Labour Party conferences have become very interesting all of a sudden. Without question, the left of the party have reason to celebrate, following the resounding second victory of Corbyn. But this year’s conference has served as a stark reminder and warning that the battle is very far from over and there remains a great deal of work to be done.
Having seen off the miserable challenge of the Blairites, both Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell gave emboldened speeches to this year’s Labour Party conference, even daring to use the “s” word – socialism. To carry out their programme, however, a break with capitalism and a genuine socialist transformation of society are needed.
Steve Jones continues his series on the history of the right wing in the Labour Party by exploring the rise of New Labour and its key architects: Blair, Brown, and Mandelson. All along the way, Blair and his political allies were pushed on by the Establishment, who wanted a reliable 2nd XI to replace the discredited Tories.
Alan Woods examines the recent opening presidential debate in the USA, where Trump (the billionaire) and Clinton (backed by the billionaires) fought it out. Whether Trump or Clinton win eventually will not make any fundamental difference to the lives of ordinary Americans – both represent the interests of big business.
We publish here a letter from a Socialist Appeal supporter and NHS nurse, who highlights the mounting pressures on healthcare staff as a result of Tory cuts and the crisis in the NHS. As the letter emphasises, the Tory government are setting the NHS up to fail, as a precursor to privatisation.
Marxist students have been hard at work all over the country this month signing new revolutionaries up to the Marxist societies at the university freshers fairs. We publish here a spread of reports on the activities of the Marxist Student Federation over the past week.
Siôn Reynolds, secretary of the Portsmouth NASUWT local association (personal capacity), discusses the Tories’ latest plans for the reintroduction of grammar schools, looking at the history of selective secondaries and the role they play in class society.
Corbyn’s re-election as Labour leader, with an even bigger majority than last year, is a bitter blow to the hopes of Labour’s right wing, who have now been pushed into a corner. They will now bide their time and try to slowly strangle Corbyn from their base within the PLP. The question of deselection, therefore, has not gone away.
Workers at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, South London, were back out on strike on Saturday 24th September, taking action to demand decent pay and conditions. Nico reports on the militant mood on display at the picket line, and the potential for this strike to spread.
Jeremy Corbyn has again won a decisive victory to become Labour leader, with an even bigger mandate than last September. All talk now is for “unity”. But the events of the last year cannot be swept under the carpet. The actions of the right wing have infuriated grassroots members, who will be energised now to defend Corbyn against further sabotage.
The ballot for Labour leader has ended. The result will be announced tomorrow at 12 noon. Barring a nuclear attack, all the indications are that Jeremy Corbyn will win convincingly against his challenger Owen Smith, probably with a bigger mandate. But the battle in the Labour Party is far from over.
The US bombing Syrian soldiers and the Assad regime bombing an aid convoy indicate that, just one week after the agreed cessation of hostilities in Syria, the uneasy ceasefire has broken down. The ceasefire breakdown, meanwhile, reflects the ever-increasing tensions between the various imperialist powers and local players in the region.