Socialist Leaflet - but no candidate?

This site is all about bringing you the events and the leaflets from by-elections, so we are happy to reproduce in full this item we have received from the Socialist Party, even though they will not be contesting the seat this time.

It is the text of a leaflet that is going to be distruibuted by the
Socialist Party of Great Britain in the Hartlepool by-election.

We would be happy to reproduce any leaflets from the by-election - so come on you candidates - send them to us.


WHAT ABOUT SOCIALISM?

There is no Socialist candidate standing in this by-election. All the
candidates, despite what one or two of them may say, stand for the
maintenance of the capitalist system of class privilege and production for profit. That's why none of them are worth voting for.

The real issue in this election - as in all elections - is Capitalism or Socialism? It is not which of the candidates, all offering to improve things for you if only you'll vote for them, will best be able to do this - none of them can. It is not whether or not Britain should join the euro or adopt the European constitution - these are irrelevancies which won't make any
difference either way . It's about whether you are once again going to hand over power to some politician to continue the profit system or whether, for once, you're going to refuse to do this.

Class Privilege

Class privilege is built-in to the profit system and is based on how much property people own - or don't own. There are those who own enough property to be able to live off the unearned income it brings and the rest of us who don't.

This puts us at a disadvantage. To live we must find an employer, but
employers only employ us if there's something in it for them -profit. What they pay us as wages or salaries is always less than the value of the work we do for them. That's the source of their profits.

If we can't find an employer to exploit us we're in an even worse position We are condemned to try to live on a poverty-line hand-out from the State, as are millions of young people, pensioners and single mothers.

Profits First

There is only one way the profit system can work - as a profit system, in the interest of those who live off profits and other unearned income.

Under the profit system, profits always come first, before meeting people's needs, before improving working conditions and before protecting the environment. It is the cause of the problems we face over health care, transport, housing, pollution and of the general decline in the quality of life. And there's nothing the government - any government - can do about it.

The fact is that the profit system works according to its own economic laws which no government can control. Far from governments controlling the way the economy works, it's the other way round. The way the economy works places severe limits on what governments can do. It forces them to give priority to making profits over meeting people's needs.

That's why the outcome of all governments - any government - is always tears for most people. It's why voting for politicians who want to be the government is a waste of time. As we know from bitter experience, their promises mean nothing. They can't do anything to change things.

The Way Out

What is required is not a change of government but a change of economic system. The profit system must be replaced by one based on common ownership, democratic control and production directly to meet people's needs.

This is what Socialism means. It is the only basis on which we can begin to solve the problems we face today since, with the profit motive and vested interests gone, there would no longer be any barriers to prevent resources being used to turn out what people need.

As there is no candidate in this by-election standing for Socialism,
Socialist Party members will be writing the word "WORLD SOCIALISM" across their ballot paper If you want Socialism, we suggest you do the same.

And if you want a free information pack about Socialism and the Socialist Party send the cut-off form below to: THE SOCIALIST PARTY (H), FREEPOST, LONDON SW4 7BR. (no stamp required)


Many thanks to the Socialist Party for sending us this information.