‘Recent announcements on extremism, military spending and China show the desperation of the Tories to avoid a General Election fought on their domestic record’, Comrade Johnnie Hunter told the Communist Party Political Committee yesterday evening (26 March 2024).
‘The tragedy for working people is that Labour – unfortunately the only realistic alternative to another Tory central government in Westminster at the next election – is pandering to this anti-democratic, warmongering agenda’, he declared.
‘The new Cold War against China intensifies with each passing day, a drive which makes the people of Britain poorer and the world a more dangerous place’, Comrade Hunter said.
But working people are not powerless.
The former Young Communist League General Secretary urged the labour movement to fight instead for an independent foreign policy free from US diktat and NATO, based on peace and cooperation not imperialist exploitation and war.
Turning to the domestic front, Comrade Hunter pointed to soaring housing costs, privatisation and longer waiting lists in the NHS, widespread river pollution, bankrupt local councils and the ‘swindle by stealth’ of millions of women of their state retirement pension.
Following a New Labour law change in 1995, almost four million women have lost £181 billion as their retirement age has risen from 60 to 66 under Tory and LibDem rule.
‘Meanwhile, the oil, property, banking, armaments and private equity companies are announcing massive profits which neither the Tories nor Labour intend to tax properly and invest in public services, the Welfare State and badly-needed infrastructure’, Comrade Hunter accused, ‘No wonder the ruling class is intensely relaxed about the prospect of a lapdog Labour government’.
Britain’s Communists reiterated their message that gains will only be won from a Keir Starmer regime by a mass movement and that building this must be the priority.
The Party called for a big turnout with trade union banners for Saturday’s ‘Ceasefire Now – Stop the Genocide in Gaza’ demonstrations in London and other cities.
END