• UNFORTUNATELY the Socialist Party has been unable to field a candidate in Islington North for the current general election.

We remain, however, committed to campaigning for the common and democratic ownership and control of the productive wealth of society.

All the other parties in this election are committed to retaining capitalism and all the ills it generates.

The Labour Party plan to tax profits to sustain the welfare state. That is, they rely on the current economic logic of production for profit and the artificial scarcity required to sustain the profits of the people who own the wealth of the world.

In order to maintain profitability, this system produces inevitable periodic crises, which would undo any good work a Labour government might achieve. Crises restore the social blackmail that is “no profits, no production.”

In order to command our work, capitalism relies on the continued existence of poverty and unemployment. Periodic crises work to impose that situation and sustain existence of the labour market.

Crises restore the social blackmail that is “no profits, no employment.” The Labour Party intellectually disarms the working class, and leads us down the path of managing rather than abolishing poverty.

We have the capacity to increase the supply of everyday goods – food, clothing, housing – to the point at which they are practically free.

This cannot be done on the basis of generating profits, but it could be done by the conscious, willing, co-operation by the overwhelming majority of society.

Then poverty would be abolished and there would be no need for a welfare state. We believe it is important to show others than we do not need to support capitalist parties and their policies.

As we can’t vote for a socialist candidate in this constituency this time, we will be carrying out a write-in vote, with our members writing “World Socialism” across their ballot papers. We urge anyone who supports our case to do likewise.

BILL MARTIN
Socialist Party