6 May: what will it change for the working class?

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Workers' Fight workplace bulletin editorials
27 April 2010

The election circus is in full swing. Only we'd have a lot more fun if we could watch these political muppets trying to do the flying trapeze, or jump through real hoops!

Instead, we get "new" mickey mouse debates in which they try to highlight their "differences", while all agreeing on the most important issue: that the working population must pay for the bail-out of the capitalist class - and go on paying for it!

The only difference is, the Tories want to make huge public sector cuts in the next 12 months, the Lib Dems occupy the half-way position (but sternly warn that "public sector cuts are necessary") and Labour says that it will make them later. Only in Labour's case, it already started making them.

The opinion polls all indicate a close result. But these polls are based on small samples and cannot really predict the winner - especially in today's "close-run race". Anyway, the first-past-the-post system means the vote on the day hardly ever reflects opinion. The same proportion of votes could give a party an absolute majority in the Commons or fewer MPs than its rivals, depending on how votes are distributed nationally. So much for the "fair" electoral system!

Nevertheless the experts say a likely scenario is a "hung" parliament - which unfortunately does not mean what it sounds like. The Tories are giving dire warnings about it, of course! But their only real problem with it is that they might have to share the political perks of government with the other parties (or party). As for the policies of a "hung" government" - whatever the flavour, its policies will serve the interests of the City and the rest of the capitalist class, just as Brown's and Darling's have been doing. In fact Labour's language used to be different, but today there is hardly any difference even in the choice of words!

Every reason to be angry

None of the politicians talks about the real world. Who highlighted unemployment and moreover, the fact that 500,000 more public service jobs are targeted to be cut, whichever party wins power after 6 May? Of course, they don't dare say so.

Over the past 18-24 months 1.8 million jobs have been cut. While the official jobless count is already a record 2.5 million, the actual jobless count, including youth and those who have given up looking for a job, is 8.1 million people, 20.1% of the population!

Neither will they point to the over 1 million part-time workers who cannot find a full-time job, but need one. Nor the half-a-million temps who need a permanent job. They are all in favour of the cost-cutting by companies at workers' expense and anyway, government itself is just as responsible for this situation, being the biggest employer in the country, as any private capitalist is. Ask any postman, or any worker in a benefit office!

As for the present state of public facilities, can we imagine how bad they will get if public spending is cut any more? They are already a disgrace. In east London/Essex, where King George's Hospital is due to lose its A&E and the new Queen's has one of the worst ratings; there are not even enough good general practices to provide the basics - to keep us out of these under-resourced hospitals!

We decide: together, in the streets!

To vote for the main parties, is to condone their austerity programmes. Neither is there a way to register a "protest vote" which will be heard or noted! But just because the election doesn't give us a way to oppose politicians' pro-business policies, it doesn't mean there is nothing we can do. Quite the contrary.

In countries right across Europe, including in Ireland, one thing has been happening which has not been happening here. The populations have taken to the streets - so when there has been a strike, workers have been able to assess their own strength and actually feel it!

We know very well that there are going to be sweeping public service cuts starting from 7 May, whoever is in power. The working class needs to prepare itself to stop them. The media and the bosses have tried to prepare the way for these cuts by making out public sector workers are "privileged". When many are amongst the lowest paid and worse, denied permanent rights as part of the part of the "subcontracted", privatised sector!

So the day the government in office brings out its knife, the whole working class will need to find the energy and determination to join ranks together and defend the jobs and services under attack. And revive the principle workers always stood by: "an injury to one is an injury to all"!