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To the disappointment of Corbyn’s opponents both outside and inside the Labour Party, the recent election results in Wales – as in England – did not live up to their catastrophic forecasts. Nevertheless, as Sam Pritchard (Young Labour elected representative for Wales) notes, both Plaid Cymru and UKIP benefitted from the anti-establishment mood.
David King, British graphic designer and collector of Soviet art, sadly passed away last week on Wednesday 11th May. Alan Woods pays tribute to David and his incredibly valuable contribution to keeping the memory of the Russian Revolution alive through his books and impressive collection of historical photos and posters.
Ever since winning the election for the Labour leadership last September, Jeremy Corbyn has faced an onslaught of attacks by the mainstream media. This vitriolic coverage intensified in the run up to the recent elections. As a result, even the BBC is now rightly seen for being a tool and voice of the Establishment, as their mask of “neutrality” and “impartiality” rapidly slips.
On May 9, an electoral unity agreement between the United Left [IU] and Podemos for Spain’s June 26 general election was announced. The impact of such a joint list means that there is the possibility of a challenge for first place against the ruling Popular Party, and thus of a Left government in Spain.
Last week’s Scottish parliamentary election results demonstrated the continuing dominance of the SNP over Scottish politics. Labour, meanwhile, were pushed into a humiliating third place – squeezed out by the left-wing, pro-independence stance of the SNP on one side, and by the right-wing, Unionist position of the Tories on the other.
The upcoming referendum on the European Union has generated much debate amongst the British Left. Over the decades of evolution of the EU institutions, the majority opinion among left-wingers has shifted from opposition to support. We must clarify our understanding of the EU and the related issues ahead of this referendum to provide a clear perspective.
Representatives of the British Army have now written young people off as apathetic time wasters, simply because they are not joining the Territorial Army and the Reserves and are instead surfing the internet. Vic Dale looks at conditions for the rank-and-file in the army, and highlights the demand for unionisation in the armed forces.
The election results were a shock – a shock for Labour’s right wing, who had been prophesying of electoral Armageddon. Events did not follow the script for the Blairites, who hoped for a Labour defeat as an excuse to move against the Labour leader. The prospect of a leadership challenge has now been pushed into the background…for the time being.
General Secretary Dave Ward opened this year’s conference of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) highlighting the pressures workers are facing across the board. In a sign of the anger growing amongst workers as a result of these attacks, conference committed itself to fighting stance in defence of jobs and conditions, and to supporting Corbyn and his anti-austerity programme.
The last week has seen a deluge of mud-slinging by the Blairites, Tories and right-wing press, who are intent on using allegations of “anti-Semitism” on the Left as a tool to undermine Corbyn. As Ben Gliniecki discusses, this latest concerted effort by Corbyn’s opponents was preceded by a similarly intense smear campaign against the NUS president-elect, Malia Bouattia.
On 23rd June, voters in Britain will go to the polls to decide whether the UK remains part of the EU. Most people, however, are completely turned off by the hollow rhetoric emanating from both sides of the so-called debate, with both the Leave and Remain camps dominated and led by reactionaries. We say: a plague on both your houses! Fight for a genuine alternative for working people! Fight for socialism!
Just a few days before the May elections, the Blairites in the Labour Party have stepped up their war against Jeremy Corbyn, using the slur of “anti-Semitism” to further their aims. By doing so, they are hell-bent on creating a “crisis” within the Party.