In this week's issue:

The Socialist 24 May 2007, issue 488

Public-sector workers say...Fight Brown's pay freeze

Unison Lobby of Parliament in 2006, photo Paul Mattsson

While Tony Blair prepares for his retirement celebration there will be very few tears shed by UNISON members or by any public sector workers...

PCS: Public-sector unity to defend jobs and services

National Shop Stewards Network

Postal workers' strike ballot: Vote 'yes' for a future

Postal workers on strike in 2007, photo Paul Mattsson

POSTAL WORKERS up and down the country are voting in the most important industrial action ballot in the history of Royal Mail....

Darling attacks Post Offices

Greenwich workers shame councillors

Labour Party leadership

Gordon Brown crowned leader with no contest

New face, same pedigree, Cartoon by Alan Hardman

WITH ALMOST the entire parliamentary Labour Party backing him, Gordon Brown was anointed as successor to Tony Blair without a contest...

John McDonnell speaks to the socialist

The alternative to Labour

MPs say stop looking at us!

Education

Academies: No to these divisive schools

As Brown and Cameron back academies...: ANYBODY WHO thought that Gordon Brown would halt the government's relentless drive to create 400 divisive Academy schools, over 200 of them by 2010, will be sorely disappointed...

Lewisham council attacks education

School meals - Victory!

Pot and Pans demonstration in Waltham Forest against cuts tro school meals, photo Paul Mattsson

After three short weeks of campaigning that seriously rattled councillors, the Leader Clyde Loakes yesterday offered to extend the school meals subsidy at least until 2009. In our books that is an unequivocal victory.

Canteen workers oppose school meals cuts

School campaigners shake Wokingham

Socialist Party NHS campaign

Nursing staff strike shows way forward

OPERATING THEATRE nurses at Barnsley Hospital staged a 24-hour strike on 21 May over threats to their jobs and a real wage cut...

Socialist Party news and analysis

Homophobia: it's not over

This year sees the fortieth anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of gay sex between men in England and Wales...

Letter to Polish Ambassador

Marxist analysis: history

Belfast 1907 - a city in revolt

WHEN CAPITALIST politicians Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, with a vested interest in keeping the working class divided by fostering sectarian strife, came together recently in the Northern Ireland assembly, the media in B...

Environment and socialism

Can solar power solve our energy needs?

Australia is feeling the power of the sun. The state of New South Wales is suffering an unprecedented five years of drought, probably caused by global...

Scotland

SNP in power - populism and cuts

SCOTTISH NATIONAL Party leader Alex Salmond has been elected as the new First Minister of the Scottish parliament...