No to war, terrorism and racism - Socialist Party public meeting Tues 27th May

The bombing in Exeter city centre came as a shock to the West Country. For socialists the event raises important questions as to the origins and consequences of terrorist acts. Will it result in increased racism and Islamaphobia? How can we unify the left against warmongers and capitalism?



Come along for ideas, questions and discussion.


Exeter Community Centre


Tues 27th May


7.30pm

Exeter bomb - the Devon Socialist Party's response

Last week's failed terrorist attack in Exeter has caused a wave of shock and surprise and has far reaching consequences for the political situation in Devon and Britain as a whole. Luckily, there was only one casualty, Nicky Reilly the bomber who suffered mostly superficial injuries.

It appears that there were two devices; one which failed to go off and the other which accidentally exploded in Reilly’s face while in a toilet. The bomb exploded lunch time on Thursday 22nd May in a small café in the heart of the new Princesshay shopping centre. Whether a botched suicide bomb or an accidental explosion, the perceived arrival of terrorism to the sleepy city of Exeter will have a huge effect within the community as well as to the political situation of Devon and even Britain.

Exeter is a small city which, superficially, has a relaxed atmosphere. Exeter also has little tradition of violent confrontation let alone terrorist attacks. Exeter itself prides itself on being a peaceful, picturesque city. However, a quick look beneath this veneer will show that Exeter suffers from the same problems that many cities and towns in Browns’ Britain also face. It is clear that people in Exeter face real stresses and strains which simply do not match the portrayed idyllic view of Exeter. Exeter’s suburbs face large areas of deprivation and a real lack of services. Recently, the working class have been facing closures of post offices, libraries and the wholesale sell off of all of the city’s secondary schools.

It is ironic that the shopping centre that the bomb went off in is a classic example of Exeter City Councils pro-big business agenda. The Princesshay centre, developed at a cost £230 million, is intended to draw in customers who would normally shop in Plymouth or Bristol. The Devon Branch of the Socialist Party made the point that the city council should be spending that money on improving services for the community and not on big high street chains to make even more profit. We called for the £230M to be invested in community centres, youth groups, libraries and improving housing. Unfortunately the bombing has highlighted further the inequality and despair that exists in Exeter and Britain.

Although racist violence and intimidation is comparatively small in Exeter, the recent bombing will expose many underlying tensions against Muslims in the area. It is obvious that the vast majority of the Muslim population wholeheartedly disagree with methods of terrorism and the ideas of right wing political Islam. Moreover the Muslim community will be as shocked and saddened as the rest of Exeter. The idea of Muslim extremists active in Devon will create fear, and could prompt a rise in racist violence, but it is clear that the attack was not a well organised terrorist attack. It seems that Nicky Reilly was one man acting alone. He is also suffering from mental illness which could have been the cause for the attack. This was clearly not a concerted attack by members of the Muslim community but instead the dangerous actions of a sick man.

The Muslim community must be defended from any kind of attacks. The whole of Exeter has to unite and must refuse to be pulled into sectarian violence.

It is clear that the forces of the far right will try to use the bombing in order to opportunistically build their support in Exeter. The BNP and National Front have not had a real basis in Exeter since the 1980s but are obviously keen to exploit this situation to their advantage. We have to counter their lies and distortions. They will cynically play on the genuine fears that people in Devon will now have. They will use the bombing to put forward their disgusting racist lies about immigration and multiculturalism. It is important to remember however, that terrorist attacks do not take place because there are Muslim people living in Britain, but that a small minority are driven to extremism because of social and economic factors.

At a quick glance it is confusing why Exeter found itself subject to Britain’s most recent terrorist attack. Most of the national newspapers have also adopted this confusion, pointing out that nowhere is now safe from the forces of terrorism. However, it is important to make a deeper analysis and show that the conditions created by neo-liberalism and New Labours’ polices of war and imperialism affect the whole of the British working class.

Brown, and Blair before him, inherited and then expanded Tory economic polices. Since 1997, New Labour has consistently sold off public assets to big business fat cats. Essential public services like the NHS and the post office have been cut to their bear bones. On top of that, poor pay, terrible working conditions and general attacks against the poorest sections of society, like the 10p in the £1 tax fiasco, have had a real impact on many working class people. This, combined with the current credit crunch, Britain is a place where the richer get richer while the workers foot the bill.

Moreover, New Labour’s abhorrent foreign policy in the Middle East is imperialism in the 21st Century; pillaging Iraq and Afghanistan for oil, prestige and power. Millions of people in Britain find themselves despairing at these policies and want to stop British Imperialism. However the War on Terror is also affecting people in Britain with state forces building up more and more power and infringing on civil liberties.

Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Britain are the ones who are feeling the sharp end of these new powers, while Islamaphobia is a real problem to the Muslim community. Muslims in today’s Britain find themselves victimised, oppressed and discriminated. It is no wonder that working class people of all religions and races are angry and desperately searching for an alternative. Unfortunately, a very small minority make a failed decision and choose right wing political Islam. This kind of religious fundamentalism and its terroristic methods provide no way forward for oppressed minorities or the working class in general.

Socialists absolutely condemn individual terrorism. Not only does it indiscriminately kill and maim civilians, but it is also the least effective route of struggle. Tactics like suicide bombing only cause to divide the community on religious and ethnic lines. Bombings of this nature also rarely get the concessions they call for. Instead, they give an excuse for the government and the police to introduce more repressive legislation and anti-terror methods.

The working class and oppressed ethnic minorities need a political party which can fight New Labours’ policies on a national scale. A mass party of the working class could cut across racial divisions and unite all ethnicities and religions in a struggle for public sector services, better pay and fairer society.

A party which had socialist policies and one which effectively fights against New Labours’ cuts locally and nationally offers a far better and more successful route of struggle. However, only a socialist society, where the needs of the people come before the needs of profit, could the reasons why people turn to terrorism be tackled and defeated. In this society, imperialism, state repression, cuts in essential services, poverty, despair and exploitation would not exist.

However, until then socialists, community groups, trade unions and individuals must unite and fight for jobs, services and houses. The misguided actions of someone who was mentally must not play into the hands of the vile far right and divide us. Now is the time to fight against war, terror and racism.

No to racist attacks. No to terrorism.

Save our Post Offices - campaign update

In response to the threatened closure of over 80 Post Offices, Devon Socialist Party has initiated the 'Save our Post Offices' campaign.

The intention of the Post Office is clear - whatever good arguments are put forward to save these Post Offices, they, or another in its place, will be shut. The main aim of the campaign is therefore to get the County Council to take over the threatened Post Offices and so allow them to continue operating.

We started by contacting every Devon County councillor before they met to discuss the future of the Postal Service in Devon. The reaction was mixed, with many opposing the closures but not displaying much enthusiasm for the 'Essex solution' whereby the council takes over the Post Offices. In the council meeting on the 22nd May, a motion was passed that included the following point: "the County Council confirms its willingness to invest in achieving sustainable post office services for the affected communities".

We must continue the pressure to make sure they stick to this promise, and that this means that not one Post Office will close, and they will not be expected to run as profit making businesses but firstly as vital public services.

You can see the 'Save our Post Offices' website here: http://saveourpostoffices.wordpress.com
The email address for the campaign is here: sopodevon@gmail.com

Please get in contact if you would like to get involved.

Great Torrington School takes steps to becoming a 'Foundation School'

A news release by Devon National Union of Teachers has revealed that Great Torrington School is moving towards 'Foundation Status'. They have produced a leaflet '10 things you need to know', which we are publishing here too. To get in contact and involved with the campaign to keep Great Torrington a community comprehensive school, you can email Dave Clinch, the secretary of Devon NUT, at Devnutsec@aol.com.

FOUNDATION STATUS AT GREAT TORRINGTON SCHOOL

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

The Head and Governors at Great Torrington School are moving the school towards Foundation status. This poses a real threat to comprehensive education at the school. It will effectively become a private enterprise. The process is irreversible. The legislation prevents the school from reverting to Community School status.

1 DEMOCRACY - Under the legislation the governing body will be less democratic and less representative. Governors elected by parents can be replaced by parents appointed by the foundation.

2 REPRESENTATION - The unions will be negotiating on behalf of members with an employer who may adopt different policies than the Local Authority at a future date.

3 LOCAL AUTHORITY ROLE - There will be a reduced level of support, advice and services. Foundation status is detrimental to the quality of education and the work of the local authority.

4 TERMS AND CONDITIONS - Teachers would transfer under Schoolteachers’ Pay and Conditions. The new arrangements could threaten those terms and conditions in the long term. Support staff are immediately vulnerable.

5 ADMISSIONS - Moving away from the Local Authority admissions procedure could lead to selection. We know that this is a real possibility from the actions of other schools which have taken this step. A good local school for all our children in every community means no barriers to entry.

6 TRANSFER OF PUBLIC ASSETS - The Government describes foundation status as a means to ’promote innovation and educational entrepreneurship’. Government has yet to publish any evidence that supports its arguments that the quality of education is enhanced by acquiring foundation status.

7 DIVERSITY - The proposers promote diversity between schools, which will lead in our view to potential divisions based on class and ability for example. The NUT promotes diversity within schools, in other words a good local school which serves the whole community.

8 FUNDING - The school would continue to be funded on the same basis as before, with the budget formula determined by the Schools Forum which has representatives from all school sectors, governors and trade unions. It is organised by Devon County Council’s school finance officers. There would be more financial requirements on the school and administration would increase, but it would not receive extra funding for this. If the school had a budget problem it would have to deal with it and could not expect extra support from the County Council.

9 LAND AND BUILDINGS - All land and buildings are transferred from the Council to the Foundation School Trustees and held in trust for the purposes of the school. Permission must be sought from the Council to sell off assets and the Secretary of State, who may decide that the local authority can share the proceeds. If the school were closed, ownership of the land and buildings would revert to the Council.

10 WILL THERE BE A BALLOT? - Will all interested parties in the local community be given both sides of the argument at the public meeting on Wed 4 June? Will they be ballotted? No indication has been given that a ballot will be conducted.

Devon NUT has offered to underwrite the cost of an independently run ballot of all 'stakeholders' following a debate, putting the arguments for and against foundation status. As yet there has been no response from the Governing Body. There is nothing in the legislation to say that a school cannot have a ballot.

No to post office cuts - reveal the list of closures now!

At a recent meeting in Torquay, Devon MPs were informed by post office officials of the latest round of closures, it now being the south west's turn, after a convenient delay in the post office closure programme during the election campaign.

The MPs have been asked to keep quiet until the formal public announcement on May 20th. Needless to say, a Socialist MP would not be doing the bidding of the Dr. Beechings of the Post Office, but already assembling a campaign to fight the closures.

Well, we might not have an MP, but we are organising a campaign. Our first point is that the MPs reveal the list of closures NOW.

Our second point is that while we have no illusions in the sham 'consultations' that will be held, we will be campaigning against the closures in a variety of ways. We can win this one - campaigners in Essex triumphed when the County Council took over the threatened Post Offices.

This national closure programme is the consequence of the New Labour government having transformed the post office from a public service into a profit making enterprise, and stripping it of some of its functions. They have also opened up the postal 'market' to competition by all sorts of private companies, looking to make a quick buck. These neo-liberal measures have resulted in a less effective, less convenient and more expensive postal service. They have also resulted in vicious assaults on the pay, conditions and pensions of Post Office and Royal Mail workers.

We make a stand against cuts, as we did when we supported the postal workers last summer/autumn. The three main parties offer nothing apart from a constant diet of privatisation and cuts. What is needed is for campaigners defending local services is to link up with other campaigners, trade unionists and socialists to form a new political alternative to the mainstream parties. Together we will be stronger, especially so with a united political voice.

If you would like to get involved in the campaign, email us: socialistpartydevon@gmail.com

Devon Socialists: Pro-choice - Anti-Widdecombe!

Article by RE, a member of the Socialist Party, president of Exeter University Socialist Students and leading campaigner against the privatisation of the family centre at the University.

Exeter Socialist Students was this Saturday Anne Widdecombe's worst headache, as a contingent armed with placards descended upon Exeter Corn Exchange, where the Tory reactionary was planned to speak.

Widdecombe, a staunch advocate of 'pro-life', was to perform one of her anecdotal stand ups for Exeter's Tory community. As her audience arrived, many who were unaware of Widdecombe's anti-choice position admitted they were now hesitant about crossing our picket. Having not paid the £14 per head entry fee the contingent instead interrupted Widdecombe's opening piece with chants demanding free choice, the nationalisation of family care and for secular politics. The contingent then took to the street, receiving support from passing motorists and punters as it marched. At 10pm, we returned to the picket where we prepared for the audience's departure. As the front doors opened the chants recommenced. Our point sufficiently made, we turned our sights on the performer herself, who's chauffeured Mercedes was parked at the back doors. Keeping our distance from security guards, the contingent organised at the car park exit. As Widdecombe emerged we struck up our chant. Clearly shaken by our presence, her driver made for a swift getaway, avoiding our lines by breaking a one way system. In response, the contingent chased the fleeing reactionary on foot, leaving her with the distinct impression that her reactionary trash is unwelcome in our city.

Socialist Students believes that it is a woman's right to choose when or whether to have children, not that of the church or individual doctors. 76 per cent of the UK population are pro-choice, yet a quarter of women having abortions in England and Wales have to pay for them, as there are no public funds available specifically to help poorer women in these circumstances. The fight for abortion rights is the same fight for woman's emancipation, hence the same fight for free child care, for free contraception and contraceptive education, for quality council housing programmes and a democratically controlled National Health Service. When students and workers organise, these basic rights and measures can be fought for and can be won. A socialist world is possible.

Below are some photos of the picket: