Socialist Appeal

Britain

The split in Respect - And why we reject the politics of the SWP (part 2)

By Rob Sewell

Monday, 14 January 2008

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.

(Part 1)

Edinburgh - Schools Under Threat

By Ewan Gibbs
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Students and staff at Edinburgh schools and nurseries have learned of the chilling news that their places of learning and work places may be under threat once again. The Edinburgh Evening News reported on the thirtieth of October that Edinburgh Council intended to reopen a consultation process that would look into the future of schools. It also listed seventeen schools and nurseries that it expected to be earmarked for the process.

Banana wars and the supermarkets

By Bert Schouwenburg GMB London Region
Thursday, 10 January 2008
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 split in Respect - And why we reject the politics of the SWP (part 1)

By Rob Sewell
Wednesday, 09 January 2008
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.

Stand up to the supermarket bullies!

By Mick Brooks
Tuesday, 08 January 2008
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 arrested on perjury charge

By Richard Vivian
Tuesday, 08 January 2008
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.

RESPECT - another one bites the dust

By Rob Sewell
Monday, 07 January 2008
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.

Andrew Glyn- Marxist economist and socialist fighter

By Michael Roberts
Wednesday, 02 January 2008
Andrew Glyn died from a brain tumour on 22 December 2007. He was 64 years old. A fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford since 1969, he was a leading socialist economist for all that time. Andrew left a wealth of important writing that analysed the development of post-war capitalism. His best-known works were British capitalism, workers and the profits squeeze with Bob Sutcliffe in 1972; Capitalism since 1945 with Phil Armstrong and the late John Harrison in 1984 and most recently, Capitalism Unleashed (2006), reviewed earlier.

Workers in the Street!

By Matt J. Wheatley
Wednesday, 02 January 2008
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.

John McDonnell MP condemns threats against PPP activists

By John McDonnell MP
Friday, 21 December 2007
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.

Santa - the inside story

By Santa's Little Helper
Friday, 21 December 2007
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?

Farepak 1 year later: Christmas still cancelled

By Ben Peck
Friday, 21 December 2007
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.

New Labour Scottish leader & supporters under investigation over illegal donation

By Kenny McGuigan, Glagow
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
The Electoral Commission has launched an investigation into an illegal donation to Wendy Alexander MSP's campaign to take over from Jack McConnell as Labour leader in the Scottish Parliament. The crisis unfolded when the Sunday Herald learned that every donation to the Wendy campaign was under £1,000. Many were for £950. Under the Elections Act 2000, all donations of £1,000 or more must be declared to the Electoral Commission.

Editorial: Northern Crock: the rottenness of British capitalism

By Socialist Appeal
Friday, 30 November 2007
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?

Hands off Venezuela National Conference 2007 great success!

By Rodrigo Trompiz and Charley Allan
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
On Saturday November 24th, around two hundred people attended the third national Hands Off Venezuela conference in Britain. The whole day was a great success and left everyone inspired to carry on the struggle to defend the Venezuelan people and their Bolivarian revolution.