uniteWORKS Comment


NEWS in pictures IMMIGRATION MYTHS ‘IMMIGRATION STREET’


Len McCluskey General Secretary


Take a chance – choose hope


‘Once you choose hope, anything is possible.’ Christopher Reeve, the actor, chose hope when faced with the worst of prospects for his health.


We’ve needed a lot of hope these past five years, to remind ourselves time and again that what the Coalition government is imposing upon us is neither the will nor the desire of the people. Many of the acts they’ve committed in the name of austerity were ideological. These true believers of the shrinking state did not let the banking crisis of 2007/8 go to waste.


They used it to hammer us with dire warnings of debt and deficit, to make ludicrous assertions that running the nation was like running the family budget, when a government has far greater power and scope to harness its national wealth.


They came for our youth services, our Sure Starts, our libraries. They drove down wages. They presided over a boom in insecure working and a bust in household finances. They brought our NHS to the brink of ruin. And they haven’t finished yet.


For manufacturing they promised ‘a march of the makers.’ We are still waiting to hear their footsteps.


They did nothing to take on the banks. Not one of those responsible for the crisis that tore through Britain’s communities, impaling living standards as it went, was brought to book. And here’s the thing – after all that pain, austerity doesn’t work. The country’s finances are in a worse state than they were before George Osborne got his hands on them.


Now we have our chance. We, the people, can deliver our judgement on this government. May 7, 2015 – we’ve waited five long years for that day.


So I make no apologies for this edition of uniteWORKS. Yes, it is a tough read. When these years of deliberate austerity are laid out before us, it is not pretty.


David Cameron has, for once, been honest. He says, if elected, there will be more austerity. For him, this is not a momentary response to passing troubles – it’s here to stay. The job will not be done until our services are in private hands, the social security system we have built over generations is gone and when our NHS feels your wallet before your pulse.


In May we can make a different choice. I urge you to take that chance, to place your cross next to the better vision for Britain. Because we need to choose hope. Like Superman himself said, when we do, anything is possible.


Rashid Islam is a solicitor for a local food market on Derby Road, Southampton – the setting for a TV reality show, Immigration Street. Unite has led a community-wide response after residents were angry that they’d been misled about the show.


At the time of going to press the programme had just aired. Residents believe it has already created division locally.


• See pages 26 and 27


uniteWORKS Published quarterly by Unite the union, 128 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8TN. Phone 0207 611 2500. Editor – Amanda Campbell Magazine enquiries and letters to the editor, by post, phone, or email uniteworks@unitetheunion.org Distribution enquiries contact your regional office Available in alternative formats from Taylor Humphris 020 3371 2557


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