Blair backs nationalisation... of our identities This article was written before today's terrorist attacks on Central London. However, today's events will undoubtedly be used to strengthen Blair's attempt to introduce ID cards in Britain, with the excuse that they will help "fight terrorism". They exist in the rest of Europe, so “what’s the big deal?” many may think. The point is they will not be mere ID cards. The legislation that is being prepared will allow the government to have detailed files on the activities of every person living in this country.
Britain's House of Cards Wobbles House price increases are slowing down in Britain. In June in London prices actually fell. This is the beginning of the end of the house price bubble and it will be very painful for many families who have borrowed on the basis of the increased equity in their property. It will have a knock-on effect on the whole economy as spending is already slowing.
Amicus Conference 2005: Return the union to its members “Attending this conference and its fringe meetings has indicated a change in mood. Derek Simpson has said that he wants to return Amicus to where it belongs that is in the hands of the membership, not as an extended hand of the multinationals. Activists in the union have to make sure that this is carried out in practice.”
No To Health Privatisation – Keep The NHS Public The new Health Minister Patricia Hewitt has just announced that the government is to stump up £3 billion extra for operations. Good news? Not entirely – the entire wad is to be passed over to the private sector.
NATFHE Conference – Domestic and International Issues Over the weekend of May 28th to 30th the National Association of teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) held its annual conference in Eastbourne, Britain.
United against profiteers wrecking football The establishment of the Premier League in Britain, a renaming of the old First Division, in the early 1990s opened up a period of naked commercial exploitation of football. The new league exists to maximise the profits and commercial potential of the richest clubs at the expense of the rest. Central to this are clubs like Manchester United, the world’s richest club which has now been virtually bought up by US tycoon Malcolm Glazier, who has grabbed control of over 75% of the club’s shares.
From Handsoffvenezuela.org: NATFHE unanimous support for Bolivarian Revolution Over the past weekend the Annual National Conference of the 67,000 strong college and university lecturers union, NATFHE, which took place in Eastbourne, Britain, unanimously agreed to support the Bolivarian revolution and the measures that it has taken to help the workers and poor in Venezuela.
British TUC opposes US intervention in Venezuela and will not support Commission of Enquiry on Venezuela at ILO meeting Speaking at a meeting in solidarity with Venezuela in London, Frances O'Grady, Deputy General Secretary of the British Trade Union Congress, made clear the opposition of the TUC on US interference in Venezuela. See the article on the Hands off Venezuela website.
Resolution in support of Pakistani journalists This resolution was unanimously passed by the Central London Branch of the National Union of Journalists in a meeting held on May 12.
The General Election of 2005: Results and Prospects As a postscript to British Perspectives 2005 (What is happening in Britain) Phil Mitchinson analyses the results of the recent general election in the context of mounting insecurity in the British economy, politics and society as a whole. Labour won the election with the smallest share of the vote of any victorious party in history. With the government's majority severely reduced how much longer can Blair last? 'New' Labour has set off on a collision course with its own backbenches and with the trade unions and the working class.
FBU Conference 2005: No2 Fire Deaths, No to attacks on our working conditions Last week’s FBU conference revealed a militant fighting mood, with Matt Wrack, the new General Secretary, expressing an equally fighting spirit.
Labour wins third term – Only Labour can defeat Blair Labour has won an historic third term victory in the 2005 General Election, yet there will be no dancing in the streets, no street parties, in fact little enthusiasm at all. The combination of widespread opposition to the war in Iraq, distrust of Blair, and disillusionment with the failures of the last two terms of Labour government means that Labour won the election with the lowest share of the vote, just 36 percent, of any victorious party in history.
Faith: the drama of the Miners' Strike: Interview with the director, David Thacker We recently published a review of a film shown on the BBC entitled Faith which wove together the lives of its fictional characters with the real events of the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike. The result was a moving drama and an unusually honest account of this great struggle, sympathetic to the miners and their communities. The film’s director, David Thacker spoke to us about the making of the film and his own political views.
MG Rover: What Went Wrong? Mick Brooks looks at the historical background to the British car industry and in particular that of Rover. It is a history of decline, of underinvestment, and finally of collapse. Now all the attempts to save Rover by looking for private buyers have failed. It is a reflection of the decline of the British capitalist class as a whole.
Nationalise Rover under workers' control The closure of Rover involves the loss of 26,000 jobs, in the plant and the industries that supply it. The present owners were called in to “save” jobs. All they have done is siphoned off millions for themselves. The only answer is nationalisation under workers’ control.
