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New Labour's record on housing policy is a
disgrace. Reports say
we face a 'housing time bomb'. There
are 1.6 million on council house waiting lists. Their numbers are
growing by 7.6% a year. Repossessions were up by 65% last year to
17,000 losing their homes, and official homelessness went up by 14.4%
between 2000 and 2005. Last year we built less houses than any year since the
1920s. And because so few new homes are being built, prices go up so as
to be completely unaffordable for the poorer in our society.
Against the background of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Ted
Grant wrote in 1941 that, "In spite of the ravages of the bureaucracy,
the basic conquests of the October Revolution still remain: the
capitalist class has never regained its possessions and private
ownership in the means of production has never been restored. It is this
that the masses, despite their aversion for the bureaucracy, have
rallied to defend, just as the British workers would rally to the
defence of their Trade Unions against capitalist attack, in spite of
their aversion for the Bevins and Citrines."
We are making available to our readers an appeal by the Labour
Representation Committee on the issue of internal party democracy. On Sunday
Labour Party conference kicks off. If Brown's proposals are accepted it appears
that from next year CLPs and affiliates will no longer have the right to take
resolutions to Party conference.
Over the past 15 years production has risen at
about 3% a year in the OECD countries, while money supply, mortgage and company
debt, personal borrowing and the massive so-called derivatives market based on
this credit has increased at over 25% a year! Result? A huge bubble which is
now bursting, starting with Northern Rock.
Kinder Scout in the Derbyshire peak
District is one of the most beautiful areas in Britain. The high
moorland has no farming value, yet working people were denied all
access. The area was reserved for grouse shooting, a hobby of the
rich. In the Great Depression after 1929,
walking and cycling were two of the only leisure activities young
workers could afford. On April 24th Benny Rothman
led the mass trespass that eventually gave chunks of ‘our'
country back to us.
On Thursday pickets were
organised outside Mexican embassies around the world, calling for the release
of Adan
Mejia (an APPO activist and supporter of the Marxist Tendency Militante) and of
all the other political prisoners presently being held in Mexican jails. The
campaign will continue until everyone is released and all charges are dropped.
Pat Macdonald gives a report on Hands off Venezuela at this years T.U.C in Brighton. To a filled room of trade union
activists, Rob Sewell gave a speech on the importance of events in Venezuela,
followed by John McDonnell MP, who praised the work of Hands off Venezuela and
its founders. NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear and FBU vice president Alan
McLean also spoke at the meeting.
