Solidarity 073, 12 May 2005

Academic boycott of Israel: yes or no?

On 26 May the Association of University Teachers (AUT) will hold a special conference to debate a recently-decided policy of academic boycott on two Israeli universities, Haifa and Bar-Ilan (at an ordinary conference on 22 April). The recall discussion is being held after protests from members. Below a supporter of the boycott and two opponents of the boycott present their different views. We need positive links Robert Fine, Warwick University I too would like to see the top brass of Israeli universities coming out more strongly against the occupation, but we don’t call for a boycott of...

Bad results for the left

All comment on new possibilities after the election is mere wistfulness unless we also register just how bad the election was, and just how badly the left did. Independent socialist candidates did worse than in 2001 almost everywhere. Within the Labour Party, the Campaign Group of left MPs claims that its people suffered a smaller swing against them than the general run of Labour candidates. However, the difference — 4.4% as against 5.1% — is not statistically significant. Jeremy Corbyn, the most rebellious of left Labour MPs, suffered a larger-than-average swing to the Lib Dems in his...

Labour should get rid of Blair and Brown

6 May, the day of the General Election results, was another day for the sober maxim of the Italian revolutionary Antonio Gramsci: “The emancipation of the proletariat is not a labour of small account and of little people: only they who can keep their heart strong and their will as sharp as a sword when the general disillusionment is at its worst can be regarded as fighters for the working class or called revolutionaries.” For those who do keep their hearts strong, there are new possibilities for action. By electoral chance rather than by any advance for the left, the election results create a...

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