Come to the European Conference against Austerity!

Saturday 1st October 2011
10am to 5pm
Camden Centre
Bidborough Street
London WC1H 9AU

WHY YOU SHOULD BE AT THE CONFERENCE

Those who were hoping that the summer would bring some relief to the crisis must be cruelly disappointed. Share values continue to fall and the Eurozone bail-outs are hitting the rocks. In Britain, the political and social crises roll on with the revelations about News International and the riots in August. The outlook for the ruling class is bleak as they have no solution, and the economies are teetering on the edge of a recession. We can expect more appeals that “we are all in it together” and that there is no alternative to a radical programme of austerity. As the crisis is international, so must be the response of all those who refuse to make the working class and society pay for this crisis.

That’s why the Europe Against Austerity conference in London on 1st October is so important. It will be the first event since the start of the crisis in 2008 where all those who want to oppose the attacks will meet. The conference will not only issue a declaration against the austerity programmes but plan a movement of resistance across Europe.

The Coalition of Resistance is hosting this conference jointly with the other organisations and individuals sponsoring the event. These include the European Left Party, Die Linke, Attac, CADTM, Union Syndicale Solidaires, Tony Benn, Ken Loach, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Len McCluskey Unite, and Bob Crow RMT. Olivier Besancenot of the New Anticapitalist Party of France has also accepted an invitation to attend.

Agenda:
There will be plenaries and workshops on topics such as The Crisis and the Debt, Ending the War, Students and Youth Fighting for a Future, Women against Austerity, and Mobilising against Austerity. The information on agenda will be updated on the website.

Alf Filer - sad loss of a committed comrade

We have learned of the sad death of Alf Filer, the creator of this blog, activist in Worthing and previously a long-time activist in Brent and Harrow in North-West London. He was killed in a road accident on the A27, on Thursday evening 24th June, while returning home from a Socialist Resistance meeting in Brighton. It appears that his car broke down, and, while waiting for rescue, another car ploughed into his, knocking it into him. The bare facts of the accident are on the Argus web site: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9105972.Worthing_man_killed_by_own_car_in_horror_crash/?ref=mr

Tony Greenstein, a well known anti-zionist and local socialist activist has written this:

http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2011/06/alf-filer-jewish-anti-zionist-and.html

and Charlie Pottins has written this:

http://randompottins.blogspot.com/2011/06/alf-filer-loss-of-stalwart-comrade.html

Mark Findlay writes,




Andy Richards writes

My friend and comrade Alf Filer has been tragically killed in a car accident last Thursday evening.

Alf had only moved to Sussex in the last year or so and had made his home in Worthing having previously lived in London.  Alf was meant to be (semi) retiring to the south coast but, characteristically, that was never going to happen.

Alf was a committed socialist, anti-fascist and anti-Zionist.  He campaigned locally and nationally against cuts (he was a prime mover in the formation of the Coalition of Resistance) and he organised against the EDL and the BNP, both here and in Brent and Harrow where he spent the greater part of his life.

Others have written tributes and appreciations from a perspective of having known him for a long time, but you did not need to know Alf for long to appreciate his passion for politics and campaigining.  This is shown in the tributes which have been paid from activists in Sussex.

Alf was a member of Socialist Resistance, and he played an incredible part in revitalising us locally.  He started a local blog and his main activity was to try to bring together the forces of the left in Worthing.  Not, you might think, the most fertile of ground, but that sort of thing never deterred Alf.  He was passionate about left unity, and was possible the most non-sectarian socialist I have ever known.  He worked with and helped to bring together the different parts of the Worthing left into regular meetings.  A meeting which he organised, on Ecosocialism, is happening this Tuesday.  Everyone involved is of the view that this meeting must go ahead as a tribute to Alf.

Alf was serious about his politics - but he was also a joker.  I shall miss, as much as anything, his wisecracks and his wind-ups.

A truly brilliant, dedicated and lovable man.

Below, Holly Smith, President of Brighton and Hove Trades Council, gives her own memories of Alf, and below that are links to other tributes from people who knew Alf longer for me.

I, along with many, many others, am saddened to hear of the death of Alf Filer. It feels like those of us in Brighton and the South East were only just getting to know him. After retiring as a lecturer he moved down to Worthing last year from London, and didn’t hesitate in getting involved in political activity down here.

The first time I met him was at a public meeting to oppose a local school becoming an academy. He had only just moved to the area and was keen to know about all the events and groups that existed down here so he could get stuck in.
The next time I met him was at an anti-cuts day school that we had organised. I chaired a workshop on cuts in Local Government and Alf spoke at length from the floor. I remember being impressed with his wide-ranging knowledge on a great variety of topics, and how articulate he was. This was also demonstrated in his blog, of which I was an avid reader - always looking forward to his intelligent analysis of local, national, and international events.

When I was challenging my trade union leadership over an issue a while ago, I was touched when Alf got in touch with me to offer his advice and support. We then got to talking about other issues, and how we could help each other. Alf and I were both outraged at the recent treatment by local Councils of Travellers and Gypsies in the region, finding it representative of the wider persecution they have been facing across Europe, and we had been in discussion about setting up a local support group for these communities, and together we started letter writing to the EU to ask them for an inquiry around the persecution that these communities faced, especially in Italian cities.

The last time I spoke to him he was incredibly enthusiastic about the recent re-launch of Worthing Trades Council, and he was urging me to attend the public meeting on eco-socialism he was arranging for next week.

Alf was Jewish, and committed to building solidarity between anti-Zionist Jews and Palestinians, and was also well known for his anti-fascist work. He was an intelligent, outspoken, driven, passionate, and warm man, and I very much regret that I only knew him for such a short time.
To borrow some words from another comrade who has written about him, “The best tribute we can pay to you is to keep the flame alight and the struggle for justice undimmed.”

Rest in peace comrade, you will be missed.

What do I remember about Alf?

In the late 90s and early 2000’s he was active as an independent in the Socialist Alliance in Brent, where I was also living and (sometimes) active. I didn’t know him terribly well but was impressed by his energy and independence of mind. He didn’t (as far as I can remember) get involved in Respect, probably because of scepticism about George Galloway and what he saw as communalist politics. Also he from time to time had to withdraw from political life because of his own health and because he had onerous care responsibilities for his son. When I moved to Brighton in 2007, I was also physically remote.

Out of the blue he made contact with us about 18 months ago, saying he was looking for a place to live on the South Coast after his early retirement. He rapidly decided that Brighton was too expensive, and eventually chose a small house in West Worthing.

He duly started to find his feet in Worthing and found that it had a small group of activists on various questions including a successful fight against privatisation of downland owned by the district council. He decided to set up a blog for himself and for all SR activities on the South Coast, and I helped him set this up during a productive visit to his home last January. There I also met his son Laurence. Subsequently he has from time to time asked me for more help, but usually he worked out how to do it for himself before I had the chance to respond.

My impression is of an astounding activist, whose energy and voice will live for a long time in our memories. He turned round the movement in Worthing and showed all the signs of livening things up all along the south coast, with plans to link up to Southampton and Portsmouth as well as Brighton.

Save Our NHS - March Through Lewes



Time	25 June · 10:30 - 13:30
Location	Assemble at The Gallops, Lewes (Just off Nevill Road)
More info	The Government just hasn't listened, and the NHS isn't safe yet... That's why Lewes Stop The Cuts has organised a march through Lewes to defend it and all the people who work for it. Meet at The Gallops, (Map link: http://goo.gl/oxi7r) at 10:30, from where we will march through the town. It will finish with a rally at the end, with speakers. Please come along and defend our precious NHS! There will be a banner making session on the 23rd, at 56 North Way, Lewes. This is a good opportunity to make materials for the march and meet other LSTC supporters. Refreshments will be provided, please bring any materials (paint, card, sheets etc.) that you may have. Lewes Stop The Cuts Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_129870227072859&ap=1

To default or not to default- to hell with the lies of the IMF and their (w)banker mates.

Whilst events in Athens unfold and resistance through joint industrial action at home and elsewhere is building up, we are being fed lies by politicians and those in the media that Greeks defaulting on their debt would cause disaster. The Con Dems, bankers and IMF are causing disasters and they expect everyone just to lie down and take it. Well as we all know, there is an alternative to the IMF dictates.  

Remember the damage the IMF has caused South American, African and Asian countries over the past decades? Well for those that opted for defaulting on their debt, in most cases, GDP actually increased soon after.However in nearly all cases, any economic recovery was only achieved through raising the rate of exploitation, poverty and ecological disasters, mimicing the very policies that the IMF wanted to impose on them anyway with or without defaulting.

The issue is what type of economy and economic policies should be adopted following default. Obviously not the free market, supply side privatisation programmes, based on a low wage economy that many then pursued at the expense of their own people and the environment.

Replacing international bankers exploiting their economies with local spivs and speculators is not the answer either. Whilst the flight of capital continues and the price of gold rises, clearly the Greek workers need to address the issue of socialisation of resources and capital, with the taking back control of the means of production  to protect jobs and services, default or no default.

“Some countries benefit from defaulting on their debt” according to today´s Daily Chart in the Economist see below and here - “Uruguay, Russia and Indonesia did quite well after their respective defaults.”
The German and French banks who´ll be on the receiving end of the so-called “haircut” will not be so happy about this, ( SHAME), nor the will be the US firms who have sold insurance on Greek government debt (CDS) to worried investors.

We are continually being warned of the cantagion effect that a Greek default might trigger in Ireland, Portugal and worse Spain and worse still Italy!  What they really mean by this is their concern about the effect it may have on the speculators in those countries, who have made rich profits during the good times and now want the people of those countries to pay the price for their failures. They are more worried about an international fightback of the World's oppressed against all the bankers, corrupt politicians and dictators.An international resistance may result in a world without the IMF and the profiteers!

Yes to supporting the default option but no to the cuts and bankrupt free market supply side policies of tax cuts, rising uemployment and worsening living standards to keep the rich rich. The answer is an eco-socialist world, not a world based on international capitalist exploitation and barbaric wars of destruction.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, makes a call to fight

Dave Prentis, speaking at the Unison conference in Manchester, today made it clear that the unions are not going to just sit back and take it. Promising a programme of industrial action, joint union strikes and a rolling programme of strikes, Unison plans to play a key role in joining in with other unions such as PCS, Unite, UCU, NUT, ATL and many others in opposing the Con Dem  programmes of privatisation, cuts, attacks on pensions and attacks on working people.

He identified this Government as being more Thatcher than Thatcher and preferring bankers, spivs and the City to working people. The gloves are off and the need for an effective fightback is clear to all. He also warned Labour M.P.'s not to assume automatic support, accusing New Labour of "building the bridge that the Tories walked over ".

Andrew Lansley, "tosser", was condemned, along with the financial backers of private health care, for their NHS reforms. They never supported the NHS in 1948 and they certainly do not support it now. This and all the other Tory policies can only be defeated by mass industrial action and an alternative political leadership of the labour movement. One that supports and not condemns the trade unions for defending our public services. Ed Balls and co watch out. You too have failed our movement.

It was good to hear a union leader making reference to the similar struggles elsewhere in Europe and to refer to the struggles of the Palestinians also. Yes the crisis is international and unions need to take an internationalist stand.

Now we must all ensure that June 30th and beyond is a big success and that this action continues until the Con Dems and their unelected policies are thrown out.

Saving the NHS: the fight goes on

So Cameron has come out and stated that if there was no coalition and the Tory Party had a clear majority, then they would cut public spending, benefits and immigration even more. So there we have it. Next election, when ever it may be, the Tory party will out Thatcher Thatcher and go for the jugular, assuming there is any blood left in the patient. Oh which way will the Lib Dems turn? Cutting as usual one supposes.

In the meantime we have a Labour opposition leadership that fails to support the fight back by the unions in defence of pensions and public services, with Ed Balls leading the Blue Labour entourage in attacking strike action on June 30th. We have a lack luster Ed Milliband still looking for answers and we have the shadow cabinet collectively turning the other cheek. What a great opposition they all make, not. Bring back the Archbishop of Canterbury. One word from him is more effective than all the paragraphs put together from Labour's various empty think tanks. One never thought one would say that.

Whilst New, or is it Old, or is it Blue Labour, (sounds like a newly married bride waiting for an early divorce after her hubby betrayed her!?), the unions are gaining wide support for joint industrial action on June 30th, with more promised for the Autumn. Dave Prentice said that it will be bigger than the 1926 General Strike. 

In the meantime, in the fight to defend the NHS, here is a useful contribution from Wendy Savage.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/wendy-savage/saving-nhs-fight-goes-on

Wendy Savage, 17 June 2011

Wendy Savage is co-chair of Keep our NHS Public.

In the last ten days we have had Cameron’s Five pledges — (one of which was “we will not sell off the NHS”), the report of the Future Forum and Andrew Lansley’s response to their recommendations in the House of Commons on. I listened to the Health Secretary’s speech in the House of Commons on 14th June and heard him say, “We will make it illegal to encourage the growth of one type of provider over another”, the very opposite of Labour minister Andy Burnham’s belated assurance in 2009. I could not believe that shadow health secretary John Healey did not take Lansley up on that even though he had been given the speech to read that morning.

The media blitz was expected and even BBC Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman could not get Andrew Lansley to reveal the ultimate aim of this Bill, which is to turn the NHS into a commercial market. Much of the questioning has been superficial and, for example, Nick Du Bois, the conservative MP who has been most vocal in his criticism of the reported changes, said that Labour had introduced fund-holding. He was not challenged — it was of course Kenneth Clarke in his 1989  paper ‘Working for patients’ who did this. Frank Dobson abolished fund holding in the brief period when he was Secretary of State for Health in keeping with the Labour Manifesto of 1997 — “Our fundamental purpose is simple but hugely important: to restore the NHS as a public service working co-operatively for patients, not a commercial business driven by competition.”

The Newsnight programme, where five men discussed the pledges, was heavily weighted in favour of marketeers with Chaand Nagpaul, a GP on the BMA Council, barely able to get a word in edgeways between Norman Lamb, previous health spokesman for the Lib Dems, Andrew Bridgen, a conservative backbencher and Kingsley Manning responding to Jeremy Paxman’s questions. Kingsley Manning, business development director of outsourcing company Tribal, had greeted the White Paper last July with enthusiasm saying “This white paper could amount to the denationalisation of healthcare services in England and is the most important redirection of the NHS, going further than any Secretary of State has gone before.”  He believes that the NHS is unsustainable, another argument being put forward by the Right to justify these sweeping changes.

On Tuesday morning’s BBC Radio 4 Today programme we heard Lord Warner, a previous NHS manager and Health Minister in the Labour government, saying that the model of District General Hospitals was outmoded but however much care you have in the community you still need hospitals for emergency and intensive care, surgery and sophisticated medical care for complex problems.

Varndean Academy proposal - "literally written on the back of an envelope"!

This was just one of the fascinating revelations at a packed meeting of Varndean School Against Academies on Friday evening. It came from David Richards, who resigned as a governor in order to fight the proposal to turn Varndean School into an academy.

He also told us that the proposal was never pre-announced on an agenda.

Judging by the massive turnout of parents, it will not be easy for the Head and a few Governors to force this through.

Other speakers included Nick Childs of NUT, Alisdair Smith of the Anti-Academies Alliance and Denise Knutsen of Unison, who expressed concerns about what academy status would do to the ethos of the school, and how it would affect other schools in the area and the services provided by the local education authority. Also there is the concern of a small group of governors being able to set the pay and conditions of the school workforce.

We also heard from students and the NUT rep at the school who told us that, incredibly, all discussion of the academy proposal is "banned"! I suspect that this is going to be strongly challenged at every opportunity!


Local MP Caroline Lucas pointed out that the ConDems were bent on the privatisation of education.

Gove thinks academies are popular with parents. Not on last nights evidence!