There is no need for unemployment or cuts to public services, pay, pensions or benefits. There is an alter native, meeting the needs of millions, rather than feeding the greed of millionaires.
Britain is still gripped by an economic and financial crisis. So is most of the world. Despite trillions of pounds being poured into the banks, the crisis continues.
The free market results in recurring economic problems. When a crisis occurs, the government steps in to rescue banks and big business – saying we need them too much to let them fail. They nationalise the debt and keep the profits in private hands. That’s how their market works.
Ordinary people are supposed to bail out big business and the banks. Now the Conservative led coalition is using bankers’ debts and the failure of banks and business to pay their taxes to turn back all the gains that we have made over the last 60 years in public services, benefits, pay, pensions, rights at work, in any job security and the support to the most vulnerable.
Some of our most vital services are to be turned over to big business as a way to make profit. People that can’t afford to buy services will have to depend on family, charity and volunteers. This is Cameron’s “Big Society” The Conservative-LibDem Coalition – a government without a democratic mandate – has 18 millionaires in a Cabinet of 23. It has escalated the attack on every aspect of the lives of ordinary people – and instructs all local Councils to do the same.
Unemployment is rising. Despite attempts to hide it by massaging the statistics, even official figures put it at over 2.5 million. Leaked Treasury documents predict a further 600,000 public sector jobs and 700,000 private sector jobs will go over the next few years, devastating individual lives and communities and continuing in a spiral of decline. Youth unemployment stands at over 20% - a million young people – the worst hit being 16 and 17 year olds. This is the worst it’s been since records began in 1992. Another generation is written off by those politicians and media moguls who tell us “we are all in this together”
As unemployment escalates, yet more workers are put on short time, and we all get a pay freeze - which inflation turns into years of pay cuts. But top company executives have had an average salary increase of 55% in the last two years, and these look set to continue. Meanwhile, the bankers’ bonuses and golden handshakes are back to the tune of £7 billion, while the rest of us face pension cuts, and increases in retirement age.
VAT increases force up prices hitting the poorest hardest, while the wealthiest 10% of the population owe £120 billion of unpaid, avoided and evaded tax. This unpaid tax is set to grow in the coming year by up to £70 billion. The wealth gap widens, with the rich getting richer and the rest of us losing our savings and many losing our homes.
Cuts and growing unemployment will result in the same situation as Ireland. They make things worse. There is an alternative, based on meeting the needs of the overwhelming majority of our population. This alternative is embodied in the 6 points of The People’s Charter.
How it can work - leaflet Txt
