We appeal to the Labour Party to link up with Labour Alternative – initiated by the Socialist Party – and other campaigners to present the strongest cross-community, labour movement challenge possible in the local elections. The need for such an alternative is urgent. Labour must not wait.
The trade union movement should campaign for the abolition of all political-policing units and for genuine democratic community control of policing with transparency and accountability. However, we should have no illusions that the capitalist state is a neutral arbiter is the struggles between workers and young people and the interests of the establishment.
It is time for government to admit that privatisation has failed and to bring the railways back into public ownership, which Corbyn stated would be one of the first acts of a future Labour government. In Northern Ireland, we must resist the creeping privatisation of our public transport, which will lead to cuts and chaos and hit deprived and isolated communities hardest.
Even after fatal fires in Shirley Tower and Lakanal House, the government failed to act on recommendations for the retrofitting of sprinklers in high rise buildings.
No delay can now be justified. There is nothing to stop the Dail [Irish parliament] to move quickly to enact legislation to give effect to the proposals from the Oireachtas Committee. No more people should suffer.
