It's shocking that in this recent period,
when strikes have taken place that the leader
of the Labour party urged Labour front bench MP's
not to attend picket lines.
Labour was set up by the Trade union movement.
It's a basic Act of solidarity when workers go into campaigns
and struggle like this Labour MP's support them.
And part of that is not just speaking up in Parliament
but also appearing on picket lines.
So extremely disappointing that Keir Starmer
urged Labour front bench MP's not to appear on picket lines.
But I think he's completely misread the mood of not
just the Labour and Trade union movement but the mood
of the general public as well who understand why workers
are taking industrial action in this way and support them.
Workers are not asking for the earth they're just asking
for a decent settlement and to be treated with respect.
When Jeremy was leader of the Labour party and I was
shadow Chancellor the Junior Doctors dispute occurred.
Jeremy and I supported them because
it was the right thing to do.
Yes there were some who attacked us for doing that
from within the Labour party I think we got overwhelming
support from the Labour and Trade union movement
and also from the general public because people realised
that we needed to ensure our Junior Doctors
were properly supported properly paid and properly respected
and that's why when the call goes out
to join picket lines I'm there.
"Whether it's in Parliament, or on the picket line,
or on the streets we will be with you,
and we are with you in 100% solidarity."
In my lifetime this is the worst
cost of living crisis I've experienced.
Not only are people dependent on food banks but we've
now got the food banks running out of food.
Not because people aren't still generous
it's just they can't afford to give any more.
Rents are at an all-time high.
We're finding people who literally cannot afford
to feed their families.
what we're seeing now is a classic crisis whereby the rich are getting richer while the rest of us
are getting poorer we've had more billionaires created in recent years than in our history in
March alone in the city 6 billion was paid out in bonuses how do they make those profits well they
make those profits by making sure that wages are suppressed that they Dominate and oligarchically
control markets and in that way can force prices up I think what's made me the most angry is what
happened during the covid pandemic companies introducing fire and rehire British Airways
trying to sack all of its staff and bring them back on Lower wages and worse conditions and
that set the trend a whole range of companies this was about exploiting the covert pandemic crisis to
their advantage whilst at the same time Ordinary People ordinary taxpayers were subsidizing those
companies even where they gave us promises that when the pandemic was over wages would
be restored they're trying to make sure those wage cuts are permanent the only way you can
protect your wages and your working conditions is if you join a trade Union we've seen at Heathrow
Airport where we've organized fought back and defeated fire and rehire and forced companies
to abide by the commitments they gave us during the covert crisis and if they don't work as a
voting in overwhelming numbers to take industrial action just as they are on Railways just as they
are in the teaching profession and in the post office and Royal Mail the major in the hands of
a small number of oligarchs most of whom use their influence use their media that they own
to attack anything that challenges their power or their wealth and these are people largely
who don't even pay taxes in this country and so naturally what they will be doing is attacking
trade unions attacking workers within those trade unions but what is really giving people hope is
that we now have a new generation of Trade union general secretaries who articulately are putting
the case for their workers and they're winning the argument are you or are you not a Marxist
because if you are a Marxist then you're into Revolution and into bringing down capitalism
so are you or aren't you Richard you do come up with the most remarkable twaddle sometimes what
will they do if they agency workers try to cross those picket lines well we will pick at them what
do you think we'll do we run a picket line and we'll ask them not to go to work do you not know
how I pick it up they do anyway well you can see what picket it involves and I can't believe this
line of questioning in opinion poll after opinion poll the general public are supporting the workers
and supporting the strike action because they understand the impact of the cost of living in
crisis and they're experiencing it too and yet at the same time we're seeing sectors of the economy
booming massive profiteering we're seeing the growth in the number of billionaires we're seeing
huge bonuses in the city of London what we need now is to basically say there's an alternative
economic strategy inflation-proof wages benefits pensions lift the burden of some of these costs
that are falling upon people for example rent controls control and capping of energy prices on a
much greater scale than at the moment the windfall tax that was placed upon the energy sector should
be extended across all economic sectors so that we have an excessive profits tax what we need to do
as well is invest in our economy and grow it for the future but grow it in a way that recognizes
that we're in another crisis which is about the climate change threat that we have and that means
investing in the green New Deal insulating the homes developing alternative energy sources a wind
wave and solar and in that way we create the jobs that we need what gives me hope at the moment is
that people are facing the cost of living crisis but they're finding their Solutions one solution
is joining a trade Union fighting back against wage Cuts others are campaigning and supporting
one another that we recognize this isn't a crisis caused by wage inflation this is a crisis caused
by external factors but also by the levels of profiteering and the inequalities in wealth and
income distribution so people are rightfully now demanding change and they're demanding radical
change what gives me hope is is that that flame for radical transformative change has been kept
alight and is now Burning Brightly again given the media that we have in the hands of a few Rich
tax avoidant oligarchs it's critically important that people get an alternative view of the world
and that's what Double Down News does so please support Double Down News on patreon all you can