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What we think
How can Corbyn and the left win in the Labour Party?
After Labour’s Oldham byelection victory the right wing probably feel they can’t strike immediately, but they hope for death by a thousand wounds
International Brigades fought against capitalism, not for
Labour MP Hilary Benn’s ‘electrifying’ speech for bombing Syria outrageously invoked the International Brigades in support of imperialist bloodletting.
Socialist Party news and analysis
Defending the right to deselect warmongers
The Socialist Party’s Nancy Taaffe took on the Tory and Blairite warmongers on the BBC’s Daily Politics show on 3 December. Less than a week later, James Ivens appeared on the Daily Politics on 8 December to defend deselection of Blairites and the Socialist Party’s participation in Momentum.
Young people accused of extremism
A London borough has said youth who question the government or mainstream media may be extremists. A 15-year-old school student replies.
Rail fares and profits rise as service suffers
Rail fares are set to increase again from January next year. Annual turnover at South West Trains topped £1 billion this year.
Tax-dodging drug firm shuts research facility
Pfizer has announced the closure of a Cambridge research institute. The world’s biggest pharmaceutical company will axe 120 scientists’ and support workers’ jobs.
It’s one world for the super-rich, and another one for the rest of us. Richest 10% responsible for half of ‘lifestyle’ CO2 emissions; the Sun lies about terror routes.
It’s the quiz of 2015, compiled by the Socialist. The questions are drawn from articles covering events in the UK and internationally during the last year. Good luck and season’s greetings.
International socialist news and analysis
French elections – Le Pen’s far-right FN surges
Governing ‘Socialist’ Party punished for failings: The massive vote for the far-right National Front (FN) in the first round of regional elections in France on 6 December saw them coming top in nearly half of the regions.
The billionaire-backed conservative capitalist opposition won a large majority in Venezuela’s recent general election. This represents a big setback to the ‘Bolivarian revolution’ legacy of Hugo Chavez.
Northern Ireland: movement needed for abortion rights
On 30 November, in a landmark case, Belfast High Court ruled that Northern Ireland’s archaic abortion laws contravene human rights and that terminations should be permitted in cases of fatal foetal abnormality and where pregnancy is the result of sexual crime.
Ireland – defend the Jobstown protesters
Several under-18-year-olds are facing serious criminal charges because they protested against unjust water charges when Ireland’s deputy prime minister Joan Burton visited Jobstown, near Dublin, in November 2014.
Sweden – public housing victory
Since 2012, the Socialist Party’s sister party in Sweden has worked against private business being owners of big housing complexes and, at the same time, demanded renovations and public ownership of 890 run-down apartments in the area.
Belgium – party congress success
The 14th congress of the Socialist Party’s sister party in Belgium was held recently. Some 130 delegates present discussed among other issues how to end this sick system of capitalism which creates mass poverty, endless wars and the conditions in which terrorism flourishes.
Socialist Party feature
Floods reveal effect of government cuts
While the world’s capitalist politicians currently meeting in Paris prevaricate over measures to halt global warming, hundreds of thousands of people – from Carlisle in Cumbria to Chennai in India – suffer the misery of increasing extreme weather events.
Carlisle – lives and livelihoods devastated
‘We’re still waiting for investment promised in 2005’: There’s an army helicopter hovering overhead, three trees have been uprooted from the sodden ground in my street, one of them into next door’s garden. My daughter’s school is closed, but at least we’ve still got electricity this time.
Capitalism’s climate change policy failure
What is a long-term answer to the problem of flooding? First and foremost, this means tackling the root causes of climate change by switching to renewable energy, which could reduce the intensity of weather events, such as storms and floods.
War and terrorism
A week of anti-war campaigning in Walthamstow
The drama that has played out in the community of Walthamstow, east London, in the last week is a sign of the fault lines which could affect Labour MPs everywhere. In the absence of Corbyn whipping his MPs, the struggle to compel them to vote against bombing Syria instead took to the streets and working class communities.
Workplace news and analysis
Interview with new RMT president
Sean Hoyle, seafarer and Portsmouth RMT member, has been elected president of the RMT union. He spoke to the Socialist about his victory
Unison general secretary election in crisis
The Unison general secretary election, and the union itself, were thrown into disarray last week with the release of a secret recording of a meeting of the London regional staff. In the meeting, held on 21 October, regional secretary Linda Perks can be heard organising staff to campaign for general secretary Dave Prentis.
Trade unions must join the fight for steel nationalisation
The consultation period over the threatened Tata steel plants in Motherwell, Clydebridge and Scunthorpe has come to an end. Despite Scottish government taskforces meeting the threat of closure is not over.
Strike in support of suspended headteacher
Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) at Listerdale Primary School in Rotherham have taken two days of strike action, on 2 and 3 December, against the unjustified suspension of their headteacher.
The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) in the North East organised two days of fighting action on 4 and 5 December, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead.
Short reports on some of the latest trade union struggles. Academies strike, call centre strike ballot, firefighters’ cuts protest.
Eleanor Marx: A life of struggle, solidarity and socialism
Celebrate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Eleanor Marx who played a pivotal role in the development of the trade union movement, the birth of the Labour Party and as a tireless fighter for working class people, especially women, all over the globe.
Socialist readers’ comments and reviews
Huge potential to change lives, limited by capitalism.
Do you have something to say? Send your news, views and criticism in not more than 150 words to the Socialist Postbox. Bushtucker and class, Hilary Benn’s pro-war speech.
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Stop the Tory cuts: The last few weeks has shown what can be achieved when workers stand together. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt was forced, at least temporarily, to abandon his plan to impose unfair and unsafe new contracts on hard-working junior doctors because of their determination to take strike action.
Thousands march around the country against the bombing of Syria
Following the decision by Parliament to join the US led bombing of Syria, thousands demonstrated on consecutive days in Parliament Square to oppose it. On the night of the vote on 1 December and then again on 2 December the Socialist Party joined the young, angry protesters.
Confronting the far right in Derby
Derby Socialist Party members arrived to do our weekly campaign stall on 28 November when we noticed around ten supporters of the far-right group Britain First with their own stall nearby.
Subs campaign: have you increased yours yet?
Can you increase your membership subs? Many Socialist Party members have already said yes, pledging an extra £4,700 a month to help fund our campaigning work. If you haven’t already increased, can you join them?
North West fighting fund week of action!
During our quarterly fighting fund week of action in the North West, we raised £1,318 and sold 156 copies of the Socialist. We held 12 ‘extra’ campaign stalls across the region.
The Socialist Christmas schedule
This issue of the Socialist is our last of 2015. The next issue, 883, is out on Thursday 7 January 2016. For updates during the break, please check www.socialistparty.org.uk.
Socialist Party national committee meeting
A Socialist Party national committee meeting took place on 5 and 6 December. Branches should arrange a report back from national committee members who attended. Contact your branch or regional secretary for more information.
