Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government have made clear they intend to raise between £20- £30 billion in order to “balance the books”.
Leaked information suggests that in the forthcoming Budget income tax will rise, pensioners will suffer by deletion of the Triple Lock, and spending on public services (already in a disastrous state) will be cut…again.
Hardship, deprivation and despair are spreading wider and deepening throughout the UK. The education, housing, health and welfare needs of our citizens, children and adults, have suffered years of criminal Government neglect and the British people are paying the price.
There is an alternative
The Socialist Labour Party argues there’s a fundamentally different way to tackle the mess we’re in.
Looking for £30 billion? That could be raised at the stroke of a pen by slashing Britain’s senseless defence costs, currently standing at £66 billion – with yet more funding being promised to NATO and to NATO’s war against Russia in Ukraine. The UK has sent £21.8 billion to Ukraine. In addition, £2.2 billion has been spent on bringing to Britain and housing some 242,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Britain is on course to increase war-spending – paid for by our taxes – to £132 billion – a sum more than four times the £30 billion the Chancellor is seeking to “balance the books”.
The Socialist Labour Party wants an end to the war in Ukraine and an end to all the senseless wars funded by Governments such as Britain’s.
What should that money be spent on? Our demands are simple and moderate; they include:
- Council housing for all those in need of a home and without the resources to buy property.
- Jobs (including proper apprenticeships) for every person able to work – that includes jobs in regenerating Britain’s ravaged manufacturing and industrial base. Let’s put an end to that aspect of “AI” which renders valuable skills obsolete (while making hundreds of thousands dependent on benefit);
- Proper funding not only of the NHS but of our devastated social services.
- Transforming education provision, from nursery care through to the highest levels of learning, for all our children and youngsters, whatever their needs.
We want a society that looks after and involves all of us, excluding none.
The Socialist Labour Party was founded in 1996 following a proposal by British miners’ leader Arthur Scargill. Those who took part in establishing the SLP included trade union leaders (such as Bob Crow of the NUR/RMT, Joe Marino of the Bakers’ Union and current SLP Leader Jim McDaid of the Educational Institute of Scotland), peace movement, environmental and anti-racism activists.
Statement from the Socialist Labour Party
29th of October, 2025