Solidarity 416, 14 September 2016

On 12 September, the Boundary Commission presented its plans for new Parliamentary constituencies in England. A process of consultation now starts, to be completed in September 2018 so the new boundaries can be used for the 2020 general election.This redrawing of boundaries is more drastic than previous ones. There has been a long time since the last review (completed in 2007: another review in 2011 was aborted by conflicts within the Tory/ Lib-Dem coalition government). Tory legislation now requires the total number of seats to be reduced and boundaries to be drawn in to make constituency...

The key task for Labour Party activists who want to oppose the summary suspension and expulsion of members which we have seen over the last few weeks is to demand an immediate review of all these cases, on the grounds of natural justice. We also want the reinstatement of those who have been excluded simply for expressing left-wing and socialist views. That broad political message is spelt out in a resolution from Broxtowe Labour Party to the upcoming Labour Party Conference: “We believe that, however our rules change, we need to ensure they are carried out in a spirit consistent with a...

Ministry of Defence figures show the UK defence industries are ahead of those of Russia, France, Germany and Israel in the arms exporter table, lagging behind (by some distance) only the USA.Over 60% of UK arms sales go to the Middle East, 16% go to North America, 13% to Asia Pacific and 8% to Europe. The UK trades with 39 of the 51 governments outlawed by Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Report, including 22 countries that are on the UK’s own human rights watch list! UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the Government’s agency in charge of promoting British business abroad, has championed the UK...

Junior doctors will strike over the government’s imposition of an unfair, and unsafe contract on 5, 6, 7, and 10-11 October.Further five-day, all-out strikes on 14-18 November and 5-9 December are planned if the imposition of the contract is not halted. A number of Constituency Labour Parties have submitted a motion on the NHS to Labour Party conference (24-28 September). The motion would commit Labour to “wholeheartedly supporting junior doctors’ and health workers’ fight to defend themselves and the NHS.” The fight against privatisation and to renationalise the NHS must include workers’...

A new ceasefire in Syria has been brokered jointly by the US and Russia.Unfortunately, this is unlikely to bring any lasting peace. Initially set to hold for 48 hours from the evening of Monday 12 September, it may be extended. The terms are based on ngotiations at an international conference in February.The current agreement has been cautiously welcomed by sections of Syrian rebels, but they are highly critical of the lack of monitoring or safeguards. Many groups, including the Free Syrian Army (FSA) alliance, Ahrar al-Sham, and Jaish al-Islam have called the deal “unjust”, but stopped short...

On BBC Question Time (Labour leadership debate, 8 September) Owen Smith, in the stream-of-consciousness style that has come to typify Smith's approach to political debate, links the Alliance for Workers' Liberty (as part of the “hard left in our Party” “flooding into the Party”) to those on the left who “associate anti-Zionism, anti-imperialism”, “anti-Israel” perspectives (sic). That is, he implicitly called us anti-semitic. This incoherent tirade against the “hard left” was a disgraceful intervention into an important issue that deserves serious, well-informed debate. Smith's comments...