The latest news, analysis, and Marxist theory from The Communist, alongside reports of RCP activity.
So the London Games are over. Time for grim reality to
return. Bad news then for the Tories who have been trying to live off the
feel-good factor for the last two weeks. If there was any sign of a Team GB
medal in the offing then up would pop Mr. Cameron to cheer along from the
stands. No problems getting tickets for him then. Now he is off chillaxing on
holiday!
Some Tories are seriously embarrassed at the contrast between the
success of Team GB in the Olympics and their government’s miserly and
backward attitude to health and sports. And they have every right to be
embarrassed! The Tories’ policy for tackling the wave of obesity
affecting children and adults alike is to leave their food policy in the
hands of the big food corporations! Not for nothing, two of the main
sponsors of the Olympics were Coca Cola and McDonalds – two of the worst
culprits for undermining a healthy diet.
LRC supporter Keith Henderson, the secretary of Clacton Labour
party and parliamentary spokesperson has been suspended from
holding office following undisclosed allegations made against
him by persons unknown.
On Saturday 4th,
August over 2000 marchers demonstrated through the streets of Redditch in the
West Midlands to protest at the threatened closure of key services at the
Alexandra Hospital in the town. The removal of A&E, Maternity and
Paediatrics services would in essence kill the hospital as a functioning
general hospital.
On behalf of Midlothian Trades Union Council I would like to thank those who responded to the call to come to Dalkeith on the afternoon of Saturday, 28th July to confront Nick Griffen and to those unable to attend but who sent messages of support.
PRESS RELEASE: A group of blacklisted workers have launched a High Court claim against Sir Robert McAlpine which could potentially be worth £600million. Guney Clark & Ryan
solicitors served a claim on behalf of 86 claimants for "Tort of
unlawful conspiracy" at the High Court last week. The claimants are part
of the Blacklist Support Group, a network campaigning
on behalf of construction workers illegally blacklisted because of their
trade union activities by major building contractors as part of the Consulting Association scandal first exposed in 2009.
Earlier this year, the British labour movement marked a little-known yet
important milestone. Eighty years ago, in April 1932, hundreds of
working class ramblers defied police and landowners to trespass across
Kinder Scout, an iconic moorland plateau that marks the highest point in
the Peak District, in Derbyshire.
The July days in Russia in 1917 were crucial. Without the Bolshevik
Party the outcome could have been a devastating defeat. The reaction
could have gained more ground. Thanks to the Bolsheviks the events after
the July days illustrated the weakness of the reaction and the role of
the reformists and prepared the ground for the events up to October
This article by Trotsky was written in the immediate aftermath of
the July Days, following the (temporary) defeat of the spontaneous
demonstrations of the Petrograd workers. 95 Years on the revolutionary
movements in the Arab world over the past 18 months and the turmoil in
Spain and pre-revolutionary situation in Greece demonstrate that the
events of 1917 are worthy of study for more than academic interest.
When all else fails, pretend it isn’t happening. This is the new
approach being adopted by pro-Tory "expert" economists according to a
report in the last issue of the Sunday Times.
As the Spanish government got its
€65bn austerity package passed in Parliament, millions of people took to
the streets in unprecedented demonstrations against cuts on July 19.
The day after, as the Valencian regional government asked for a central
government bailout (of 3.5bn euro), the risk premium on Spanish bonds
hit a new record, while 10 year bonds were yielding 7.3%. The Spanish
economy is on the verge of a full bailout.