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| On the march! |
by New Worker correspondent
THOUSANDS of trade unionists,
socialists, communists and members of Turkish, Kurdish, Iranian, Iraqi, Indian,
Pakistani and other communities living in London last Monday gathered in
Clerkenwell Green outside Marx House for the start of the annual May Day march
to Trafalgar Square.
The New Communist Party, with its
banner, was on the march along with our comrades from the Italian Partido
Communista and the Greek KKE communist party as well as the Irish Connolly
Association.
It was a colourful march with
several bands and many families with children, along with pensioners, students
and all sorts.
And there could be no doubt that
these May Day marchers were all in full support for Labour, led by Jeremy
Corbyn, to win the 8th June general election. In the past, with
Blair, Brown and Miliband as Labour leaders, arguing for support for Labour has
been an uphill task but not now.
The millions of workers of Britain
suffering under the oppressive Tory austerity regime have very good reason to
vote now that Labour has a leader who opposes austerity.
In Trafalgar Square John McDonnell,
the Shadow Chancellor, told the crowd: “There are those in the Tory press who
will wish to paint this gathering in a negative light, but this rally on a day
like today is really about the positive contribution many hard-working people
in our country make. And how we can protect them, for the future of our country
depends upon it…
“Today’s May Day rally must be
remembered for its purpose – to focus all our minds on removing a Tory
Government. And it falls on each and every one of us to be upbeat and take that
peaceful positive vision of a Britain reborn on the 8th of June to
each and every doorstep over the next few weeks. But it is not protest alone
that changes these things. Changing government policy is the ultimate aim. And
changing this Government in its entirety is our ultimate goal right now.
“Yesterday, I announced Labour’s 20
point plan to transform our workplaces from the shop-floor right up to the
boardroom. Today, Jeremy Corbyn announced Labour’s plans to reform the housing
market, to give renters the protections they desperately need.
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| New Worker seller and Italian communists |
“But we can only achieve those goals
if all of us here today take this passion out into the communities in our
country, win the arguments on the doorsteps, and in our family and friendship
groups, to get a Labour Government elected next month. Today may be the 1st
May, but let’s make 8th June the last day of Theresa May and her
Tory Government.
And it is vital we do this. As this
is a Tory Government that has presided over a country in which our nurses have
to rely on foodbanks, yes that’s right. Nurses, the heroes of our NHS.
Abandoned by this Government. And all this Tory Prime Minister can say about it
is there are ‘complex’ reasons. It just shows how out of touch and how little
she and her party really care about the problems facing hard-working people in
our country.
“The reasons why people use
foodbanks are not complex – they use them because they are hungry and cannot
afford to feed themselves. And many of them are in that position because of
seven wasted years of Tory economic failure.
“That’s why we need a Labour
Government that will stand up for the many, and not the few…
“This will be the biggest political battle we
have ever known. But remember we are fighting for the future of our country.
The choice is a Tory future in which nurses use foodbanks, and millions live in
poverty and low pay. Or a Labour future for the many, with a high wage, high
skill, fair economy of the future. Put simply, it is a choice between a Labour
Government that stands up for the interests of the many in our country, not a
Tory Government that only stands up for a rich few.
“This is our opportunity, brothers
and sisters. Some of us have worked for this all our lives, so the message is
this; yes, carpe diem – seize the moment.
“This is our chance – take it,
brothers and sisters. Solidarity.”
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