News and Analysis

By Josh Asker Liz Truss’ announcement of an estimated £150 billion bailout for the energy industry is not enough to even lower our bills. In fact, on 1 October the average typical household bill doubled from its level twelve months previously. The bailout, replicated in different ways across Europe, is a condemnation of the model of privatisation of the energy ...

By Adam Harmsworth Energy bills rose dramatically for the second time this year on 1 October, deepening the fear in poorer households about how to make ends meet. Prices for everything keep rising while wages, benefits and pensions stagnate. In advance of the rise, poverty charities and Martin Lewis the ‘money-saving expert’ had been frantically telling people to submit meter ...

Editorial in the Socialist issue 1197 Faced with the chronically sick, deteriorating British economy, the Tories in government have swung from one path of crisis to another. Having failed over and over again to come up with policies that could improve the health of the capitalist system they represent, today they can barely think ahead beyond their chance of winning ...

By a Cymru/Wales Unison Local Government member Many trade unions have been and will be taking industrial action in the near future, however based on the outcome of the pay consultation ballot announced this week it does not appear likely that Unison Local Government Workers will be joining them on masse this year. The vote in Wales was 66% to ...

By Hannah Sell, Socialist Party general secretary The death of Queen Elizabeth has momentarily pushed aside all other issues in the national media. For the majority of the population the pressing problems of how to pay the bills cannot be pushed aside, regardless of how they feel about the queen’s death. Nonetheless, she reigned for 70 years, so only elderly ...

Editorial of the Socialist, issue 1193 Never before has a prime minister taken office with as little support as Liz Truss. Her only achievement is being less unpopular than Rishi Sunak with the tiny electorate of the Tory party membership.  For most of the population the question of which of the gruesome twosome won the Tory leadership is a second ...

By Dave Reid CWU members in Royal Mail were out on the picket lines across Wales today as part of a national stoppage for a decent pay rise without strings. Postal workers made newly-privatised Royal Mail £758 million profit in the last two years, essential workers who kept the service going through lock-down. £400 million has been paid to shareholders ...

By Dave Reid Over 200 attended a strike solidarity rally called by Cardiff Trades Union Council on August 20th. Called at short notice in the middle of the holiday period, the rally was an impressive show of the developing strength and confidence of organised workers taking action or preparing for action. As well as Brendan Kelly, regional organiser for the ...

By Ginny Bayliss Swansea Socialist party On August 13th members of Cardiff and Swansea Socialist Party branches united with other left-wing groups from across the area to counter-protest far-right demonstrators outside a drag queen story hour for children and parents at Cardiff Central Library. Despite calling the protest, alt-right group Patriotic Front did not show which left a handful of ...

By Mariam Kamish Neil Stonelake, a prominent member of the Socialist Party in Rhondda Cynon Taff, passed away on Friday 12 August after a long illness. Neil grew up one of those extremely clever working class kids that the grammar school system was designed to poach away to the middle class. Only Neil wasn’t having that. He was too sceptical, ...