Solidarity 478, 12 September 2018

Labour movement can stop Brexit!

The Tory ex-Minister Steve Baker has claimed that as many as 80 MPs will revolt and seek to replace May with Boris Johnson if she tries to force through her Chequers plan — a complex system of co-operation with EU rules. The threat has created a new crisis in the Tory party and government. May and her allies know Labour MPs will oppose any such deal and that the they will need the backing of almost all Tories to win the vote The retaliatory threat of a “No Deal Brexit” is all that May can do to try and tame the Brexiteers in the Tory Party. Meanwhile, although the EU’s lead negotiator Michel...

Chagos: an incomplete decolonisation

This court case, 50 years after the events was “riveting” - unusual for any court case. It was riveting because of the only-just-suppressed rage of many of those speaking in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution calling on the ICJ to give an Advisory Opinion on whether Britain in the 1960s completed the decolonisation of Mauritius, when it excised Chagos from Mauritius, and what the consequences of this incomplete decolonisation are today, including for the resettling by the Mauritian government of the Chagossian people on their home islands. We in LALIT and all our friends, comrades...

Prison strike met with repression

A nationwide strike by prisoners in the US (and some parts of Canada) officially ended on 9 September, but repercussions for those that took part continue and some prisoners are continuing hunger strikes or other non-compliance in response. Organisers estimate that imprisoned people in over 14 states participated in forms of action that varied from work strikes, commissary boycotts, sit-ins, hunger strikes and yard rallies. Jailhouse Lawyers Speak and the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC) reported after week one of the strike actions in: Washington where immigrant detainees at...

Threat of US-backed coup as Venezuela crisis deepens

Amid economic crisis and civil unrest in Venezuela, the New York Times reported on 8 September 2018 that the Trump administration has been in secret talks with Venezuelan military officers to stage a coup against President Nicolás Maduro. This follows Trump’s indications in August last year of a ‘military option’ for Venezuela. Given the long and bloody history of US-backed coups in Latin America, this news is very alarming. As supporters of self-determination and consistent democracy, socialists should vehemently oppose any move towards a right-wing military coup supported by an imperialist...

25 killed in Iraq protests

For two months now, since 8 July, there has been a wave of street demonstrations in southern Iraq, a rise of social agitation such as has not been seen since the almost-civil-war of 2006-7. The protests were triggered by the Iranian government cutting off electricity supplies to the major southern Iraqi port city, Basra, most of which come by grid from Iran rather than being generated locally. They then took up the issues of jobs - unemployment is very high in Iraq - and corruption. Over the last couple of weeks, the focus has shifted to contamination in the water supply in Basra, and protests...

Trump targets Palestinians

The US plans huge cuts to its humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The cuts have plausibly been linked to the Trump administration's attempt to force the Palestinian Authority into accepting a new “peace deal”. The cuts follow the Palestinian Authority suspension of contact with the US administration which in turn follow the US's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The cuts amount to around $300 million. Specifically the US has said it would end all its funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which provides aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and...

Far right on rise in Sweden

The success of far-right populists across Europe continued in Sweden with a surge in support for the Sweden Democrats who took in 17.6 percent of the vote, coming third against the left and right blocs. Both blocs have refused to form a coalition with them but with a motion of confidence due for Swedish Prime Minister and Swedish Social Democrat leader Stefan Löfven, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson believes Löfven will have to negotiate with him. Akesson focused his election campaign firmly on migration and law and order. He is also in favour of holding a referendum to leave the EU. The...

Brutal crackdown on China’s Uyghurs

News of state repression against China’s Uyghur people have become prominent in recent months. Reports at the UN estimate up to a million are held in internment camps. China denies the mass detention and points to constitutional guarantees of equality and religious freedom, but the mounting evidence is discrediting such pretences. The Uyghur people are a Turkic, majority-Sunni Muslim, ethnic group making up around 46% of China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Despite the Communist Party’s claims of equality, many ethnic minorities have long been disadvantaged and marginalised...

NEU Executive makes a difficult pay campaign even harder

In what has become a pattern, the government announced their decision on the 2018-19 teachers’ pay award at the end of July when most schools had closed for the summer break. Teachers do not have negotiating rights over national pay and, instead, annual awards are decided by the Secretary of State for Education following a review body recommendation. The teacher unions had submitted a claim for a 5% rise to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). In fact 5% is a long way short of what is required to undo 10 years of below-inflation pay awards. The figure was chosen on the basis that it...

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