'New Labour have not changed - they are using public funds to bolster capitalism instead of taking bankrupt monopolies into democratic public ownership', Kevin Halpin told the Communist Party political committee on Wednesday.

'Chancellor Darling's pre-budget statement sends the clearest signal that public services are going to be slashed to subsidise failing capitalist companies', he declared.

Congratulating Dover port workers on their fight against privatisation, Mr Halpin urged unions and trades councils to mount broad community campaigns to defend jobs and stop housing evictions rather than plead with the government for higher redundancy pay.

Britain's Communists are proposing a 'left-wing programme' to make the capitalist class pay to overcome their system's crisis, including

policies to take all the banks into public ownership, extend financial assistance to small businesses and manufacturing industry, no

recapitalisation without a public shareholding, price cuts in household gas and electricity and the restoration of Remploy jobs instead of the government's offensive against incapacity benefit claimants.

'Such a programme would provide the cutting edge to an alternative economic and political strategy in Britain, opening the road to socialist revolution', Mr Halpin insisted.

The Communist Party political committee also welcomed the sweeping victory won by President Chavez and his socialist supporters in recent provincial elections in Venezuela.