In the run up to Christmas we are seeing the usual desperate appeals
from charities to raise money but the recession has meant that even
their income is now falling. At the same time, the Tory-led Coalition’s
programme of cuts, combined with job-losses and pay freezes are forcing
more and more people to rely on hand-outs from charities.
After months of waiting, the first half of the Leveson
Report into press standards has finally arrived. Two thousand pages long and
nearly a foot high in printed form, it contains a mass of data into how the
press has operated and makes many damming comments on this– the recommendations
however are what matters. Leveson’s call for an independent panel to monitor
press standards, backed up by law, to replace the discredited Press Complaints
Commission, has split the Coalition.
We have received the following letter from an LP activist, written as a
personal contribution to the ongoing discussion now taking place in the
local Labour and trade union movement, on the issues being raised by the
Rotherham by-election due to take place on November 29th. In view of
its length we are unable to publish it in its full form in the December
issue of Socialist Appeal so we are making the complete text available
online now in advance of publication.The author welcomes any comments on his letter.
Join Spanish trade unionists in London at a protest as part of the European Day Of Action
Hardly a day now seems to go by without some scandal or
resignation rocking the British Establishment. The BBC is presently engulfed in
a major scandal involving the Savile paedophile cover-up and the blunder over
the erroneous exposure of an alleged Chief Tory child abuser, apparently based
upon uncorroborated evidence now revealed to have been a case of mistaken
identity.
The
head of the BBC, Mr Entwistle, and others have resigned. But this is only the
tip of the iceberg. A whole series of scandals have emerged exposing the
rottenness of the British Establishment, its lies and its cover-ups.
The Tories’ latest attack on welfare benefits threatens to place even
more of the burden of the bankers’ crisis onto the shoulders of the
unemployed, the disabled, children and pensioners.
Hundreds of firefighters, their families and supporters
including Socialist Appeal sellers marched through the centre of Leeds last Saturday to
protest against proposed cuts to their services.
Sunderland supporter Bob Stothard looks at the current state of the
”people’s game" as clubs go bust, players revolt over racism and ticket
prices go up and up and up.
This was the second time in three weeks that the good people of
Rotherham had to be subjected to the racist ranting of the fascist right who
thought that they could be on fertile ground for their messages of hate by gathering in the steel and coal town
of Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
Two weeks ago it was the EDL who did not succeed in dividing the close
knit community and this week it was the turn of the National Front.
Splits and divisions are haunting the Coalition. Such a situation could
not have come at a worse time for Cameron and Osborne, as they sharpen
their knives for further cuts.
It’s finally been confirmed. After months of dithering and posturing
from David Cameron last month saw the British and Scottish governments
agree that there would be a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014.
Southampton Labour Councillors Keith Morrell and Don Thomas, who opposed
cuts in local services, have been expelled from the Labour Party.