In this week's issue:

The Socialist 17 February 2010, issue Fight Council Cuts!

Don't get between me and my profits - Alan Hardman cartoon, photo Alan Hardman

Fight council cuts!

Defend jobs and services: "THE SCALE of cuts is likely to be of a magnitude that no one has seen. My life in local government goes back to 1979 and there has never been anything as bad." These are not the words of a council worker...

Nominate Roger Bannister: Council workers need a fighting union

Unison conference 2009: Roger Bannister, photo Paul Mattsson

ROGER BANNISTER is a member of the Unison union's national executive, and campaigning to stand for election as Unison general secretary...

Notts Tories attack the vulnerable

TUSC to fight cuts in Spelthorne

"I will refuse to take any more salary than I currently earn, if elected, and I will publish details of my salary and expenses online for my constituents to see, examine and to hold me to account as their representative", writes North Surrey Socialist Party.

New TUSC sponsors

New health inequality report reveals widening class divide

"IN ENGLAND, people living in the poorest neighbourhoods, will, on average, die seven years earlier than people in the richest neighbourhoods" the health inequality report states, writes John Sharpe.

Ministers and MI5 colluded in the cover-up of torture

BNP's phoney changes

Fast news

The construction industry blacklist: Paltry punishment for attacks on workers

Construction workers have been fighting an employers' blacklist for many years. The big construction companies have been using it to try to stop workers on their sites joining trade unions and getting...

Oppose university cuts - defend jobs

Sussex student union elections: Support for socialist campaigners

Sussex university students demonstrate, photo Socialist Students

A busy week at Sussex University has left Socialist Students proud of the progress we've made, if a little exhausted, writes Sussex Socialist Students.

Student places crisis

Youth Fight for Jobs: Leeds march for jobs and education

Leeds Youth Fight For Jobs demo February 2010, photo Leeds Socialist Party

A loud, lively Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) demonstration stopped traffic and drew widespread support from shoppers in Leeds city centre on Saturday 13 February, writes Ian Slattery, Huddersfield Youth Fight for Jobs.

Wales: New challenges for socialists

Campaigners against youth unemployment from all over Wales converged on the Welsh Assembly on Wednesday to highlight the scourge of youth unemployment in Wales. , photo Sarah Mayo

Socialist Party Wales recently held a very successful conference in Swansea that discussed future developments in Wales...

Celebrate May Day this year with The Socialist

Greece: Massive public sector workers' strike against savage austerity plans

HUNDREDS OF thousands of public sector workers took strike action in Greece on Wednesday 10 February, writes Andreas Payiatsos, Xekinima (CWI Greece), Athens.

Capitalist crisis threatens the eurozone project

Winter Olympics: Shortage of snow but no shortage of debts?

Protests as Canada's Tories suspend parliament