The public sector negotiations are coming fast. Already, four trade union representing 400,000 workers have joined together in a Common Front for these negotiations. For many activists, this is an opportunity to finally prepare the response to the austerity policies that have succeeded one another since the 2008 crisis.

If the boasted recovery meant anything why do our masters talk about austerity lasting for another decade or more? Why does Osborne insist on cutting £19 billion a year more from the welfare budget by 2019? The truth is no recovery is in place. In fact the economists tell us that this is the deepest and longest depression of any since the First World War.

The Government say things are getting better. They say jobs are being created. They say wages and prices are stabilising, whatever that means. They say the housing market is breathing again so that’s alright. So why does the Chancellor tell us that we need to have £25 billion more in cuts to the welfare budget? And why does the Labour opposition agree that more welfare cuts are needed? For us...

The article which follows is the editorial for Revolutionary Perspectives 03 which appeared at the end of January 2014 (to receive the printed magazine or subscribe see side panel on this page). · Five years ago capitalism experienced its biggest-ever financial crash. Thanks to central banks (particularly the US Federal Reserve) conjuring up unimaginable amounts of capital to cover financial...