Archives

A process of radicalisation is taking place among the British engineering
workers (or metal workers). This is reflected in the main union of the sector,
Amicus. The old rightwing lost the position of General Secretary recently. Now
the left of the union is preparing to take a majority on the union’s national
executive committee.

The Blair government faced its worst nightmare in the immediate run up to the
war with Iraq. According to the Guardian revelations, Blair, Straw, Blunkett,
and others in the Cabinet were on the verge of resigning if the Commons vote
went against them.

Almost a year after firefighters tabled their claim for a pay rise to
£30,000 a year, new strikes are being prepared because of the intransigence of
the employers and a Labour government hellbent on attacking public services.

The outspoken left-wing Labour MP George Galloway is facing a witch-hunt
because of his anti-war stance. This attack, orchestrated by the Tory Telegraph and
Sun, has been seized upon by Blair and his entourage.

Barbara Humphries looks at the conflicting tendencies within the British Labour Party on
the question of war. It is clear that the rank and file members of the party have always tended
towards opposition to war, while the leadership has swung the other way. At times however the
opposition has been so strong that it has limited the ability of the Labour leadership to put
all its weight behind war efforts such as the US war on Vietnam.

Tony Woodley, the left candidate for general secretary of the 800,000 strong
(British) Transport and General Workers’ Union, opened his election campaign by
launching a bid to "reclaim the Labour Party", which was at odds with
the union in a number of important policy areas.

The dramatic resignation of
Robin Cook, until yesterday the Leader of the House of Commons was a
devastating blow to Blair and represents another nail in the coffin of Blairism.
The prospect of war has shaken British politics to its foundations. There is no going back for Blair now.
Sooner or later his days as Labour leader are numbered.

Tony Blair’s drive towards war with Iraq is producing convulsions
throughout the Labour movement. With the threatened resignation or sacking,
which ever comes first, of Cabinet Minister Clare Short, after her attack on
Blair’s policy on Iraq as “reckless”, the whole edifice of New Labour is
threatening to come crashing down.

Without doubt, things are coming to ahead at home and
abroad for Tony Blair’s government. The unprecedented Parliamentary revolt, in
which 121 Labour MPs defied the Labour leadership to vote against war, was the
biggest ever against any government. This bombshell reflects the groundswell of
opposition within the party and the country.

Labour Councils are being forced to choose between cuts in services or
increases in the Council Tax. But the resources are there. Proof of that is
the huge amount that has been set aside for the war against Iraq. In
Southampton we have the courageous stand of Labour Councillor Perry McMillan who
has refused to vote the increase in the Council Tax. Steve Jones explains what
has been happening.

Despite all their lofty promises about the
priority of "education, education,
education", and their pledge that there would be no top up fees, Blair and co
intend to pass the bill for higher education once again onto students and their
parents, making it yet more difficult for students from poorer backgrounds to
get to university.