An alternative message for Britain this new year

But the ordinary people of Britain will need to do more than simply wishing if their lives are not to continue to be blighted by the Con-Dem coalition's "austerity measures."

It has been made clear that these measures are to continue and accelerate over coming months and years.

But in terms of "deficit reduction" and "rebalancing the economy" - the stated purposes - they have failed.

The Con-Dem intention to carry on regardless shows clearly that "deficit reduction" was always a smokescreen for the true purpose of "austerity measures."

The true purpose is four-fold.

First, to use huge amounts of public money to directly support and enrich those private banks and big businesses whose system created the economic and financial crisis.

Second, to undermine pay, pensions, working conditions and job security of working people to maximise profit in the name of creating a "flexible" compliant labour force.

Third, to lay the foundation for wholesale privatisation of public services as a new source of profit and the abandonment of non-profitable services to the volunteer "Big Society."

Fourth, to secure a redistribution of wealth from the ordinary people to the already super-rich, increasing the exploitation of people at work, reducing benefits and services, massively widening the wealth/poverty gap and casting very large numbers of people into absolute poverty.

In all four of these intentions, austerity measures are working, to the delight of the Con-Dem government and the international institutions of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

There is no need whatsoever for cuts and unemployment.

Ordinary people need to establish our own program for growth, jobs, skill, industry and public services.

The People's Charter identifies such a radical alternative economic and social policy that would put Britain back on its feet.

It would be funded by a fundamental shift of wealth and resources from the private ownership of the 10 per cent super-rich to investment in infrastructure, production and services on behalf of the people.

2013 will see increasing resistance in terms of generalised industrial action and civil disobedience against "austerity measures" both here and throughout Europe.

The People's Charter provides an alternative strategy that is designed to meet the needs of millions of people, rather than the demands of the millionaires.

Rachel Newton, Imran Khan, John Hendy QC, Bill Greenshields.

People's Charter national co-ordinator, joint chairperson, joint chairperson, trade union officer