Britain

Our differences with the SWP are not limited to theoretical questions. They are fundamentally to do with method and approach. They adopt an empirical petit-bourgeois approach to politics, which is the hallmark of the sectarian, which always ends up in a contradictory mess.

We publish a response from the GMB to an article in the Guardian that implied multinational banana companies in Latin America supported the principle of free collective bargaining. It exposes the collaboration between union tops and companies such as Del Monte, who have carried out a campaign of intimidation against organised workers. The dominance of British supermarkets in the area is identified as a key element in this campaign.

The ‘Respect’ party was initially set up by the Socialist Workers Party and ex-Labour MP George Galloway. They were hoping to capitalise on the success of the anti-war movement and offer a political alternative to New Labour. We predicted at the time that this venture would end in failure. The whole of the last century has been littered with the wreckage of sectarian groups hoping to replace the traditional organisations of the working class.

Supermarkets can sell cheaper than small independent shops
because they can buy cheaper. They use their bullying power over small farmers
and other producers. The Competition Commission has been deliberating for
eighteen months. They have decided that the four big supermarket chains
(Sainsbury’s, Tesco, ASDA and Morrisons) that sell three quarters of all food
in the country offer us all plenty of ‘choice’.

Tommy Sheridan
is facing yet another fight in his colourful career as Scotland’s best known
socialist. He has been arrested on suspicion of perjury arising from his widely
publicised defamation case against the News of the World for which he was
awarded £200,000 damages.

Towards the end of last year we witnessed the collapse of another
attempt to create a party to the left of Labour. The RESPECT party,
which was founded in 2004, was the latest effort to establish an
electoral alternative to Labour. It succeeded in winning an MP, George
Galloway, as well as a few dozen councillors up and down the country. However, the
whole project soon went pear-shaped.

A single mother in Keighley is being evicted
from her residence with two months notice. The ‘owner’ of the property does not
claim any fault on the part of the worker; calling her an exemplary tenant. 

The move is sound business; house prices may fall so it would be better to cash
in now and let someone else (e.g. someone poorer) take the loss. Yet this woman
is a nurse suffering attacks at work by privatisations, and a mother of four
with no other housing options.

After the serious physical threats against PPP activists in
Karachi, John McDonnell MP has issued this statement, condemning the attack and
warning that if they continue the issue will be taken up in the British and
world labour movement.

Christmas is very close and all the kids are eager in anticipation of what
Santa will bring them this year for being good. But who actually is that kind, old man with a bag full of nice gifts for
the children called Father Christmas or Santa Claus?

We follow up on the Farepak fiasco, that last year was responsible for wiping out the savings of 150,000 people. Victims are yet to have their savings returned to them – a mere £38 million in total. This despite the government being happy to prop up the collapsing Northern Rock with billions of tax-payers cash.

Last August Northern Rock was the subject of the first run on a bank in
this country for a hundred and forty years. People queued up all night
to try to get their money back. But, of course, their money wasn’t
there. Where had it gone?