Fast news

Big oil failure

NOTWITHSTANDING THE oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which followed a fatal explosion on the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig in April, the UK government has refused to impose a moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the North Sea.

This refusal is despite offshore inspection records showing that five out of six BP North Sea installations failed to comply with emergency regulations on oil spills. Shell was also cited for breaking rules regarding oil spill training preparedness in five out of 27 inspections in the last five years.

In fact the North Sea safety record of 'big oil' has deteriorated with the number of accidental oil and gas leaks increasing by 40% in 2009-10 compared to the previous year. Serious injuries to oil workers also shot up by 70% in the same period.

Sack the boss

MICHAEL O'LEARY, the £700,000 a year chief executive of Ryanair, is no stranger to spouting reactionary tosh. When he's not dismissing the idea that climate change is caused by capitalist industrial activity as "horseshit", his latest missive is to stop using co-pilots on Ryanair flights to save money.

O'Leary dismissed the crucial safety role of co-pilots saying: "They just sit back, press a button and put it on autopilot. They then read newspapers or just do nothing."

But the potty-mouth multimillionaire received a witty riposte from one of his most senior pilots, captain Morgan Fischer: "I would propose that Ryanair replace the chief executive with a probationary cabin crew member currently earning €13,200 (£11,000) net per annum.

"Ryanair would benefit by saving millions of euros in salary, benefits and stock options."

Captain Fischer delivered the coup de grace by suggesting O'Leary's dismissal could even generate cash for the airline by charging the new chief executive just over £2,000 to retrain - the figure he said new cabin crew recruits have to pay for their own training.

Tax avoidance

WHILE SCREWING low income benefit claimants in order to cut the UK's budget deficit, the Con-Dem government is choosing to ignore the £42 billion in uncollected taxes - including nearly £7 billion in corporation tax.

The total tax gap grew to £42 billion from £38 billion last year and represents 39% of this year's estimated £155 billion budget deficit. The burgeoning tax gap doesn't include the legal tax avoidance schemes of big corporations and 'non-dom' tax dodgers.

Support Tommy and Gail

FORMER SCOTTISH socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan and his partner Gail begin their trial on charges of perjury on Monday 4 October at the High Court in Glasgow.

This case, brought by the Scottish Crown Office, follows Tommy Sheridan's famous defamation victory over the Rupert Murdoch owned News of the World in 2006 (see www.socialistworld.net).

Please send messages of support to Tommy and Gail at info@socialistpartyscotland.org.uk

Tanker drivers' and Tory scaremongering

World warming even faster than thought

Oil tanker drivers being balloted for strike

Striking oil tanker drivers demand meaningful talks

Strike action by Jet tanker drivers

Kazakhstan - 20 years of authoritarianism!

Tax:

Ireland: 31 May referendum

Turning anger into action

There is an alternative - socialism!

The revolting philanthropy of the filthy rich

Tommy Sheridan:

The phone-hacking scandal: profits, power and corruption

More murky doings in Murdochland

Gagging order on Tommy Sheridan is lifted

BP:

Saltend dispute: lessons for future struggles

Saltend construction workers' struggle ends

Crucial time for Saltend dispute

Budget:

Workers' Memorial Day 28 April

For councils that fight the cuts!

Budget 2012: reject regional pay