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WSWS : News & Analysis : Europe : Britain

Britain: Socialist Equality Party distributes election statement

By our correspondent
23 April 2007

Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author

More than 600,000 Socialist Equality Party election statements are to be delivered to every household in the West of Scotland and South Wales Central regions over the next week.

Standing regional lists for election to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly on May 3, the SEP is entitled to the free distribution of an election communication to all the homes in the areas covered.

The leaflet provides a brief summary of the main policies being advanced by the SEP, with the fight against imperialist war and social inequality at the forefront.

Below, we republish the text of the SEP election statement.

A vote for the SEP is a vote for the development of a new and genuinely socialist movement against a Labour government that functions as the political tool of the super-rich.

Against all efforts to divide workers along national lines, we seek to unite workers throughout Britain with their brothers and sisters internationally in opposition to the eruption of US aggression, which, with Labour’s support, threatens to spread the illegal wars against Iraq and Afghanistan into Iran.

The fight against war is bound up with the struggle to put an end to the capitalist profit system by reorganising economic life to meet the social interests of the vast majority of the world’s population rather than the selfish interests of a parasitic elite.

What we stand for:

Against militarism and war: For the immediate withdrawal of all British and foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The architects of the war—in London and Washington—must be placed on trial for war crimes.

Defend democratic rights: Rescind all anti-terror legislation and other measures curtailing individual liberties. Repeal all anti-trade union and anti-strike legislation, guarantee free access to abortion and full legal equality for gay people. All workers must be guaranteed the right to study, live and work wherever they choose.

Social ownership of the means of production: Convert all large financial, industrial, service, pharmaceutical and agricultural corporations into publicly owned enterprises. Cancel all Private Finance Initiative contracts.

For a major programme of public works: Pour billions into the public services to provide quality education, free of charge, to expand health and social care provision, and create decent, well paying, and full-time jobs.

Guaranteed living standards for all: Double the minimum wage as a first step in guaranteeing everyone a living income. End means-testing and the New Deal work-for-dole programmes. Those unable to work—the disabled, elderly and full-time parents and carers—must be provided with the equivalent of a living wage. Raise the state pension to the level of the average wage, with a voluntary retirement age of 55.

Students and youth: Education must be fully funded and free of charge. Abolish student loans, restore student grants and oppose tuition fees. Abolish public funding of private and religious schools. Young workers must have access to job training and apprenticeships at adult rates of pay.

Housing and health: Cap mortgage repayments at no more than 20 percent of income and ban house repossessions. Implement a massive social housing programme to provide comfortable, secure and affordable accommodation for all. Re-establish the NHS as a fully funded and quality provider of free universal health care.

Culture and science: Funds should be poured into libraries, museums, theatres, orchestras, public television and radio. Make wireless broadband available to all households. Free scientific research and development from corporate control.

The environment: For an internationally coordinated plan to tackle the destruction of the environment. Fund research and development into clean energy technologies and impose a moratorium on the building of nuclear power stations until a safe means of disposal is established. Expand and upgrade the public transport network.

This programme can only be realised through the political mobilisation of working people in the struggle for socialism. The Socialist Equality Party is the British section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, which publishes the daily World Socialist Web Site—wsws.org. Our campaign in these elections is aimed at laying the necessary foundations for the building of a mass socialist party.

See Also:
Britain: Stop the War Coalition's humble appeal to Labour's "new Prime Minister"
[21 April 2007]
The Scotsman newspaper misrepresents SEP campaign
[20 April 2007]
Election manifesto of the Socialist Equality Party of Britain
[27 March 2007]