Solidarity 484, 31 October 2018

The Europe for the Many conference in London on 26-27 October was billed as bringing together progressive political forces and civil groups across Europe to offer an alternative. However, the top-billed speakers were the Portuguese Prime Minister and the Greek Finance Minister. Among the speakers on municipalities was the Kemalist (CHP) mayor of Cankaya, a district of Ankara. Such forces represent no potentiality for egalitarian politics. The Syriza-led government in Greece is implementing of austerity, memoranda, and detention centres. The CHP has suppressed Kurdish rights and implemented IMF...

Journalist Matt Kennard is one of the figures calling for a boycott of the Guardian. He spoke to Martin Thomas from Solidarity . K: It’s not really a formal campaign, but it was ignited on social media by left activists, journalists, and commentators who support the Corbyn project. Obviously you expect outlets like the Telegraph and the Sun to be on the other side. But in fact the Guardian has morphed into the biggest and most consistent critic of Corbyn, and under an editor, Kath Viner, who was voted in as the left candidate. It’s a nominally left-wing paper which is trying to destroy the...

Up to 8,000 Glasgow City Council workers, members of the GMB and Unison, took part in last week’s two-day equal pay strike. For 48 hours only emergency cover was available in home care services. Primary schools and nursery schools were closed. Secondary schools were open, but without a school-meals service. Workers in Glasgow’s four refuse and recycling centres refused to cross picket lines, bringing refuse collection to a halt for the duration of the strike. Some parking attendants and museum and libraries staff also refused to cross picket lines. The strike – the largest equal pay strike in...