Labour Left Briefing April 1998

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Below you will find links to all the articles from the April 1998 issue of Labour Left Briefing.

Editorial

Brown's wasted budget opportunities

The Tory press loved it. "Middle England" had been spared. And many Labour MPs were also delighted; increases in child benefit, relief for low-earning National Insurance contributors, money for childcare and the NHS. So Gordon Brown had squared the circle and pulled off a political miracle.

News and views

Who speaks for the countryside?

The 200,000 people who marched through London on 1st March certainly made the Government sit up and take notice. For trade unionists, there's an obvious lesson. But what are the real issues in the countryside, and is the Countryside Alliance really representative of rural people? Eddie Tucker investigates.

Recipe for redistribution

Can we afford the welfare state as it is? Can Keynesian economic policies work? Mark Donoghue, Treasurer, University of Kent Labour Club thinks so.

Disability benefits still at risk

Thousands of disabled people lobbied MPs on 10th March in support of their benefits. Ian Malcolm Walker, Secretary of the Labour Party's disabled members' section, reports.

Waving not drowning

Should having a highly dependent child prevent you working? Janet Mearns, network co-ordinator of the Children with Disabilities Project, says no.

Pensioners of the future beware!

Andy Walker, Secretary, Ilford South CLP, argues that state pensions are fairer and more reliable than means-tested and private pensions.

NUS -- action needed on fees

Kevin Fox, Secretary of Kent University Labour Club, calls on the NUS leadership to unite students and labour movement activists in radical action against fees.

Opposing health cuts

Campaign action has stepped up in the south east as locals struggle against East Kent Health Authority (EKHA) to save their hospital, reports Abbie Sampson, Chair of Kent University Labour Club.

Derail the sell-off

John Cogger, RMT President and Chair of the TUC General Purposes Committee, spoke to LLB about John Prescott's proposals to privatise key components of London Underground.

Council budgets still under attack

Cllr Christine Shawcroft, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, reports on why recent relaxation on financial restrictions won't lead to real changes.

The Campaign for a People's London

The campaign against imposition of a London mayor digs in for a long haul writes Leonora Lloyd, steering committee member.

Labour Party

North West Labour insists Blair listens

The North West Labour Party Regional Conference did not go well for Tony Blair. Many of the motions passed criticised or opposed the actions of the Labour leadership. Tony Dale, a member of the UNISON delegation to the conference, reports.

Scottish Labour Party in rebellious mood

Cathie Jamieson, a member of the Scottish Labour Party Executive, reports on the recent conference of the Scottish Party.

More expulsions in Leeds

Mike Davies, ex-Vice-Chair, Leeds North East CLP, reports.

NEC and National Policy Forum elections

Deptford done over

London Labour resists PiP changes

Labour's NEC wants decision-making regional conferences to be replaced by toothless Forums -- but members are fighting back, writes Leonora Lloyd, Greater London Labour Party Regional Executive.

Euro hopefuls stitched up

Tony Dale, Manchester Central CLP, reports.

My alternative budget

The Alan Simpson column

Trade unions

Star struck

Chris Kasrils, Deputy FOC Morning Star NUJ Chapel, writes.

Where the working class is

Sheila Cohen, founder of Trade Union News and editor of the pamphlet What's happening? The Truth About Work -- and The Myth of "Partnership", based on the contributions of 15 workplace activists, outlines the reasons for its publication.

Victory for London left in TGWU?

John Perry, Secretary of South Thames Transport and General Workers Union, gives his analysis of the union's recent elections.

Trade union notebook

Leading with the left

The Geoff Martin Column

International

EMU: what the Government doesn't want you to know

Bernie Moss, lecturer in European history and author of The Single European Currency in National Perspective, rejects EMU and the myth of globalisation.

Blair and Mowlam on the fence

The sooner the British Government recognises its own role in the conflict, the sooner we'll get a meaningful settlement, argues Brian Campbell, editor of Sinn Fein's An Phoblacht/Republican News.

Sierra Leone's liberation from within

Sean Coyne reports from Freetown, Sierra Leone, recently liberated from nine months of brutal military rule, thanks not least to the heroic efforts of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress.

Communalists move towards power

India has just had its second general election in less than two years and another one could be in the offing. Achin Vanaik outlines the Hindu communalists' likely next steps and calls for the Indian left to chart a new course.

MAI - don't celebrate yet

Reports of the demise of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment may be premature, warns Mike Phipps, Brent South CLP.

Metin Goktepe murder: five police sentenced

In Afyon, Turkey, five police officers have just received prison sentences of seven and a half years for their part in the murder of the journalist Metin Goktepe two years ago. The court hearing was the fifteenth in a case which has received world-wide publicity.

International notebook

MEPS maul MAI

The Michael Hindley column

Fighting racism

Christian Okeahalam Defence Campaign

John Stewart, Treasurer of the National Coalition of Anti Deportation Campaigns, writes.

Bayo Omiyiola fights on

Reviews

Fighting racism, fighting imperialism

Mike Phipps reviews Black and Green by Brian Dooley, and Postmodernism and the Other by Ziauddin Sardar.

Winston Silcott, political prisoner

John Stewart reviews A Chronology of Injustice: The Case for Winston Silcott's Conviction to be Overturned.

Militant mix

Mike Marqusee reviews new albums by Cornershop and Asian Dub Foundation.

From lesbian separatism to the backlash

Liz Davies reviews The New Feminism by Natasha Walter.

Back to Keynes and out of EMU

Brian Burkitt, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Bradford reviews Europe's Economic Dilemma.

Sport

Cricket sexists regroup

Periscope

Correspondence

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Editorial Board: Graham Bash, Tony Dale, Liz Davies, Jenny Fisher, Jon Green, Simon Hewitt, Simon Kennedy, Des Kirkland, Liz Knight, John Leonida, Leonora Lloyd (Co-Chair), Sue Lukes, Dorothy Macedo (Co-Chair), Mike Marqusee (Political Correspondent), Fiona Monkman, Mike Phipps, David Pope, Jon Rogers, John Stewart, Alistair Ward (Editor).

Production Team: Graham Bash, Gary Drostle, Louise Kawakami, Dave Lewney, Leonora Lloyd, Mike Marqusee, Mike Phipps, David Pope, Paula Smith, John Stewart, Alistair Ward. Web site editor: Chris Croome (chris@atomism.demon.co.uk).

Cover photo: Cover photos: Paul Mattsson.

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