The Socialist issue 312
23 August 2003
Guilty!
Of lying about weapons of mass destruction: WHILE BLAIR sunbathed in Barbados, one-third of people couldn’t even afford to take a holiday. Those that do manage to get a break come back facing rising debts, worsening conditions at work, deteriorating…
Hutton Inquiry: A can of worms for Blair
WHILST THE revelations flow thick and fast in the Hutton Inquiry, the central exercise for Blair and his cronies is how to deflect and avoid blame…
Spin, or the art of lying
BUSH, BLAIR AND the Australian premier John Howard are all facing inquiries into their alarming claims that Saddam possessed so-called weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) – chemical, biological and nuclear weapons – which posed an imminent threat to Iraq’s neighbours and even to the US and Britain…
Occupying forces face hostility
THE BRITISH military in Basra, Iraq’s second biggest city, is under attack. This is not from ‘rogue elements’ of the former Ba’athist regime but local residents incensed at the lack of mains electricity…
Dr Strangebush builds Nukes
HOW DO you make the world a safer place to live in? You build more nuclear bombs! So say top US defence officials and military scientists meeting recently in Nebraska to discuss building a new generation…
BNP cash in on disillusionment with Labour
THE VICTORY for the BNP in Heckmondwike, a small working class town on the outskirts of Dewsbury and Batley in West Yorkshire, has come as both a shock and a wake-up call for the labour and trade union movement in Kirklees, writes Mike Forster, Huddersfield.
Postal Workers say: Time for action
POSTAL WORKERS will shortly be balloted on taking industrial action over an 18-month pay deal of 4.5%, writes Gary Clark, Minority Grade secretary, Scotland No 2 Branch, Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), personal capacity.
Brazil: “Lula has betrayed us”
AS A union demonstration of 80,000 government workers marched to the Congress building in Brasilia on 6 August, “Lula has betrayed us” blared out of the truck mounted PA system, writes Dave Carr.
General strike in Chile
THE FIRST general strike in Chile for 17 years took place on 13 August. Called by the Central Workers’ Union (CUT), the main trade union federation, the strike was for better benefits and working conditions…
Kick big business out of football
THE BEGINNING of the football season has been dominated by the news of the takeover of Chelsea football club by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich…
Discussing a new Left party in Wales
About 80 trade unionists, community campaigners and socialists from all over Wales attended a “Summer gathering” in Wrexham on 9 August, to discuss the possible formation of a new party of the left…
