of Socialism (running during October).
19.30, Tuesday 4 October 2011
Community Base, South Wing Entrance,
113 Queen’s Road, Brighton BN1 3XG
FREE – register now by email: sussexlrc@hotmail.co.uk
Sussex LRC 