Conor Murphy has refused to rule out water charges and, in reality, is preparing with the rest of the Executive to introduce this double tax within in next 3 years. This year, Minister Murphy has been responsible for cutting 75 front-line jobs from Translink.
Actions speak louder than words. While Sinn Fein’s media rhetoric, their election manifestos and their placards may indicate otherwise, their record in power, both in the Executive and at a local level, has been one of cuts, attacks on workers and stealth privatisation of public assets and services. They are every bit as responsible as the other main parties.
The union leaders, instead of just criticising the main parties, should support the launching of a mass party which genuinely represents the common interests of workers, pensioners, young people and the unemployed. This would greatly assist the struggle to defend public services and jobs, both on the streets and in Stormont.
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Waldron
Socialist Party
Vladimir Lenin, the main leader of the Russian revolution, made the following insightful observation in mid-1917: “During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, the oppressing classes constantly hounded them, received their theories with the most savage malice, the most furious hatred, and the most unscrupulous campaigns of lies and slander. After their death, attempts are made to convert them into harmless icons, to canonise them, so to say, and to hallow their names to a certain extent for the ‘consolation’ of the oppressed classes and with the object of duping the latter, while at the same time robbing the revolutionary theory of its substance, blunting its revolutionary edge and vulgarising it”. (State and Revolution)
A protest has been called on Thursday 24th June from 5-6pm outside the European Commission offices on the Dublin Rd in Belfast to oppose the cuts to public services to be announced in this weeks Budget.