Brian Smith Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition spoke to local independent media outlet https://www.greatergovanhill.com/ on a range of important topics. With decades of experience as a leading trade unionist, he is the obvious choice for workers in Glasgow south
On food insecurity
Scottish TUSC supports publicly owned supermarkets providing high quality, low priced food. The current mega-supermarkets are run for the shareholders, not consumers. We also require proper national / regional plans for food production and distribution. These plans would be driven and controlled democratically by small producers, workers in the sector and consumers with the strategic objectives of sustainable production and protecting the environment.
On child poverty
The money, wealth and resources are there to address child poverty. Scottish TUSC would introduce a new wealth tax on the 350 billionaires in the UK who have a combined wealth of £800 Billion. The Scottish Trade Union Congress has also recently published a report which shows that around £3 Billion could be raised now by the Scottish Government introducing new progressive taxes under the current powers of the Scottish Parliament. We would also bring into public ownership key elements of the UK economy under democratic control to ensure that resources are used to meet the needs of the majority rather than line the pockets of a few, and to keep the cost of energy and food down. Scottish TUSC would immediately introduce a £15 per hour minimum wage for all workers plus a benefits system based on actual need with increases related to rises in the minimum wage. We would scrap benefit sanctions and the housing benefit cap. We would end the two-child benefit limit. We call for massive public sector investment to create jobs that are socially useful, with strong trade union rights and wages.
On the rental crisis
The rights of private renters should be increased including having enforceable rent controls tied to the property, not the tenancy. There should also be greater protection from eviction. We’ll see if the Scottish Government’s current Housing Bill delivers; from experience it may disappoint. Scottish TUSC will continue to campaign for an acceptable set of legal rights for private renters. More generally, Scottish TUSC supports a massive programme of council house building and proper rent controls in all sectors. The Scottish and UK Governments housing spending must reflect the housing emergency we are now in. We need a socialist housing plan. This could include the renovation of existing property and compulsory purchases from the private sector.
On the cost of living
Scottish TUSC would introduce a £15 per hour minimum wage, and all wages should keep pace with inflation through national, sectoral trade union agreements across the economy. Social security benefits must be based on actual need. The state pension should be raised to at least £350 per week for a single person. We also support publicly owned supermarkets providing high quality, low priced food and free public transport for all. Scottish TUSC calls for the public ownership, under democratic control, of energy production, distribution and supply. This would eliminate the profit-making vultures from the arrangements and significantly reduce energy bills. Any compensation to current shareholders would only be on the basis of proven need. During any transition, we would support government subsidies to help keep household energy bills down.
On Palestine
Scottish TUSC demands an end to the siege of Gaza and the permanent withdrawal of the Israeli military from the occupied territories. There should be no sale of arms by the UK Government to the Israeli right-wing government. We support workers’ and trade union action to block the export of military technology to the Israeli state. The UK Government should immediately recognise Palestine as a state. Based on bitter experience there seems little hope that any of the current capitalist, right-wing governments, parties and organisations in the region will be able to bring about a permanent peace. Scottish TUSC support the building of mass working class movements as the basis of ending war and oppression. We support the building of independent workers parties in Palestine and Israel, and links between them, as a route to establish an independent socialist Palestinian state alongside a socialist Israel, with guaranteed rights for all minorities.
On asylum seekers and the Hostile Environment
Scottish TUSC defends the right to asylum, and supports a system free from racist controls. There must be safe routes for those seeking asylum in the UK and for their circumstances to be considered in a transparent, supportive and timely way. Asylum seekers should have the right to work and access to public services. Those seeking asylum are often scapegoated by the current capitalist politicians as a means to deflect from their decisions not to adequately invest in the NHS, social care and housing for decades. They prioritise bigger profits and more wealth for the few over the many. The use of such divide and rule tactics by powerful elites has a long history and Scottish TUSC will continue to expose them for what they are.
On the climate crisis
The current capitalist free market, profit system is the driver of climate change and environmental destruction. It cannot be part of the solution. Asking the global oil and gas multi-national companies to lead a “just transition” is out of the question. Scottish TUSC would take the big energy companies into public ownership and invest in a publicly-owned renewables sector. We would prioritise major research and investment in replacing fossil fuels and nuclear power, and work with the energy sector trade unions to agree a plan which actually delivers a “just transition” that creates new well paid jobs, utilises current skills, supports the workforce and of course delivers on the climate change targets. Scottish TUSC opposes fracking. We need a collectivist approach to tackling climate change, not consumer taxes on individuals. For example, Scottish TUSC supports returning buses to municipal ownership and free public transport for all to support a reduction in car use. Tackling the climate crisis demonstrates once again the need to build a new mass party of the working class, with a bold socialist programme.
On supporting independent media
Scottish TUSC supports a publicly funded, independent media free from the influence and control of big business funders and advertisers. Community based media organisations have an important role to play including through debating local issues, giving a voice to neighbourhood campaigns and highlighting how national issues impact particular communities. Scottish TUSC would argue for better access to public funding for community based media organisations, and whilst one-off type funding may be appropriate in some cases it seems to us that proper guaranteed, long-term funding is a better model.
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