Current issue dated: 17 May 2008| 2101
| News | Cartoons | International | Alex Callinicos | Comment | Features | History of war | Letters | Reviews | Editorial | Debate and Comment | News & Reports | Meetings and events
Highlights
MARCH TO STOP THE BNP
The fascist British National Party (BNP) made an electoral breakthrough on 1 May when it won a seat on the London assembly and made a net gain of ten more council seats across England » more
Sixty years since the Palestinians were expelled, Anne Alexander and John Rose examine the roots of the Israeli state » more
Abortion rights in Britain are facing a serious attack over the next week and we have to defend them » more
Simon Assaf reports from Beirut on last week’s clashes between the pro-US Lebanese government and the resistance forces led by Hizbollah » more
Reading Ken Livingstone in the Guardian on Friday of last week, I almost convinced myself that 1 May had been a bad dream and that Boris Johnson hadn’t been elected mayor of London » more
Chris Bambery looks at the fear that still drives the ruling class to attack the legacy of 1968 » more
Full contents
» Lobby for victimised Unison officials online only
Around 70 people came out to support four Unison branch officials - all members of the Socialist Party - who faced a disciplinary hearing today, Thursday, for issuing a leaflet at last year’s national Unison conference
» March to stop the BNP
The fascist British National Party (BNP) made an electoral breakthrough on 1 May when it won a seat on the London assembly and made a net gain of ten more council seats across England
» Who is voting BNP and how can we stop them?
After the fascist BNP’s gains in recent elections, Anindya Bhattacharyya looks at where their vote came from – and how we can beat them back
» New Labour lurches right towards a deeper crisis
“Soft on yobs” is how New Labour is attacking the Tory frontrunner in the Crewe & Nantwich by-election campaign
» More trouble lies ahead for Labour in Scotland
Gordon Brown is not the only Labour leader in trouble
» Latest draconian policy on crime
One of New Labour’s most disgusting attempts to win ground back from the Tories is the new crime “action squad” announced last week by home secretary Jacqui Smith
» More unions plan pay action
The concerted and united strike action against Gordon Brown’s pay limits that took place on 24 April looks set to be repeated on a larger scale in coming months after key unions moved closer to strike action
» Cost of living is soaring
Officially Britain’s rate of inflation rose to 3 percent this week
» MPs say abolish SATs tests
Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) give school students a shallow education, deny them a rounded experience, put them off learning and lead to anxiety for over a million children who are forced to sit them every year
» Beat back right’s attack on abortion
Abortion rights in Britain are facing a serious attack over the next week and we have to defend them
» Lobby MPs and parliament to defend abortion rights
Build the lobby of parliament, 530pm, Tuesday 20 May, Old Palace Yard, opposite St Stephens Entrance to the House of Commons, London (Westminster tube
» Trade unionists at centre of fight for abortion rights
Trade union women in Scotland are at the forefront of campaigning for a woman’s right to choose
» Lebanon: US allies in disarray as Hizbollah strikes
Simon Assaf reports from Beirut on last week’s clashes between the pro-US Lebanese government and the resistance forces led by Hizbollah
» Why a foetus can’t feel pain
The efforts to reduce the upper limit for an abortion from 24 to 20 weeks have focused, in part, on the possibility of the foetus feeling pain after 20 weeks
» SWP party council: Fighting on all fronts can help create an alternative
Delegates from across the country came together at a Socialist Workers Party (SWP) national meeting last Sunday to discuss the 1 May election results and the way forward for socialists
» Marxism 2008; a festival that will draw all the issues together
Hannah Dee, a leading member of the Socialist Workers Party, argued at last Sunday’s meeting that the forthcoming Marxism festival in July will be a crucial forum for the left to debate the way forward
» Tim: Feeling secure
» Somalia’s puppet regime in trouble
The US-backed occupation of Somalia is finding it increasingly hard to keep control as fighting rages against the Ethiopian army and its allies in the country’s puppet government
» US meddles in Pakistan’s affairs
The havoc wreaked by the US’s “war on terror” created further instability in Pakistan this week after Nawaz Sharif and his allies quit the country’s governing coalition on Monday
» Ken Livingstone: the loser’s illusion that he’s a winner
Reading Ken Livingstone in the Guardian on Friday of last week, I almost convinced myself that 1 May had been a bad dream and that Boris Johnson hadn’t been elected mayor of London
» Charting the way ahead after 1 May elections
“Where do we go from here?” is the question being asked by tens of thousands of people on the left, in the movements and in the trade unions after the 1 May elections
» Burmese need aid, not invasion
The enormous suffering in the wake of the cyclone that hit southern Burma last week has shocked the world
» What causes flood disasters in the Global South?
Many commentators make a point of directly connecting the scale of the devastation in Burma with the specific failures of the military regime
» Israel - created by terrorism
Sixty years since the Palestinians were expelled, Anne Alexander and John Rose examine the roots of the Israeli state
» Palestine voices
Two recollections of the creation of Israel and its consequences
» How can Palestine be free?
As Israel celebrates 60 years of statehood, another dark chapter in the history of Palestinian suffering is being written
» Contesting the gains of 1968
Chris Bambery looks at the fear that still drives the ruling class to attack the legacy of 1968
» From Persian conquest to modern slaughter
Neil Faulkner continues our series with warfare’s development from feudalism onwards
» Letters
Competition threatens post service | Turkey’s tradition | Victory for Barrow People’s Party | Frank Ogboru | Saluting the US dockers | Lie detectors for ministers | Marxism and oppression | Species confusion? | Criminalising cannabis | Persepolis
» Interview with Augusto Boal, founder of the Theatre of the Oppressed online only
Augusto Boal is a pioneering Brazilian director and playwright who founded the Theatre of the Oppressed, a form of theatre that encourages the audience to be an active participant in the drama
» David Ferrard interview: 'Singing for change and standing up against war'
Folk singer David Ferrard spoke to Socialist Worker about making political folk music effective
» Broken Sky - David Ferrard
The first thing that strikes you when listening to David Ferrard is the beauty of his voice—clear and strong, tough and sweet all at the same time
» Don McPhee and the art of news photography
This famous photo from the Miners’ Strike of 1984-85 is one of many images on show at the Don McPhee: Photographer exhibition at the Guardian’s Newsroom visitor centre
» May 68 - Street Posters from the Paris Rebellion
Anyone who can get to the Hayward Gallery on London’s South Bank should visit the 40th anniversary exhibition of the posters and photos of the Atelier Populaire (Popular Workshop) from the May 1968 uprising in France
» Gordon Brown must act on environment evidence
Global levels of carbon dioxide have reached an all-time high and the earth may be losing its capacity to reabsorb carbon emissions, according to new research out this week
» Will offer of 'Warwick Two' get more cash for Labour?
Gordon Brown’s Labour Party is bankrupt
» Social care is affordable
New Labour has launched a six month consultation into the funding of social care for older and disabled people
» Barack Obama and class
Paolo Bassi argues that while Barack Obama was accused of “elitism” for some of his comments last month, his real sin was bringing up class
» Striking against academies
It is now official—any proposal by an employer to transfer staff to a new employer can be the subject of a trade dispute and strike action
» Palestine solidarity demonstration
» Local government set to ballot for strikes
The growing campaign against Gordon Brown’s war on public sector workers took an important step forward this week after local government workers rejected their employers’ pay offer and moved to ballot for strike action
» More action needed in civil service
PCS conference | Ofsted to strike | Democracy Alliance success
» Shelter strike is crucial battle for the voluntary sector expanded online
Unite union stewards at the housing charity Shelter were set to meet on Thursday of this week to discuss whether to take further strike action and to plan the next stage of their campaign
» Council workers strike over rubbish pay
East Dunbartonshire | Leeds | Blackburn with Darwen
» Defend Council Housing launched in Kingston
New campaign | Pamphlet on Investment in housing
» Manager insults strikers at Wybone
Members of the Community union at Wybone factory in Barnsley thought their wage dispute was settled when management called a meeting on Thursday of last week
» 17,000 Network Rail staff ballot for action
Over 17,000 members of the RMT rail workers’ union at Network Rail are balloting for industrial action in two separate disputes involving maintenance and signalling and other operational staff
» Hundreds lobby for Karen Reissmann
More than 200 health workers, trade unionists, service users and MPs packed into a room in the House of Commons last week to show their support for Karen Reissmann, the Manchester psychiatric nurse and leading union member who was sacked for speaking out against cuts and privatisation
» Who produced the fake Yunus Bakhsh leaflet?
In an extraordinary twist in the ongoing attempt to victimise left wing health activist Yunus Bakhsh, a new and mysterious leaflet has been produced
» Royal Mail canteen prices shoot up, reflecting real inflation rate
Postal workers this week got a reminder of how bosses use a different measure of inflation when negotiating wages to the one they use when setting prices
» Unofficial walkout at Arriva, Liverpool
Bus drivers working for Arriva in Liverpool staged an unofficial walkout on Friday of last week in protest at new rotas and working hours
» Cut low pay not jobs, says Bectu conference
The Bectu media workers’ union held its conference in Liverpool last week
» Meetings and events
Stop the War | Why you should be a socialist | SWP meetings | Bookmarks events | movement events | concerts and benefits
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