Editorial: A chance to vote for socialism (2024)

Editorial from the July 2024 issue of the Socialist Standard

In the coming General Election, you’re being asked to vote for parties who all have the same way of looking at things. They all support the continuation of the present system of money and wages, buying and selling and production for the market rather than for human need. There are marginal differences between them as to how this system should be run, for example with more or less control or ownership by government rather than by private companies or individuals.

But whichever one of them comes to power, the same thing always results – crises of one kind or the other, damage to the environment, wars causing death and suffering in various parts of the world, and in the UK many people going without even the basics of food and housing. This is in a country – and a world – that could produce abundance for everyone and easily satisfy the fundamental interest shared by everyone – a secure, comfortable life for ourselves and our families.

But this is not possible – and never will be possible – in a world where a tiny minority of people possess the vast majority of the wealth, governments run this system and the vast majority of people have to be satisfied – if they are lucky – with just getting by.

Voting for any of the established parties in the forthcoming election will not help to change this and in fact will just mean more of the same. But the election will nevertheless give you the opportunity to register your opposition to the existing system of society by voting, in the two constituencies the Socialist Party is contesting – see page 5 – for the Socialist Party candidate and, everywhere else, for none of the candidates or parties who are standing but by writing ‘Socialism – a world of free access’ across your ballot paper and doing this in your thousands.

When enough people are prepared to do this and take democratic action to bring the new system of society about, we already have, with modern means of communication and technology, the means to give everyone on the planet a comfortable life in a society of voluntary cooperation and planned abundance. This will be a society of free access to all goods and services, without buying and selling, without markets, without leaders and without frontiers – a society where people co-operate freely and produce what is needed to satisfy everyone’s needs.

STOP PRESS: News just in for 4 July elections (see your area for a detailed breakdown). Overall confirmed results are as follows: Capitalism has won an overall majority, while capitalism also came second and simultaneously trailed in third place. Stand by for our special in-depth analysis on the hugely positive differences this result will make to your life and the future of the planet, but don’t hold your breath as there won’t be any.