THE LATEST proposals on Social Security benefits by the Tories represent a fundamental attack on the whole future of the welfare state. Thatcherite policy dictates not only the weakening of the trade union movement — both politically and organisationally - but also the dismantling of the welfare state piece by piece.
month battle, the Tories have now unveiled plans to attack the living standards of those in work and those who depend on benefits to live.
The poor, weak and disorganised have no place in Thatcherite Britain and these proposals represent a cynical attempt to widen yawıng gap between wage earners and the growing pool of the dispossessed.
The abolition of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme SERPS — would force 11 million people into compulsory pensior schemes. This will take place in 1987/8 at the latest according to press reports. Child benefit, which has previously been threatened with abolition, Te not be increased tion, , will not in line with intiation - In other words it will be cut.
A much tougher means test will be introduced for housing benefit which means people on higher incomes will stop getting it altogether, Claimants will be forced to pay 20 per tgage interest 'The ments themse ves maternity benefit will be abolished altogether.
The row that has broken out between Lawson and Fowler which has been publicised Ju lie press. niceties of the level of cuts, whether to make them. Thursday's cabinet meeting decided to cut the period of consultation to guarantee that the changes become law by next year.
The Cabinet are even considering acting on some of the changes without only discussion would be on them.
The freezing of child benefit, which is likely to remain fixed at the present " Kinnock is so etect. ive on television that he is bound to be offered a measure o power in the course of time, so it wil be interesting to see just how radical he car stay."
plemented as early as next month.
The cuts are intended as a direct attack both on those in work the jobless and in that regard follow The Lawson's budget. Cut. benefits for homeless people are among the most savage. They will throw thousands of unemployed people on thẹ Someless benefit will hit streets. The 180,000 of the poorest people in Britain - 85,000 of whom are under 26.
In addition to fixing levels on board and lodgLondon was 0 London, elsewhere, the government has said y vulli people under 26 will be limited to eight weeks benefit in major cities and four weeks in other places. Homelessness will increase a direct result of this with many supplementary benefits claimants being forced out of accommodation.
These policies must be resisted by the whole trade union and labour moveHe HIL i ney represent an attack on the most : basic rights of whole sections of the working class. Nor ar they just ideological - a some on the left have seen Thatcherism.
British capitalism's competitiveness cannot survive with a strong trade union movement hence mass unemployment and the attack on the NUM. It cansurvive, either, without massive sacrifices the wrote that on a day in september in the yea of'79., His name is. poorest sections of the population. direct sense, the working and oppressed are being forced to pay for the crisis. I he attacks on the weltart state are all of a piece with unemployment, benefits, slave schemes for aule destruction of the education system.
Thatcher's Britain increasingly only has room for two classes of citizens. Upwardly mobile earners, cushioned against inflation by the side effects of the oil revenues, docile unionsts, restricted by legal shackles , looking into the abvss of mass unemolo ment and the ever increas ing pool of the dispossessed who are hit by the atI know, And now Blacks, Women and Young People are most under attack tacks on the welfare state. It is an attempt to divide and set them against each other.
Alternative Because Lne welfare state proposals form a cen tral part of the Tories' attacks, along with restric tions on abortion rights, rate capping and so on they cannot be defeated by verbal denunciations by Labour's leadership, Diners crave has snitca. i Thatcher in a couscious being broken YaY.
Clive James. he knows, So what?
The develop a serious, rounded alternative to the Tory attacks, that chamcause the working class and oppress.
blacks, women and young people who are most under attack which built around the defence of the Welfare State There can't be much talk about policing ter native policy, the detence of. the existing Welfare State, with all its detects, is not at the centre of attention. The Labour • leadershin deserted miners in their historic battle. Will it now treat the hundreds OI thousands who look to it for a lead, in the same way, in the face of the new Tory attacks #* CORMAC i Don't you find it a little depressing that ' 50
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Having taken on the NUM in a twelve rate of 6.85 despite inia-
ACTION THIE A television critic
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