**Cardiff Tea Tent…Overview’13 New Year New Ideas ’14 (Part One)**
Boxing Day as i write…Christmas over…and am now able to view the New Year approaching.
2014…
2013 was a disaster for the majority of the working class, the poorest, the disabled, the unemployed…all were hit by the Tory Government cuts, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) carrying out the dirty work, Iain Duncan Smith MP and Esther McVey MP heading the onslaught that have left many hurting and in real poverty from their appalling decisions regarding the benefit changes,
Hitting the weakest first, the Atos debacle causing severe disruption to the lives of the Disabled, JSA Sanctions applied to Claimants for the weakest of reasons, Workfare enabling BigBusiness to pay nothing for the labour of those unfortunate who find themselves to be unemployed, the Universal Credit system that now seems to have become a car crash of, a write off, with huge costs now occurring in which ever way IDS and McVey now decide to go.
And so…
2014…
Will be just like 2013?? probably even worse than…
I would like to raise the question regarding the Left’s attitude towards this most austere of times. On a national level, Cameron and his Tory government have steam rollered all over the Labour Party, the opposition in Westminster, London. Milliband just hasnt cut it in 2013…although his late decision regarding the Bedroom Tax with a promise of ridding it is to be admired, however, he took his time about it. The fact that Labour have questioned the Tories and LibDems very lightly on issues such as Benefit Sanctions and Workfare only suggests that if they win the General Election in 2015, they will also keep up the pressure on Welfare issues and enforce the same cuts.
As im based in Wales, the National Welsh Assembly are the governing body but alas with little power and even less decision making, Labour run…yet too weak to challenge the Tory cuts Agenda, Carwyn Jones AM and First Minister LAB is plotting a steady ‘keep the status quo’ course. For a Leader, im afraid Mr Jones is one of the weakest ive known, prefers to play the ball sideways, rather that looking to go forward, never actually embracing an issue and dealing with it…business business business is the only mantra for Carwyn Jones AM im afraid.
Far from me to support any politician anytime…any politician whatsoever. In my view,they are all in it for non altruistic means, no matter how they lavishly decorate the statements of intent…and it shows. However, Leanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru in the Welsh Assembly seems to be of a different kind, someone who shines brighter so much more whilst amongst her fellow careerist peers, she is real and i believe Leanne understands the complexities of those living a working class life in Wales and the lack of opportunties on offer to them currently.
How far Leanne Wood goes will be decided from within her own party, with the vibrations and mumurings of a Independant Socialist Wales may well sit well with some left wing factions in Wales, in reality the Plaid Cymru Party of Wales are not promising the same view for Wale’s future, instead they offer much the same as Welsh Labour do….the status quo.
On a local level, the state of Cardiff Council, Labour run after a landslide victory last year, 2012, needs to be examined further in the following months…and councillors are widely available for communication, although again…i suggest Labour wont be listening much, seemingly quite able to process and pressurise, crushing public services with extraordinary cuts…cuts enforced by Westminster and waved on through merrily by the Welsh Assembly.
I cannot discuss Cardiff City Council without mentioning Councillor Russell Goodway…the man, who represents the Ely ward and will ultimately decide to raise YOUR council tax bill by 5%, even though the Welsh labour Party campaigned that they would not raise the Council Tax. Goodway, who has been Mayor and Leader of the Council in a 20 year career…was only voted in third behind two other Labour candidates with no more votes than 1500…0ut of less than 10,000 who voted…and it being a council election, not many voted…
So…the point is we have a man in the council making decisions and breaking promises…all this power yet only with a mandate of approx 14% ???
14% of the vote…not 14% of Ely…not 14% of Cardiff…
Goodwork Russell…
I think Mr. Goodway has had it too good for way too long…but now, we know how it really is… 😛
And now for the unions…
I have grown up with the idea that the Trade Unions are supposed to be the vanguard and the protectors of the working class, yet i am becoming ever increasinly frustrated by their inactivity…
Plenty spoken words and statements to the press…yet on the ground…not much activity, why is that?
Im not moaning and asking for a General Strike…but why not eh? Why not??
Im wishing to highling the Unions lack of faith, their lack of true understanding with regards to how people are suffering on JSA with the threat of benefit sanctions, becoming homeless or thrown into debt because of the Bedroom Tax and or maybe being pressured into a Workfare agreement, something that should have really got the the Trade Unions kicking…but no,
Inertia…why oh why?
With regards to the Benefit issues, PCS Union should have been much more forward thinking…of course they have to watch their members back and all, seeing as they all work for the DWP or HMRC…but, how about some pro active manouvres, some pressure towards those higher up in the DWP, after all…those Claimant Advisors, the members at the coal face are now facing some professional pressure, sanctioned themselves for not sanctioning enough claimants, feeling the pressure and being made to think that their own job is on the line.
Im amazed that the Unite Union, the biggest of them all… with a huge £160m yearly turnover, have yet to show some Solidarity with the those who are the poorest, those who end up at these Foodbanks with no other option available to them.
Why arent there any Unite Foodbanks? leaving the Foodbank industry…and its a fast growing one according to them… to the Trussell Trust, a Tory run venture, with Lottery funding and further funding from the Welsh Assembly…is outrageouous and needs to be addressed.
If there were Unite run Foodbanks…id see this as Solidarity, horizonatal in effect, from one to another,
But Trussell Trust foodbanks are Charity based, always from the top to the bottom…in a vertical fashion,
Charity from the Toffs…take it and be grateful, be ashamed
Solidarity from the Unions…accept it and feeling grateful, yet not feel ashamed.
The Unions have plenty to do…and im afraid until they get their act together, the working class will continue to suffer.
A little Union bashing there…and i make no apologies for it.
And so…what for 2014?
We, as the Working Class, need to wake up and take action now.
We, as a class, need to become a little more self reliant, i dont mean in an individual sense, i mean self reliance on understanding that one has to become less fearful and more confident. Self help groups on Facebook are now available to join, members in their thousands, giving confidence to those who maybe dont yet understand how to go about getting themselves out of a hole that they were unfortunate to be dropped in, doesnt matter how they got there…in that hole,
What matters is how they react…
And im sure that when they realise that they are not all alone…and in fact one of several thousand, they will gain the confidence needed,
https://cardiffteatent.wordpress.com/help-info-and-advice-links/
Knowledge is power…
Working and finding a way towards bringing the unemployed and the employed together is key, too much divide and rule has been happening, too many groups not coming together as they should in times of strife…too much propaganda being belted out to those lucky enough to be employed, suggesting that the unemployed are feckless, scroungers and timewasters…
Mutual Aid and signs of Solidarity from within the Left need to be seen in the early months of 2014, talk of new political groups being formed, The People’s Assemblyand Left Unity for example seem to being created from within the usual suspects, the same groups who have been established since or during the latter half of the twentieth century have had their time…and a few individuals have realised this, understanding that change is needed…yet are still persuing with the tools and failings of the past.
Giving the individual the respect that has been sadly lacking, rather than being told to sign up or join a structured group where they see very little opportunity to partake…maybe equip the said individual with knowledge and help and thus this would give the individual the confidence, the understanding of their situation and also the means of being able to play a part in their community.
Laying down the old ways, leaving the ghost of the 2othCentury Left behind …
And going forward with new ideas, benefiting all parts of the community…
The 21stCentury left…
Born 14 years ago…and still not walking.
So much to be done, so many more people who wish to show solidarity…yet find themselves being turned off by whats on offer…
Solidari-Tea 2014 😀 x
Cardiff Tea Tent 