THE TORY Party conference opened in Manchester on Sunday to scenes that reflected the terminal splits and divisions that dominate the minority government of Theresa May and which itself reflects the political and economic crisis gripping the ruling class.
Just how deep the crisis is for the Tories was demonstrated by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which represents the interests of the leading British capitalists. Yesterday the BCC issued an undisguised attack on the Tory government damning it as incompetent and incoherent.
In this damning attack on the Tories, it wrote: ‘As the Conservative Party Conference continues today (Monday) in Manchester, the British Chambers of Commerce has called on the governing party to demonstrate competence and coherence – not division and disorganisation – in the interests of the UK’s economic well-being.’
The statement continues: ‘The leading business organisation – which represents tens of thousands of UK companies employing nearly six million people – has flagged on-going business concerns over the public disagreements within the Cabinet around the Brexit process, as well as an insufficient focus on supporting the domestic economy, as areas for immediate attention.’
Speaking from the Tory conference the BCC Director General, Adam Marshall, hammered home the message that as far as the bosses were concerned the Tories were finished, saying:
‘Businesspeople across Britain are growing impatient with division and disorganisation at the heart of the party of government, and have made it very clear that they expect competence and coherence from ministers as we move into a critical period for the economy.’
Marshall made it clear that what the bosses really want from the Tories is that they dump Brexit and keep a collapsing British capitalist system within the EU and the single market and that they would ‘judge the government’s progress on Brexit by this yardstick – not by public speeches or pronouncements – and will take investment and hiring decisions accordingly.’
This is a clear threat to the Tories, either shape up and overturn Brexit or we, the bosses, will take action by closing down what is left of industry, move our investments abroad and let the UK economy sink completely.
Moreover, it is a clear demand for the weak Tory government to make way for a new dictatorial form of rule by hard-line remainers who will have no truck with bourgeois democratic nonsense about the referendum and the will of the people but will impose by dictat the will of the capitalist class.
What has shocked the BCC and the bosses is the mass intervention of working people, an intervention that has thrown all the political certainties of the past into disarray. The vote to leave the capitalist EU despite the mass campaign by not just the Tories but the leadership of the Labour Party and TUC has driven them into a frenzy.
This same mass movement of workers and youth has also propelled the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn to the fore, raised up by the hatred of capitalist austerity with its poverty level wage cuts, zero hours jobs and a never-ending attack on the welfare state – all for the benefit of the capitalist class.
With Corbyn having the massive support of workers and youth, the question of the hour is why doesn’t he call for the Tories to be brought down immediately instead of just twittering on about Labour being the government in waiting and capitalism facing a ‘crisis of legitimacy’.
Twice last month the Tories were defeated in Parliamentary votes on NHS pay and tuition fees, yet Corbyn refused to call for them to resign instead claiming it as a ‘moral victory’. Corbyn has refused to mount any real fight to bring down this minority government that even the bosses think is ‘incoherent’ and incapable. Workers can’t wait any longer for the Tories to simply implode leaving the door open for them to be brought down by the bosses from the right.
With Corbyn refusing to lead this fight, workers must demand that the TUC organise a general strike to kick out the Tories now and advance to a workers government that will expropriate the bosses and banks, immediately break with the EU and join with the working class of Europe to fight for the United Socialist States of Europe.
