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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Dave Nellist, Socialist former Labour MP (1983–1992)Stagnant wages, underfunded public services, the scandal of the housing crisis, Labour councils pursuing fire and rehire, cuts to pensioners’ winter fuel allowance, reductions in disability benefits, and continued government support for Israel’s murderous campaign in Gaza – all under a Labour government.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Joe Woolfall, South Liverpool Socialist PartyYoung people from disadvantaged backgrounds were 66% more likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) than average, a report from charity Impetus has found.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Eric Segal, Kent Socialist PartyThe Labour government’s slashing of entitlement to winter fuel payment shocked millions of pensioners. In response, trade union Unite launched a national campaign to defend the winter fuel payment, including pursuing a judicial review to overturn the government’s decision to cut payments to all but the poorest pensioners. However, we are still waiting to hear when the judicial review is to be heard.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
With every passing month, Thames Water moves closer to the brink of collapse. Now it has announced its preferred buyer – US private equity firm KKR – has dropped out. Presumably KKR decided it wouldn’t be easy to squeeze much more out of the failing privatised company. Nationalisation continues to appear to be inevitable, eventually. When push comes to shove, any government will be forced to step in to prevent total collapse of a company that supplies water to roughly a quarter of Britain.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Feeling the working-class anger against their proposed disability benefits reforms, it has been reported that prime minister and chancellor Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are looking to soften the blow. The government plans to limit the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and the work capability assessment component of Universal Credit. These benefits are available to disabled and unwell people who are both in work and unable to work.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
The UK is moving towards ‘war fighting readiness’, according to Keir Starmer, with £15 billion earmarked for more nuclear weapons, among other purchases. In an attempt to sound all Churchillian, he spoke of the country’s ‘need’ to be a “battle-ready, armour-clad nation”. If only this Labour government were prepared to move the UK towards ‘poverty fighting readiness’ and made the country ‘ill health ready’ by investing in the NHS, and made the country a ‘council house-clad nation’.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Paul Kershaw, Enfield and Lea Valley Socialist PartyThe family of 15-week-old baby Akram Mohammed, who died after living in a damp, mould-ridden housing association flat, say they believe those conditions contributed to his death. Complaints about the flat, owned by Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) housing association, had been made to the housing ombudsman and to Camden Council.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Heather Rawling, Socialist Party National CommitteeThere has been a growing tendency amongst some police forces to investigate women who have had miscarriages and abortions, causing much distress for those women at a vulnerable time in their lives. In May, Nicola Packer was found not guilty of illegally terminating a pregnancy, after taking abortion pills beyond the legal limit of 12 weeks.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Saturday 15 and 16 November – put the date in your diary now. 20% discount on tickets: www.socialism.org.uk See ‘golden’ ticket option which includes a night in a hostel near the venueAcross the world billions of us desperately want an end to poverty, climate crisis and war. But the current leaders in our governments prioritise the interests of billionaires.
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3 days ago | 
socialistparty.org.uk | Mark Best
Fiona Brittle, PCS NEC, personal capacityThe first meeting of the newly elected PCS National Executive Committee (NEC) took place on Thursday 29 May to discuss the union’s response to the Labour government’s pay remit of 3.25% (plus 0.5% to ‘tackle low pay’). This was announced as the PCS Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) closed. It goes nowhere near the union’s pay claim of 10%, and does nothing to address chronic levels of low pay, or the impact of years of pay freezes and caps.
