News and Analysis

Marxist society federation to be launched in June: help build the forces of Marxism!

Details: Friday, 17 May 2013; Written by Socialist Appeal

For a number of years now, Socialist Appeal supporters have helped to set up and build Marxist societies in universities across the country, in order to provide a forum for discussing Marxist ideas and organising interventions in the movement and the fight back. After a successful year of building the forces of Marxism in the student movement, Socialist Appeal supporters are now taking the initiative to launch a national federation of Marxist societies.

PCS national conference: build for action

Details: Friday, 17 May 2013; Written by Julian Sharpe, London PCS (personal capacity)

Civil Servants are facing some of the most vicious attacks on themselves and their unions in a generation. In the run up to the annual PCS national conference, which begins on Monday 20th May in Brighton, London PCS member Julian Sharpe outlines the issues facing the public sector union and its membership.

Syrian masses pay the price for imperialist meddling and sectarian deadlock

Details: Friday, 17 May 2013; Written by Reza Mohammadi

As the Syrian revolution remains locked in civil war for a third year, regional powers have begun to use the conflict as an opportunity to advance their own imperialist agendas. Syria has become a battleground for a proxy war between Iran, Israel, and the Arab states of the Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Reza Mohammadi looks at the devastating effects of imperialist meddling in the Syrian civil war.

Save our NHS: No to cuts! No to privatisation!

Details: Thursday, 16 May 2013; Written by Socialist Appeal

This weekend, on Saturday 18th May, London residents, hospital staff, Labour Party members, and trade unionists, will be protesting in the London-wide "Defend the NHS" demonstration to save the NHS, and defend this most valuable of institutions against Tory cuts and privatisation. As Aneurin Bevan, the former Labour Minister of Health and founder of the NHS, once said, "the NHS will exist as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it."

Review: New C4 show “Skint” attempts to demonise the working class

Details: Wednesday, 15 May 2013; Written by Callum Stanland, Unite Community, Grimsby

Channel 4 aired a new TV show this Monday, “Skint”. Rather than giving a balanced account of life in austerity Britain, the show’s real aim and message was very clear. It was another attempt to paint benefit recipients in a wholly negative light, as part of the campaign to justify the vicious Tory attacks on living standards. Callum Stanland from Grimsby - a neighbouring town to Scunthorpe, where filming took place - reviews the show.

Pakistan elections: Rich play games at the top while masses yearn for radical change

Details: Tuesday, 14 May 2013; Written by Fred Weston

In the wake of the recent Pakistan elections, which saw a victory for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and its party leader Nawaz Sharif, we publish here an article written before the elections by Fred Weston, editor of www.marxist.com, who takes a wider look at the economic, social, and political contradictions in Pakistan - a society pregnant with revolutionary potential.

The limitations of the Green Party: the example of Brighton & Hove City Council

Details: Tuesday, 14 May 2013; Written by Jo Pickard, Sussex Marxists

Amidst the onslaught of privatisations, cuts, pay freezes and redundancies emerging from the capitalist crisis, Britain’s environment-conscious Green Party are becoming increasingly torn by political polarisation. Forced to carry out the same agenda of public sector cuts being advocated by the Con-Dem coalition in the interests of capital, the Green Party in Brighton & Hove City Council is beginning to experience inevitable contradictions and conflict regarding its political agenda.