PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT – TIME FOR THE FIGHTBACK

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Norwich Radical in Community and tagged activism, activists, anti austerity, Arcadia Group, austerity, Australia, bedroom tax, benefits, Boris Johnson, campaigning, climate crisis, climate jobs, construction, corruption, Covid-19, cronyism, CWU, Debenhams, east anglia, engineering, eviction ban, featured, fossil fuels, furlough scheme, gig economy, government, green economy, green industrial revolution, Hospitality, hospitals, Jane Loftus, Jo Rust, jobs, King's Lynn, Labour, MPs, nationalisation, NHS, norwich, pandemic, People Before Profit, Philip Green, PPE, public ownership, recession, redundancies, retail, Serco, social security, tax reform, Topshop, Tories, tourism, trade unions, TUC, uk, Universal Credit, welfare state, wildfires.

By John Sillett

The recent collapse into administration of shop group Arcadia and Debenhams’ department stores was shocking, but not unexpected. Both companies have had their assets looted by their owners; Arcadia’s owner Philip Green has become widely seen as the unacceptable face of capitalism. Whilst the vultures pick over the bones of Topshop and its relations, there has been an avalanche of redundancies in many sectors, from construction to engineering. The pandemic has hastened the collapse or rationalisation of companies depending on footfall, like retail, hospitality and tourism.

DOMINIC RAAB EPITOMIZES THE GROSS INCOMPETENCY OF THE TORY CABINET

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Norwich Radical in Inter|national, Perspectives and tagged authoritarian, Benjamin Netanyahu, bojo, Boris Johnson, cabinet, carl bildt, conservatives, demagogue, Dominic Raab, featured, government, ideology, immigration, incompetence, Iran, Jeremy Hunt, liam fox, NHS, no deal, politics, Priti Patel, privatisation, surveillance, Tories, uk, welfare state.

By Jonathan Lee

It’s easy to forget about Dominic Raab. He has the special ability, endemic to those inhabiting the current Tory cabinet, of being able to adjust his principles and cabinet position with a chamaeleon-like proficiency.

It’s actually hard to remember who does what in the Tory government in general, because there have been so many cabinet shuffles and reshuffles since 2016. The same group of tribalist, Tory chancers have been switched around so many times in recent years, it makes it difficult to hold individuals accountable for the disastrous policies put forward by recent governments.Continue Reading

THE CABINET OF DR JOHNSON

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Norwich Radical in Inter|national and tagged authoritarian, authority, Boris Johnson, Brexit, cabinet, death penalty, demagogue, Dominic Raab, featured, ideology, immigration, Institute of Economic Affairs, liam fox, NHS, no deal, Penny Mordaunt, police powers, politics, Priti Patel, privatisation, stop and search, surveillance, surveillance state, tax cuts, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Tories, US UK trade deal, welfare state.

By Robyn Banks

In 1920, the movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released to the general horror of theater-going audiences. The film told the story of a hypnotist (Dr. Caligari) who uses a somnambulist to commit murders on his behalf. Through the character of the Doctor, the films presents a very vivid and real depiction of brutal, irrational authority in the inter-war period. Flash forward 99 years, and it is a very different type of cabinet but very similar type of character that is looking to reinforce their own brutal and irrational authority upon others.

DON’T JUST VOTE

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Norwich Radical in Inter|national and tagged 1906, AJ Tracey, apolitical, conservatives, corbyn, credit rating, don't just vote, electorate, general election, grassroots, Grime for Corbyn, jeremy corbyn, just vote, Labour, labour party, martyr, old people, political freedom, Reform Act, right to vote, ruling class, Selina Cooper, suffragettes, theresa may, Tories, trade union, vote, voting matters, welfare state, women, working class activists, yougov, young people.

by Will Durant

There is a particular and widespread attitude to voting that is well meaning but ultimately futile. It goes something like this: “I don’t care how you vote, just vote!” We find a typical example of this attitude from a 2015 Mirror article. What are these reasons? (1) It helps your credit rating, (2) young people vote far less than older people, (3) people fought and died to win for you to vote and (4) non-voters can change the outcome of an election. These reasons do indeed hold true for our election in 2017. In fact, as I write, the YouGov polls giving Labour a vote surge rely heavily on a big turnout from the young.

There is, however, something very strange about this attitude to voting. Although it tells you that it is possible, it gives no reason for why you would want to change the outcome of the election, it is simply something to do. Without advocating any particular outcome, this rationale for voting manages to make it apolitical.Continue Reading

OUR POLITICAL WELFARE STATE: GREED AND IGNORANCE IN WESTMINSTER

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Norwich Radical in Inter|national and tagged austerity, british politics, dwp, expenses, greed, media, MSM, politicians, politics, revolt, TTIP, UKIP, wealth, welfare, welfare state, westminster.

by Gunnar Eigener

“Whenever governments adopt a moral tone- as opposed to an ethical one – you know something is wrong.”
John Ralston Saul

MPs and politicians talk about getting people off benefits and out of the welfare culture. Perhaps they should lead by example and get off the gravy train, courtesy of the taxpayer.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has claimed around £31,000 in London hotel stays despite owning a home in Essex. Andrew Lansley, MP for South Cambridgeshire, has previously claimed £5950 in London hotel stays despite owning a flat about 1 mile from Parliament. Speaker John Bercow claimed £367 for travelling to Luton – to talk about the MPs expenses scandal. Richard Benyon MP, worth £110 million, received about £120,000 in housing benefits, largely from immigrant tenants in his properties. Yet he stated: “Labour want benefits to go up to more than the earnings of people in work. It isn’t fair and we will not let them bring back their something for nothing culture.”Continue Reading

NORWICH CLAIMANTS UNION

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Norwich Radical in Community, Inter|national and tagged benefits, Britain, capitalism, claimants, Claimants Union, economics, exploitation, foodbanks, government, housing, jobseeker's allowance, media, norwich, politics, tax avoidance, tenants, unemployment, union, welfare state, work, workers.

by Norwich Claimants Union (NCU)

The Norwich Claimants Union represents the coming together of claimants, workers, union representatives and city councillors to oppose and intervene in government policy regarding the deliberate and calculated erosion of the welfare state. To achieve this, the government supported by the mainstream has demonised claimants. They have become the scapegoat for our failing economy and societal degradation.

Since the recession of 2008 this campaign against claimants has gathered momentum. However it is worth remembering that the recession, bank bailouts and austerity programs was the result of the miss selling of financial products, namely derivatives. The effect was to transfer wealth away from our financial system and into the hands of a relatively small number of ruling capitalist elite.Continue Reading

welfare state

DOMINIC RAAB EPITOMIZES THE GROSS INCOMPETENCY OF THE TORY CABINET

THE CABINET OF DR JOHNSON

DON’T JUST VOTE

OUR POLITICAL WELFARE STATE: GREED AND IGNORANCE IN WESTMINSTER

NORWICH CLAIMANTS UNION

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