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Class war ahead: But where’s the fightback? There are a number of certainties about our future. One is that the provisions of the Stormont House Agreement will shortly be introduced. The posturing at Stormont is all about who takes the blame for the devastation that will follow - none of the main parties have opposed the four major planks of the agreement or proposed any alternative. The second certainty is that the economic nuclear weapon of Stormont House will be followed by even greater devastation when the Tories share out a further £12 billion in cuts. It’s full-blown class war. But where are the warriors? The opposition both in Britain and here have been stunned. The assumption was that a Labour government would impose austerity lite and could be persuaded to spare the poor. That is not on the agenda and the Tories are moving into high gear. Any resistance will be on the streets and in the workplaces. By their silence and inaction the trade union leaders are actually selecting a strategy - of keeping their heads down and acting in partnership with the political parties to manage the cuts. The political drama rolls on with only one possible outcome, yet not a placard has appeared on the streets, not one voice has been raised in anger. The socialist groups have been content to trail in the wake of the trade unions and echo the same reformist bilge that has been blown out of the water by the Tory victory. That strategy is no longer credible. Confusion is perfectly understandable. The lack of discussion and openness is not. It time for an open conference of all the oppressed to prepare for the battles ahead. |