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Once again, I joined a counter-protest standing against the "stop the boats" demonstration. Similar to our efforts in Bristol, we significantly outnumbered them.

A diverse coalition of socialists from The Socialist Party (formerly Militant) and Socialist Workers Party, anarchists, anti-war groups, trade unions, and other activists gathered in the heart of Plymouth to express our disagreement with the protestors—a violent group who resorted to hurling stones, fireworks, unopened cans of beer that exploded on impact, empty glass bottles, and even an iPhone charger, which I will now use for its intended purpose (thanks for the freebie).

The right-wing protesters were aggressive, attempting to flank the police to engage in fights with us. Some even infiltrated our counter-protest, only to be forcefully removed by anarchists and police.

Organizing such a large demonstration was a Herculean effort, but it paid off. Unlike the counter-protest in Bristol, where vandalism and fighting were prominent, this time we showcased our strength through sheer numbers and organization. These right-winger are indeed a minority.

Transport union leader Mick Lynch has said union bosses need to do more to combat flaring anti-immigration protests across the UK and Ireland.

The RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) boss, who has risen to prominence in recent years during public transport strikes in England, gave the annual Connolly Lecture on the opening day of Feile an Phobail at St Mary’s University College on Thursday.

The union leader’s comments come amid anti-immigrant disorder in the Southport area of England after three children were killed in a knife attack at a summer school.

Disorder has also been seen in recent months in the Republic with attacks against premises hosting asylum seekers in Dublin and other areas. This Saturday anti-immigrant protests have been organised in Belfast in response to the killings of Bebe King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7) and Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9).

Far-right thugs in violent clashes with police as unrest spreads to cities across UK - by Independent

Violent outbreaks spread across the UK on Saturday with far-right thugs hurling bricks, bottles and chairs at the police as demonstrations broke out in more than half a dozen cities.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the “thuggery” and “criminal disorder” that has followed in the wake of the tragic Southport stabbings, warning that anyone involved in the ongoing violence “will pay the price”.

“Criminal violence and disorder has no place on Britain’s streets,” she said on Saturday afternoon following clashes in cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Nottingham and Belfast.

This isn't a "thuggery" issue, this is a social media and class issue. Standing with Bristol's counter-protestors, who had outnumbered the right-wing protestors, I heard chants that weren't about unity but instead division, polarizing both sides further. "Fuck off nazi fascist" might sound good, might be somewhat correct, but a large number of the protestors on the right are working-class people who have been told by GB News that migrants are the cause of our woes. We need a loud and informed slogan that will pull them back.

TUSC and unions are using "Fight the bosses, not migrants - fund our NHS and services," a non-divisive slogan laying the blame where it truly belongs. Meanwhile, BBC's reporting has captured and repeated the anarchist slogan of "Refugees are welcome." This slogan is made to offend and to stir aggression in our division. We can't allow the capitalist media to spin our program and fight by giving them easy wins with vapid slogans.

We need a slogan for the workers. I will be in Plymouth tomorrow as part of a counter-protest led by the trade unions, and I will be chanting "Fight the bosses, not migrants," pushing for a workers' party.

Many Communication Workers Union (CWU) reps and members will now be thinking about what the union will do under the Starmer-led Labour government. Jeremy Corbyn’s popular manifesto promise had been to bring Royal Mail back into public ownership. This was agreed at Labour Party conference since, but was not in the manifesto.

Meanwhile, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, whose business already owns 25% of Royal Mail, is bidding to take it over.

The Labour manifesto stated: “Royal Mail remains a key part of the UK’s infrastructure. Labour will ensure that any proposed takeover is robustly scrutinised and that appropriate guarantees are forthcoming that protect the interests of the workforce, customers and the United Kingdom, including the need to maintain a comprehensive universal service obligation. Labour will also explore new business and governance models for Royal Mail so that workers and customers who rely on Royal Mail services can have a stronger voice in the governance and strategic direction of the company.”

Strikes do a few things.
1: they give workers what little dignity can be afforded to them in a capitalist system.
2: they show the flaw of our system.

When met with inflation that surpasses our wages what option is there other than to strike, and we can strike through many ways such as not paying our landlords on mass to impede plans to evict from or demolish our homes, we can strike paying utility's that raise our prices demonstrably, we can as civilian boycott all sorts of industry to demand change.
All strikes in one sence do fail, they'll give limited dignity ready to be steadily chipped away at giving way to a new struggle as we live in a system that function on indignity.

But in a socialist sense even the failed strikes are successful in other ways, they can show the inequality between worker and owner, renter and landlord, consumer and shareholder. Each strike is another nail in the coffin of capital and this is why we stand in solidarity with the people at Amazon, the ones working for Stagecoach and the G4S security at jobcenters earning near to minimal wage.

If you see a strike taking place then show them your civic support, bring drinks or have a chat, maybe even pick up a placard.

Hello comrades.

weekend just gone The Socialist Party set up a booth to speak with festival goers and union members, other political groups were present too such as the SWP, Communist Party and the RCP, Workers Party. this year we faced less mud but also less crowds although the weather was mostly wet we all had a pretty good time paying respects to the martyrs of Tolpuddle with banners and flags raised high. looking forward to Socialism 2024 Festival where again we can share in solidarity but hopefully in dryer weather and cheaper beer.

while at Tolpuddle Martyrs we pushed unions to consider forming a workers party with mass union backing, this could be the party to confront Labour and the greater capitalist structure of our politics, we campaigned with flyers as well as through petitions and dialogs in large talk-events held by notable union members.

Who is striking and when? Find out the strikes this week and how they will affect you with the UK Strike Action Calendar. Full date listings of all currently planned regional and country-wide strikes.

A recent BBC interview with the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, has racked up millions of views. In it, he calls out the hypocrisy of the interviewer questioning his government’s plans to extract billions of dollars worth of oil and gas from Guyana’s newly discovered reserves, on the basis that this will contribute to global climate change.

Ali points out that, even after extracting those resources, Guyana will still be carbon neutral due to its huge untouched forest, covering 80% of the country, with the lowest deforestation rate in the world.

He poses some questions to the interviewer: ‘If you value biodiversity and the climate, are you [the West] willing to pay for it?’ He argues that the global capitalist system leaves him no choice but to extract the oil and gas: “We have this natural resource. And we’re going to aggressively pursue this natural resource because we have to develop our country.” Around half of Guyana’s population live under the poverty line, but the country has seen economic growth averaging over 40% over the last three years due to the influx of oil money. Profit problem

This highlights the major problem with attempting to solve the climate crisis under a capitalist system: the lack of profit to be made from protecting natural resources and the inability of capitalist nation states to cooperate in developing global productive potential. Capitalism is incapable of taking the united international action needed to reverse climate warming.

The serious thinkers of capitalism are only too aware that climate change is an existential threat that needs urgent action. Their proposals, however, are always constrained by the limits of the system they defend. To implement the urgent and sweeping changes needed to avoid climate catastrophe requires a global socialist plan of production, based on nationalisation of major industries under the democratic control and management of the working class.

In a recent address to investors, the former British Petroleum (BP) chief executive Lord John Browne urged them to consider Aesop’s fable of the rider who stops feeding his horse in peacetime, only to find it lame when war comes. The soldier in the analogy represented the companies who are pulling back on climate action, creating more long-term risk for all concerned as the ever-greater effects of the climate crisis loom.

We need council homes. Over a million people languish on waiting lists for council housing. In the main, these are people who cannot get together huge deposits either for rent or a mortgage, who can’t afford gruelling private rents, and don’t have the ability to buy a home either.

So-called affordable housing is out of reach for millions. 40% of council housing built in the last century is now in the hands of private landlords thanks to Thatcher’s ‘Right to Buy’ – kept in place by Labour and Tories since – and the fact sold homes haven’t been replaced.

Add in to the mix the amount of housing, social and private, that is in horrendous condition with black mould, damp, lack of proper fire access, and everything else making tenants unwell and sometimes causing death.

A tenant who puts their head above the parapet and complains about the condition of their home faces the threat of a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction. The previous Tory government said they were going to end these but, considering they have so many landlords in their ranks (as with Labour), it’s no surprise that they weren’t willing to make it happen.

As the sun rose on 24th February 1834, Dorset farm labourer George Loveless set off to work, saying goodbye to his wife Betsy and their three children. They were not to meet alone again for three years, for as he left his cottage in the rural village of Tolpuddle, the 37-year-old was served with a warrant for his arrest.

Loveless and five fellow workers – his brother James, James Hammett, James Brine, Thomas Standfield and Thomas’s son John – were charged with having taken an illegal oath. But their real crime in the eyes of the establishment was to have formed a trade union to protest about their meagre pay of six shillings a week – the equivalent of 30p (or roughly £50 when adjusted for inflation to today’s money) and the third wage cut in as many years.

With the bloody French Revolution and the wrecking of the Swing Rebellion fresh in the minds of the British establishment, landowners were determined to stamp out any form of organised protests. So when the local squire and landowner, James Frampton, caught wind of a group of his workers forming a union, he sought to stamp it out. Workers met either under the sycamore tree in the village or in the upper room of Thomas Standfield’s cottage. Members swore of an oath of secrecy – and it was this act that led to the men’s arrest and subsequent sentence of seven years’ transportation.

In prison, George Loveless scribbled some words: “We raise the watchword, liberty. We will, we will, we will be free!” This rallying call underlined the Martyrs’ determination and has since served to inspire generations of people to fight against injustice and oppression. Transportation to Australia was brutal. Few ever returned from such a sentence as the harsh voyage and rigours of slavery took their toll. After the sentence was pronounced, the working class rose up in support of the Martyrs. A massive demonstration marched through London and an 800,000-strong petition was delivered to Parliament protesting about their sentence.

The story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the campaign that freed them inspires us to fight on. The annual festival reflects the spirit of those prepared to stand up and be counted and for those just learning about the history it is a joyful celebration of our solidarity.

any comrades coming to Tolpuddle Martyrs festival?

Every year 5000 people gather in the green fields of Tolpuddle to celebrate our movement, how far we've come, and debate and strategise for how we continue fighting for workers rights in the UK and beyond. Join us in the green fields of Tolpuddle, 19-21 July 2024!

Now the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is publishing a statistical review of the election – The 2024 General Election Fact File – a draft report prepared by the TUSC national election agent Clive Heemskerk for the first post-election meeting of the TUSC all-Britain steering committee taking place on July 17th.

Including the TUSC candidates’ results, after discussion at the steering committee it will be published on the website’s Candidates Page as a public record – as has been TUSC practice for every election we have stood candidates in since 2011.

The result, in terms of the number of seats, is a Labour landslide, just shy of Tony Blair’s New Labour victory in 1997. But enthusiasm for Keir Starmer’s Labour was absent from this general election. The absolute vote for Labour was 9.6 million, lower than the 10.2 million vote Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour got in 2019, never mind the 12.8 million he got in 2017. Labour’s vote share, at around 34%, is the lowest ever for a general election victor, whereas in 2017 Corbyn got 40% of the vote, the biggest jump for a national party in one election since 1945.

The turnout, at less than 60%, was at least as low as 2001, and perhaps the lowest ever in a general election. None of this, of course, has stopped spokespeople for Labour, echoed by the capitalist media, spending election night endlessly repeating how it was only Starmer’s successful ‘change’ in the party (in reality into pro-capitalist New Labour) that had allowed them to go from the allegedly ‘worst election result since 1935’ in 2019 to victory in 2024.

Relief, rejoice, cautious optimism, scepticism… There will be mixed feelings in the minds of working-class people on 5 July. But whatever the cocktail, the fact clear to everyone will be that the Tories, historically the bosses’ primary political party, which has inflicted 14 years of misery on ordinary people, will be resoundingly defeated.

At the time of writing, before polling, Labour are odds on with the bookies to have an overall majority, too short even to make it worthwhile Tories betting on their own demise. Their electoral annihilation will dissolve any remaining cohesive substance holding the world’s oldest capitalist party together.

The source of its fragility? The fragile state of the global capitalist economy and particularly British capitalism’s falling standing within it. And Starmer’s Labour will build a government on those same ruined foundations.

But although Starmer is committed to defend the capitalists’ interests, that doesn’t mean workers can’t or won’t struggle, or that concessions can’t be extracted from the new government, whatever its intentions entering office.

Solidarity to all. Like most of you, I am glad to have witnessed the end of Tory rule, who faced an embarrassing defeat after 14 years of enforcing austerity measures that inflicted suffering on the working class. However, this change will not be resolved by another capitalist party. Labour, under its current leadership, has shown it’s not a workers’ party, a fact that became evident with Tony Blair’s tenure and their eagerness to remove leftist elements from within their ranks during the last election.

The struggle continues. Fight for true representation and justice for the working class. The end of Tory rule is a step forward, but our journey towards genuine change is not yet over.