Working class division only strengthens the ruling class

Recently the Prime Minster said the following about Britain’s social security system “Sir Keir Starmer has called the current benefits system unsustainable, indefensible and unfair…”. We feel it is important to correct misinformation. So to that end we would remind the Prime Minister it is the capitalist system he is acting in support of which is in fact unsustainable, indefensible and unfair.

For centuries the ruling class has used divide and rule tactics to keep the working-class from collectively organising against them. 

In the modern day this is best exemplified in two ways which are as follows:
Whipping up sentiment against migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
The constant barrage against those not currently in employment, especially if they happen to receive social security support of some kind.

On migrant people the ruling class’s politicians and media outlets will exhaustively bang on about every increase in migrant numbers. Especially if those migrant people entered the country ‘irregularly’ via small boats. Yet them talking about poverty every time that rises is a rare occurrence indeed. They will happily spend weeks of time in parliament passing law after law aimed at curbing migration. Yet over the last 20 years have done next to nothing to address poverty in any meaningful way. 

The ruling class’s politicians and media outlets will often via speeches, news articles and even tv shows endlessly depict those not in work as ‘a drain on the economy’, they coin terms such as ‘economically inactive’ which is inaccurate as even those not in work for one reason or another still buy things, and thus participate in the ‘economy’ that way. 

They will speak of how it is unfair for those in work and who pay taxes to be ‘subsidising unemployed people’s lifestyles’. Another inaccuracy as a lot of individual people in this country don’t pay near enough tax to cover even one person’s yearly social security payments. And that’s ignoring the portion of taxes that cover things like schools, the NHS, maintaining roads, so called ‘defence spending’ and so on. It is also inaccurate as the national and local government also, via things like VAT and council tax, receive back a portion of social security payments.

Another example of sowing division for their own ends are recently announced possible cuts to the social security system. These cuts will in fact do nothing to help people back into work or to make things fairer. Just like the merging of NHS England back into the Department of Health is nothing to do with making things better, more efficient or more democratic.

Both these things are about the government needing money. They need this money to try and do the things they promised so they can try and get re-elected in 5 years time.

And the only other place they could find such money would be to tax the rich. This government clearly still believes the lie that is trickle down economics however. And believe they need the rich to ‘create economic growth’ to ‘make things better’.

A widespread belief has been spread amongst some working class people that a large number of people who get social security support, ‘don’t need it’ and are just ‘tricking the system’. This is not true nor has it ever been true and if you support measures like this all your doing is making sure that if you or someone you care about ever becomes sick, disabled or unemployed you/they will not get anywhere near the level of support needed.

One thing the ruling class don’t point out to working-class people in work is that real wage growth i.e. wages vs inflation, has been stagnant in this country for decades. Meanwhile the profits of the ruling class have soared.

There is a reason the ruling class try and pit working-class people born in a country versus those who were not. There is a reason why they try and pit working-class people in work versus those who are not currently in work or who couldn’t realistically work regularly. Because while these groups of working-class people are fighting each other they are not uniting against the capitalist ruling class. They attempt to turn us against each other because they know our unity is a mighty weapon against them. 

If the working class truly united, around a genuine socialist platform for change, the working-class would win. As history has proven time and again when we unite and refuse to accept the status quo we more often than not achieve the greatest increases in our living conditions and our rights.

As such our message to the working class as a whole is clear. No good will come from dividing against ourselves. Our lives will not be improved by turning on other working-class people. Only through uniting around a socialist platform for change can we begin to genuinely improve our lives. 

Working class people of Britain reject the division peddled by the ruling class, unite and win a better future!

Want to help build a genuine working-class party for socialism in Stockport? Then get in touch with us at info@stockportfightsausterity.co.uk

Source for Prime minister’s comments about social security system (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kgpyz3mmpo)
Source regards chancellor calling for cuts to social security system (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygx918vneo)