2 December 2009

Help give a socialist answer to cuts and privatisation

The Socialist Party has launched a financial appeal to enable it to stand candidates in the next general election and put forward an alternative to the programme of massive job cuts in public services and privatisation being promised by Labour, Tories and the Lib Dems, writes Ken Douglas.

2 December 2009

How mass campaigning closed BNP HQ

THE FAR right BNP moved into their headquarters in Welling, south east London in 1987. Labour Party Young Socialist branches in London responded with a call to the community and trade unions to join in...

2 December 2009

Dubai's house of sand crumbles

STOCK MARKETS and the world financial system have been rocked by the request by investment corporation 'Dubai World', the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gulf state of Dubai, for a six month moratorium on the repayment of $3.5 billion of loans, writes Kevin Parslow.

2 December 2009

Chilcot inquiry: Put the warmongers on trial!

PUBLIC ANGER at the blatant spin and lies used to justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq by those with blood on their hands - messrs Blair and Brown - has resulted in the Chilcot Inquiry, writes Matt Dobson.

2 December 2009

Youth march for jobs: "A fantastic experience"

Youth Fight for Jobs demonstration 28 November 2009, photo Dave Carr

Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) will doubtless earn a reputation for putting on the most lively, vibrant and colourful demonstrations in Britain, writes Sean Figg, YFJ national organiser.

2 December 2009

Fast news

Unauthorised greed: THE SUPREME Court ruled last week that the UK's high street banks can continue to apply excessive charges on customers' unauthorised overdrafts...

2 December 2009

Fighting council cuts in Greenwich

EVEN PRIME minister Gordon Brown has condemned Tory Nottinghamshire county council's savage plans to impose over £31 million of cuts, cutting 450 jobs this financial year alone and attacking staff terms and conditions and council services, writes Onay Kasab, secretary, Greenwich Unison branch (personal capacity).

2 December 2009

Irish Republic: Huge public sector workers' strike against cutbacks

ON 24 NOVEMBER over 250,000 public service workers in the Irish Republic took part in a one-day strike, writes Michael O'Brien, Socialist Party (CWI Ireland).

2 December 2009

Yorkshire strikes - the lessons

Four recent strikes in Yorkshire have pushed back the employers' agenda of cuts, with important lessons for all trade unionists, writes Alistair Tice.

2 December 2009

BA management get tough

In the last few weeks the industrial dispute between British Airways cabin crew and management has become increasingly bitter, writes Neil Cafferky.

2 December 2009

Fighting university cuts

Manchester: On 27 November, hundreds of staff at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) demonstrated their opposition to 127 job losses and their zero confidence in Vice-Chancellor Brooks...

2 December 2009

Defend the Four!

There are important dates for supporters of those fighting the witch-hunt in Unison to note:...

2 December 2009

Stoke Axiom action continues

Despite six days of strike action by Axiom Rail workers in Stoke, management have refused to carry out any meaningful negotiations over the pay increase workers are asking for, writes Andy Bentley.

2 December 2009

Liverpool council's budget 'black hole': Establishment parties only offer swingeing cuts

ON 3 August 2009, the Liverpool Echo reported that Liverpool city council faces a budget 'black hole' of over £90 million in the next five years, writes Tony Aitman, Tony Mulhearn and Dave Walsh.

2 December 2009

Politics 'illegal' in Lewisham council

THE GLOVES are off for next year's Lewisham council elections. The Socialist Party, the only party prepared to fight against cuts, faces all the other parties including the Greens prepared to implement...

2 December 2009

National Health Service: Patient safety not private profit

THE LATEST report on safety standards in our hospitals lays bare some shocking examples of safety failures in some NHS hospital trusts.

The Hospital Guide, compiled by a joint private/public body known as "Dr Foster", highlights 12 trusts that underperform on patient safety measures, writes Jane James.

2 December 2009

Indonesia: Eyewitness report from Tamil refugee boat

SOCIALIST PARTY (CWI in Australia) national organiser Anthony Main recently visited the 254 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees currently moored at the port in Merak, Indonesia. He reports on the discussions that took place during his visit and on the conditions faced on board the ship.

2 December 2009

NUS plans mean students pay

Comment: Not content with ditching its commitment to free higher education, the National Union of Students (NUS) is now lobbying the government to introduce a funding system that would actually charge most students even more for their degrees than at present...

2 December 2009

Copenhagen climate change talks: World powers reject urgent action

Weeks before the mid-December UN summit in Copenhagen was due to convene, Barack Obama killed any lingering hopes that it would deliver a new treaty on global warming to replace the one agreed at Kyoto in 1997. PETE DICKENSON looks at the sticking points that led to failure and the prospects for the 'political framework' that now appears to be the likely outcome in Copenhagen.

2 December 2009

Climate change 'gigantic market failure'

Climate change demo December 2005, photo Paul Mattsson

While the capitalist world leaders argue about figures in Copenhagen, climate change is already affecting billions of lives across the world, writes Tom Baldwin.

2 December 2009

Rally to oppose racist EDL

Opposing the racist EDL in Wrexham town centre, photo SP Wales

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE STOP the BNP (NSBNP) has organised a Unity Rally in Nottingham on 5 December against a planned 'protest' in the city by the nationalist, racist English Defence League (EDL), Nottingham Socialist Party members write.
Where the EDL has reared its head in other cities, it has been opposed by local community activists, trade unionists and anti-racist campaigners.

3 December 2009

Mass Student Protest Against Cuts at Sussex University!

Over 400 students are protesting outside Bramber House at Sussex University today against hundreds of jobs losses at the university...

3 December 2009

Joe Higgins MEP condemns intimidation of Tamil refugees

Heavily-armed navy commandos surround Tamil-speaking refugees on the boat in Merak, Indonesia

5 December 2009

Vote Socialist

Stop The Private Takeover Of Public Services.: FORMER LABOUR MP DAVE NELLIST, now the leader of the Socialist Party group on Coventry city council and national chair of the Socialist Alliance, says: 'Vote socialist and join the Socialist Party'...

5 December 2009

Defend The Right To Strike

No privatisation, fight the big business agenda: AFTER MARTIN Stanley, the industry regulator's recent vicious attacks on postal workers, it is easy to see why Royal Mail management felt confident to provoke further strike action after the 24-hour official strike at Watford, a London postal worker writes.

5 December 2009

Vote Socialist - For Real Change

What we think: AT THE 1997 general election we urged readers to vote Socialist if they wanted real change. Again, unsurprisingly, we urge our readers to vote for Socialist candidates in England and Wales and for Scottish...

5 December 2009

Oldham Youth Resist Racist Provocation

YOUTH AGAINST Racism in Europe (YRE) supporters went into the Glodwick area of Oldham on Sunday to show our support for the community but also to find out the truth about what was happening, writes Christian Bunke.

5 December 2009

New Labour's Flexible Friends

AFTER THE 1997 election Tony Blair told new Labour MPs still basking in the glory of victory that they were in parliament to carry out the people's will, not to acquire the "trappings of power"...

5 December 2009

Asylum: Tories And Labour Play The Race Card

THE TORIES face the prospect of an electoral massacre on 7 June. So they are desperately playing the asylum card - a variant of the race card. It's the old, old tactic of sowing confusion, attempting...

5 December 2009

The rot at the core of public services

Fighting Privatisation: NEW LABOUR'S big idea for its second term of office is more privatisation. They argue private companies can make profits at the same time as providing decent public services. New Labour claims all public...

5 December 2009

Macedonia Slides Toward Civil War

LAST WEEK the Macedonian army and police launched their biggest offensive so far against rebel Albanian forces. The horrific prospect of all-out civil war has come one step closer, writes Niall Mulholland.

5 December 2009

Unions Need A Political Voice

THE ELECTORAL commission, a new quango set up this year to regulate political parties and their electoral activity, has reported on the huge amount of money the unions are giving to New Labour's election fund, writes In the six weeks between 16 February to the end of March, the first 'reporting period' under the new.

7 December 2009

Youth Fight for Jobs campaigns against Corus closure

Youth Fight for Jobs today have been out campaigning in Teesside against the closure of the Steel Makers Factory Crous which will result in 1,700 jobs cuts...

7 December 2009

Youth Fight for Jobs condemns call for "National Civic Service" for students and young people

Youth Fight for Jobs condemns Demos report calling for students and young people to be forced into "National Civic Service"...

8 December 2009

John Mcdonnell MP calls for inquiry into Unison full time officials

John McDonell, a UNISON-backed MP, is backing the call for an independent inquiry into allegations made in court against senior UNISON full time officials. ""I am horrified, shocked and quite frankly outraged, especially when I heard of the detail of the allegations against the individuals concerned... "

9 December 2009

Stoke Axiom workers escalate the action

The strike action being taken by Axiom Rail workers in Stoke for a pay increase has rocked the management, writes Andy Bentley, Stoke Socialist Party.

9 December 2009

English Defence League show themselves up

Battling the far right in Nottingham: Hundreds of mainly young, local people turned out in Nottingham city centre on 5 December to oppose the racist 'English Defence League' (EDL), writes Nottingham Socialist Party members.

9 December 2009

Twinings workers fight job losses

Andover, North Shields: Workers at Twinings in Andover and North Shields took their campaign against 400 job cuts to the AGM of the parent company, Associated British Foods, in London on 4 December...

9 December 2009

Fast news

Poverty report: Talk is cheap, especially if you happen to be the PM, Gordon Brown. For all the Labour government's spin on tackling poverty, it has actually been rising since 2004 according to an authoritative study...

9 December 2009

Free the Tamil boat people

AS PART of an international day of action, Tamil Solidarity organised a protest outside the Indonesian embassy in London on Friday, writes Manny Thain.

9 December 2009

Solidarity with striking South African miners

SOLIDARITY IS urgently needed for striking South African mineworkers at a plat-inum mine in Rustenburg whose dispute has become extremely bitter, writes Weissman Hamilton and Mametlwe Sebei, Democratic Socialist Movement, (DSM, CWI South Africa).

9 December 2009

Scotland: The national question and the general election

THE SCOTTISH National Party (SNP) government in Scotland marked St Andrew's day - 30 November - by presenting a 'white paper' which sets out its case for a fully independent Scotland, writes Philip Stott, International Socialists, CWI Scotland.

9 December 2009

Fight the political witch-hunt in Unison

AS PREVIOUSLY reported, four London Unison activists and Socialist Party members are facing a ban from holding office in Unison for three to five years...

9 December 2009

Northampton protest against student loan delays

Thousands of students are suffering due to late payments from the Student Loan Company -all students affected should be compensated immediately...

9 December 2009

Save jobs at Borders

Over 1,100 workers may face redundancy as book chain Borders UK went into administration on 26 November 2009...

9 December 2009

Starting Socialist Students at a Coventry sixth form

Since October I've been running a Socialist Students branch at my sixth form. I decided to start organising meetings after seeing socialists running successful societies at universities, and also seeing...

9 December 2009

No to student civic service

While state funding for higher education is being slashed, a Demos think tank report suggests that students should be forced to 'earn' the money coming from the state towards their education by doing community service, writes Sean Figg, Youth Fight for Jobs national organiser.

9 December 2009

Management bullying? Surely not...

A dispute over workplace bullying between Glyndwr University (Wrexham) administration and University and College Union (UCU) members escalated on Monday 7 December, when management attempted to get security and police to evict Glyndwr UCU organiser Hamish Murphy from his office, writes Edmund Schluessel.

9 December 2009

Christmas 2009 donation appeal

The Socialist Party is appealing to all its supporters and readers of The Socialist to make a donation this Christmas to support the party's fight to build a socialist alternative, writes Ken Douglas, Socialist Party national treasurer.

9 December 2009

End the war in Afghanistan

Stop the War Coalition demonstration October 2009, photo Bob Severn

THE OCCUPATION of Afghanistan has lasted eight years; it has cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars, writes Ken Douglas.

9 December 2009

Climate change summit: Coming up short in Copenhagen

Climate change demo December 2007, photo Paul Mattsson

Paying the price of global warming: TENS OF thousands of people marched through central London to the Houses of Parliament on Saturday 5 December to demand action from the Labour government, and the world's leaders, ahead of the Copenhagen summit on climate change, writes Dave Carr.

9 December 2009

Corus steel closure: 'Bail out our jobs, not greedy bankers'

Corus steel workers on the Unite jobs demonstration in Birmingham, photo Paul Mattsson

Workers in Teesside are shocked and outraged at the news that the Corus steel plant in Redcar is to close by the end of January, with the loss of 1,700 jobs, writes Ed Hamilton, Teesside Socialist Party.

9 December 2009

Socialist nationalisation - the only way to save manufacturing jobs and end the bank bonus scandal

Corus workers protest, photo Paul Mattsson

Editorial: The year 2009 is ending as it began. Thousands of workers are losing their jobs in factory closures while bankers rescued by government intervention and money from working class taxpayers continue to rake...

9 December 2009

Youth Fight for Jobs organises demo in Barking

Youth Fight for Jobs demonstration 28 November 2009, photo Dave Carr

The London borough of Barking and Dagenham is an area particularly blighted by capitalism's failure...

9 December 2009

New Labour gift wraps Tyne and Wear Metro

The Keep Metro Public campaign in Newcastle, photo Elaine Brunskill

On 4 December it was announced that DB Regio is the preferred bidder, over the in-house bid, to operate the Tyne and Wear Metro from April next year, writes Norman Hall, Keep Metro Public (KMP) steering committee and Socialist Party member and Stan Herschel, RMT regional organiser and Socialist Party Member.

9 December 2009

Uniting to stop cuts at Sussex

Sussex university students demonstrate, photo Socialist Students

An emergency senate meeting on 3 December, called by Sussex University management to discuss savage cuts, was picketed by over 400 students, writes Sussex University Socialist Students.

9 December 2009

Pre budget report offers no solution to youth

Pre budget report offers no solution to threat of "a lost generation of youth unemployment", writes Press release from Youth Fight for Jobs.

9 December 2009

Teesside steel: No trust in big business 'solutions'

THE CORUS steel firm has angered steelworkers and the people of Teesside in north-east England by announcing plans to cut 1,700 jobs...

9 December 2009

A present that can last all year - a subscription to The Socialist

Get someone a subscription to The Socialist for Christmas and they will receive a socialist seasonal card telling them about their present...

9 December 2009

Youth Fight for Jobs campaigners speak out on Corus closure

Paul Phillips, 21, Northern regional organiser of Youth Fight for Jobs said: "It is obvious that this government is not serious about safeguarding jobs...

9 December 2009

'Nationalise Corus Steel': meeting Monday 14 December

Public meeting called by the National Shop Stewards Network

Monday 14 December, 7.30pm

Westgarth Social Club, 99 Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3EZ.

9 December 2009

The legacy of Charles Darwin

Water-colour portrait of Charles Darwin painted by George Richmond in the late 1830s, photo George Richmond

150 years since the publication of On the Origin of Species: Charles Darwin's theory of 'natural selection' changed the way that we look at ourselves. It contradicted the idea of an outside 'intelligent designer', so it met a reaction from the religious establishment.
In this feature, ROY FARRAR marks this year's bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book On the Origin of Species by summarising some of Darwin's ideas and their significance.

14 December 2009

Strike says 'Hands off Weston Favell school'

ON 3 December, workers in the NASUWT and NUT teachers' unions went on strike at Weston Favell School in Northampton, writes Lee Dunkley, Northampton Socialist Party.

15 December 2009

Video/Audio: International meeting of socialists from around world

London Socialist Party held an international meeting of socialists from around the world. Here are Video and audio files of their speeches...

15 December 2009

Video: Out on the stones - saving Deptford Job Centre

Lewisham Socialist Party councillors Ian Page and Chris Flood came to the aid of the unemployed of Deptford, London, and the job centre workers at Deptford Job Centre, organised in the civil servants union, the PCS (Public and Commercial Services union)...

15 December 2009

Successful meeting to defend Teeside Corus jobs

Over 30 people turned up to the Northern Shop Stewards Network public meeting in Middlesborough over the Closure of Corus steel plant, demanding "Defend Every Job! Nationalise Corus Steel!"...

16 December 2009

Rail Signallers strike against management dictation

There are 17 signalmen at the Cardiff box. Eleven of them started picketing first thing this morning. They were then joined by 2 coming off night shift, bringing the total to 13 of the 17 members of the...

16 December 2009

Youth unemployment continues to rise

Press release from Youth Fight for Jobs, www.youthfightforjobs.com
Sean Figg, Youth Fight for Jobs national organiser, said: "Unemployment for youth between 16-24 years has risen to 952,000, capping off a year of rising youth unemployment levels. As bankers enjoy their tax-payer funded bonuses, a generation is thrown onto the scrap heap.

16 December 2009

Where is the world economy going?

Is the worst post-war economic downturn coming to an end? Are the green shoots of recovery really visible, as many politician would have us believe? Opinion is divided, with some commentators counting...

17 December 2009

Letter of support for BA workers Irish Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins

The following letter was sent to the BASSA national office in support of the cabin crew strike against the attacks of British Airways management...

17 December 2009

British Airways: Defend the right to strike

British Airways

Socialist Party statement: On the decision of one judge and at the behest of British Airways bosses, the workers of Britain and their trade unions have been told that the democratic right to strike has been cancelled.

This "disgraceful legal judgment" as the union Unite correctly called it, makes voting in any union ballot almost irrelevant if it does not suit the wishes of the bosses and their friends in the judiciary. Any strike can be declared 'illegal'...

18 December 2009

Striking Newport signals workers

Striking signals workers were out in force today at the picket outside the Newport panel on day three of the six day strike against management imposing new rosters...

24 December 2009

Tamil refugee dies in Merak Indonesia

Widespread condemnation mounts over negligence: Mr Jacob Christine, 29, who has been trapped on a boat for more than two months in Merak, Indonesia, died today in hospital...