THE NEW WORKER

The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 21st April 2017


All out for a Corbyn victory

by Daphne Liddle

SUDDENLY we are in the run-up to a general election that is just eight weeks away — a real opportunity to get rid of Tory austerity policies, cuts to public services, low wages and soaring rents, an end to being Washington’s lap-dog in imperialist aggression around the world and a chance to reverse the march for privatisation, to save the NHS and our education system.

Theresa May has called this election now from a position of weakness; with a majority of just 12 she cannot control her own party. And she is putting her faith in opinion polls that give the Tories a double-digit lead over Labour. But just two years ago Corbyn entered the Labour leadership as a rank outsider but swept to a landslide victory on the strength of his anti-austerity and pro-working class policies.

Many right-wing Labour MPs refused to accept Corbyn’s leadership, and conspired to undermine his leadership and replace him. They had the full support of the capitalist media.

But a campaign of mass meetings around the country showed that Corbyn’s policies resonate with the working class of Britain, who are being impoverished and oppressed in a way not seen since Victorian times. And Corbyn won again with a higher majority.

There is a real possibility that within eight weeks we could have a left-wing Labour government. We must seize this opportunity.

Will it solve all our problems? Of course not. The ruling class and the media will be throwing every dirty trick in the book to prevent this happening. But we will have a prime minister who is sincere in trying to get these pro-working class policies implemented.

There will still be a struggle but it will be a battle with another significant victory under the belt of the working class, inspiring confidence and daring.

Corbyn cannot win this election by relying on the media to let the people of this country know what his policies are. Theresa May has already ruled out television debates — knowing that she cannot justify the Tory austerity policies and the terrible effects they are having on us in open debate with Corbyn.

Winning this election will require an army of Labour supporters to go knocking on doors to let voters know what Corbyn really stands for. Where is that army to come from? The big unions like Unite could play a winning role by calling for volunteers from amongst their members.

Agents of the ruling class, who know that Labour freed from their control is a real danger to the power of the filthy rich one per cent, will try to divide Labour supporters with bogus accusations of anti-Semitism and they will try to divide them over Brexit.

The NEC (National Executive Council) has declared that there is no time for reselecting candidates, so some of the Blairites will still be there but if they value their careers and salaries they should now be fighting for Corbyn. If they cannot manage that they should resign now — as a couple already have done.

Right now, whatever happens regarding Brexit, the issues of saving the NHS, ending austerity, capping rents, raising wages, getting rid of the need for food banks, saving our schools, restoring the right to independence for the disabled, restoring proper care for the elderly and restoring legal aid to bring justice for all — these are the issues that must predominate. These are the issues that affect working class voters of every gender, ethnicity and religion every day throughout Britain

We must be ready to work alongside comrades who have different views on other issues for the next eight weeks, and refuse to be diverted and divided.

We have a chance to send yet another shock wave through global imperialism and get ourselves free ourselves from the oppression of austerity at the same time. This is no time to sit about — we must contact our local Labour Parties and offer to help with canvassing.