In Britain, as in France, the EU and soon in the USA, the electoral circus is again in full swing. We will be publishing various articles analysing the implications of these and other elections as expressions of the bourgeoise’s growing loss of control over its political machinery. But first we want to reaffirm the basic class position developed in particular by the Communist Left since capitalism entered its epoch of decline in the early years of the 20th century: that contrary to the propaganda of the ruling class, neither elections nor parliament can prevent the headlong rush of this system towards economic crisis, war and self-destruction.