toll.
afford it' In his speech to the 1976 Labour Party conference, Callaghan tried to justify this by saying we need profits to invest for the future. This is a disastrous policy. Profits are being used to invest for the future in any case inyestment manufacturing stayed put at £3 billion in 1975 prices, right through Labour's terms of office.
But far more importantly, this is & tremendously wasteful way to run the economy. Private enterprise efficient. We are in a because we are short of machines, resources workers. private enterprise cannot organise them properly. To safeguard profits we have to put up with waste on a scale that puts the most spendthrift local authority in the shade.
We should counter the Tories' arguments with a list of cuts we want - to cut out capitalist waste.
1. Cut out idle capacity. the dawn ot facturers have tried to hold up profits by cutting production - so boosting prices: Since the war, monopoly has grown so much that this is the rule rather than the exception. In other words, to protect profits, private enterprise stops producing people need; keeps prices up so they can't afford to buy them; and sacks workers!
Food, drink and tobacco LAPHA CarS Mechanical engineering KOLUIS Iextiles Clothing and footrear Paper and printing Construction Total Surveys done by Institute for Social and Economic Research in 1976, the results of which are the accompanying showed that increases in output could be achieved simply capacity. They show that 20 per cent of the economy is lying idle to keep protits up. 1½ workers on the dole, could be given work without building a single new factory. Nerve Geoffrey Howe has the nerve to say, in the Sun, •cal-Dy-scar mercases spending country producing enough extra services to pay for them". But it is the owners, not the social services, alcallaull Socialist Challenge 8 November 1979 Page 4. system cannot be propped up otherwise.
Geoffrey Howe's argument.
the 1 wills Economists in billion extra goods year at 1978 prices. This could buy: a full Ware unemployed costing E6.7 billion. is not 50% crisis, costing £5.0 billion.
La minimum but because 1978 prices, billion. a 75% building costing f3.9 billion.
ment costing £3.4 billion.
Since Many firm working local labour things systematic lists of profiteers and redundancy.
present overtine 6.3 11.0 16.9 18.2 13.6 21.5 1.4 6.7 6.0 10.6 7.4 13.0 15.0 20.8 13.4 22.4 14.9 7.6 12.4 National Institute Economic Revien Februars 1977 the National table, existing million all of whom can't afford Whitehall isn't goods and that THATCHER'S PLANS for the social services were unveiled last week. The government's expenditure plans for 1980-81 will cut the already. frayed social services to the point where some of them almost cease to exist. They lop off f2½ billion even before increased inflation takes its The government uses the same old excuse — 'The country can't . This is a lie. They have found enough money to push military spending up to £8 billion — enough to pay for a 50% increase in the health and education budget. The cuts are not being made because there are too few resources in the economy, but because profits and the profit We will spell it out by reversing social services could be achieved by properly?
Andre Glyn and John Harrison, who supplied these figures, calculate that full employment would At allow the production of around £32½ and services per income goods for those now necessiles increase in benefits wage of 180 (at equivalent taking inflation into account) costing £9.6 increase in house 25% on health and education 50% on manufacturing investForeign If workers had the simple right to inspect company books and take over barakly reconverting to produce for need and not profit, then this waste could be ended at a stroke. Councils and the movement could make idle capacity, organising takeovers and occupations firms declaring middle Sussex Potential increases in output cuts.
With additional prices, 15.5 19.5 35.0 33.6 far, 31.5 18.3 24-5 28.3 public 36.0 21.5 Capitalism leaves resources lying idle.
Cut the idle rich. Capitalism supports an army of parasites and scroungers. Dennis Healey promised to 'tax the rich until the pips squeak' - but he attacked the poor and the rich got richer.
least billion could released just by cutting out unearned and reconverting luxury industries produce real : could these resources be released? By the best incomes policy of all — end unearned income. Take away the right to make money out of other people's labour.
Even before this is achieved, should fight for a wealth tax, punitive income tax on salaries above £10,000, and for the right of local authorities to levy a proportion of this sufficient to meet their needs.
End Britain's imperialist role. investment and military serve to he the 'BRING extra clothes and a torch to school' was the message given to some school students the beginning of this term. However West Education Committee plan more than just heating and lighting Plans to make the 'consumer' pay more include increased school meal transport, charges for examination entry and week Crawley National Union of Teachers decided to launch a mass campaign of action and publicity against the cuts.
After the local Executive had been censured for their lack of action so the meeting agreed organise the following: a press and publicity campaign, a newsletter to all union members, sector discuss common action, to organise public meetings to explain the effects of the cuts to all those affected, and support for me Labour randy and Council campaign against the cuts.
The next meeting discus.
direct action in the schools. pockets of a tiny layer of oversea investors. They make British workers • be complicit in exploiting and oppressing the very workers support and solidarity multinationals. capital a bolt-hole to run to when workers here start attacking profits.
Withdrawal We should demand withdrawal for NATO; we should fight unconditional transfer assets should fight for the negotiation of direct, long-term trading agreements immune from fluctuations in world prices, with the countries of the third world and the workers would provide the long-term, planned domestic expanCut the army and police. They do not defend people but property. The army's main job is to terrorise the people of countries like Ireland that Britain has occupied. They will use what ther have learned Chilean army, against British workers trying to make socialism.
In spite of their tarnished "village bobby' image, better. The murderers of Blair Peach, Jimmy Kelly and Liddle Towers are all MEMBERS of Camden NUPE saw red when they heard that Chairman Hua was visiting Kari Marx's graye in speech praising Margaret Thatcher to • skies lUIE NUPE members, branch secretary, chairman and area officer, pickered welcoming Hua, calling on him to break links with the lories. Despite opposition the Mavor of Camden arranged for the branch secretary, John Suddaby, to meet Hua as he was leaying John welcomed Hua in the name of the council workers, but voiced their concern at Hua's support for a government that policies camelrically opposed to thi principles Karl Marx stood for. 'Heard Maggie's latest joke? — she says she's cutting unnecessary waste' abroad whose White Paper need It gives down the drain.
immediate EEC and Ing.
of foreign workers abroad; and we states, that basis for like the the police are no services - only hours after making a peoplepolice. the heavily ments oy carrying out even now used as strikebreakers, and to repress biack and other working people. According to the government • "Defence" will cost £8 billion next year and "law and order" will cost £2½½ billion — more money Unnecessary costs of competition. Because the economy is not planned, huge amounts of money go down the drain in duplicated effort, advertising, promotion and packagThe Stock Exchange.
Even worse, banking and business have grown out. of all proportion to the real productive needs of the economy. This sector now employs a staggering 1,152,000 • whilst only 7 million work in manufacturing The City Finance is a partie British big sector the because the City SO involved in financing abroad. Interest pay. local authorities to billion almost wipe out the Tory cuts:
Even under Labour, banking profits increased by a staggering 76%. The Tories' policies of high interest rates