Tories Out – Corbyn – In Fight for an independent socialist Scotland

Socialist Party Scotland statement

The December 12 general election is a chance to Bin Boris – the millionaire Tory toff. It can and should also be a chance for payback after a decade of Tory austerity, savage cuts and growing wealth inequality.

It’s an opportunity to deliver a verdict on the billionaire capitalist elite who are engorging themselves while foodbanks, Universal Credit and poverty pay are the reality for millions.

Jeremy Corbyn has promised to take on “the few who run a corrupt system”. He has pledged: “We’re going after the tax dodgers. We’re going after the dodgy landlords. We’re going after the bad bosses.We’re going after the big polluters. Because we know whose side we’re on.”

Such statements will resonate with large swathes of workers and communities struggling with diminished public services and incomes that fail to cover the cost of living.

Many will been waiting for two and half years to hear Corbyn come out fighting. His relative silence on these burning issues while comprising over Brexit with the capitalist right wing in his own party has frustrated millions of working class people.

It also allowed Boris Johnson – laughably – to pose as an “anti-establishment” figure, out to get “Brexit done”. Corbyn is right to say that “people aren’t fooled so easily.They know the Conservatives are the establishment elite.” But Corbyn’s own lack of clarity has meant the election starts with the Tories around 10% ahead in the polls.

But by standing on a platform committed to wealth distribution, public ownership and a complete end to austerity, Corbyn can defeat Johnson and the parties of big business.

The Labour leaders’ policies will be hugely popular. Public ownership of “rail, mail and water”, for example. A £10 an hour living wage for all, including young workers from the age of 16.

In England, free prescription charges and personal care for the elderly, an end to university tuition fees, and 30 hours free childcare for 2-to-4- year-olds will all be massively supported. 

As will the pledge to create hundreds of thousands of green jobs by investing in renewable energy.

Like in 2017 when Corbyn won 3.5 million extra votes, a genuine anti-austerity manifesto ‘for the many, not the few’ can defeat the Tories.

Calling for the immediate nationalisation of Royal Mail, for example, will be extremely popular with the postal workers who have just voted in big numbers to strike.

A pledge to kick all the profiteers out of the NHS – in contrast to Johnson’s willingness to open it up to Trump and US capitalism – will be enthuse the vast majority.

Socialist Party Scotland argues that Corbyn and a Labour government should go much further. Universal Credit should be scrapped. All anti-union laws ended.

Corbyn’s manifesto should also be combined with the nationalisation of the major corporations and banks, to really take the levers of power out of the hands of the capitalist saboteurs that would otherwise do all in their power to prevent the implementation of pro-working class policies.

The capitalist elite are angry and scared of the threat of a Corbyn government. And no wonder. Corbyn’s manifesto may be quite timid in comparison with previous Labour ones from the 70s and 80s, but they fear the working class and trade unions will demand much more if Corbyn wins, driving him further in an anticapitalist direction.

For that reason the bosses and the billionaire-controlled media, as well as the BBC and the Guardian, will fight dirty and throw as much mud as possible at Corbyn hoping some will stick.

If he does win on December 12, the Blairites will act to try and defend capitalist interests, possibly even by splitting away. All the more reason why Corbyn and the Labour left should have removed the Labour right long ago through democratic reselection of MPs.

Scotland

In Scotland, many workers and young people will vote SNP hoping that independence can offer an escape route from austerity and cuts.

Corbyn’s lack of a fighting lead over the last two years has meant the positive aspects of his radical programme have not been heard.

Labour in Scotland are still widely perceived as ‘anti-independence’. It is positive, however, that Corbyn has said that if the Scottish parliament calls for indyref2, a government he leads will not stand in the way. It’s a pity that the Labour leadership in Scotland has yet to adopt such a basic democratic position.

Socialist Party Scotland is campaigning for a Corbyn government to be elected on socialist policies. Corbyn stands to the left of the SNP leadership on public ownership, taxing the rich and big business and on support for workers in struggle. But both Labour and SNP politicians are guilty in Scotland of carrying out cuts rather than setting no cuts budgets and leading the fight for a return of the billions stolen from public spending over the last decade.

While backing Corbyn in the election, we also stand for an independent socialist Scotland that would end cuts, poverty and inequality.

Capitalism is a failed system and an independent Scotland needs to use the powers to replace it with socialist plan of production.

On Brexit, Corbyn needs to pledge to renegotiate it in the interests of the working class – refusing to accept the EU’s pro-privatisation, pro-austerity laws.

He should then be able to argue clearly in favour of his deal in any confirmatory referendum and therefore appeal to both remain and leave voting workers.

divided Tories

The Tories are weak and divided. Johnson’s demand for an election is a massive gamble and he can be defeated.

The Tories are likely to lose up to 13 seats in Scotland as a start. The same again in other areas in England. If Corbyn fights on a platform in the interests of the working and middle classes devastated by the capitalist crisis he can win.

Corbyn must appeal to the 6.5 million-strong trade union movement to rally to his cause, to go into the workplaces, communities, colleges and universities to make the case for kicking out the Tories with socialist policies.

If Corbyn wins on December 12, that will only be the start. The next battle will be to build a mass movement to ensure his manifesto is implemented. And to go further, to carry out a full socialist programme that ends the billionaire’s system and replaces it with democratic socialism.