Labour Left Briefing July 1998

home page

back issues

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

Editorial

How not to keep a promise

At last year's general election, Labour pledged to put an end to poverty pay. Now it proposes to introduce a minimum wage for workers over 21 years of age of £3.60 an hour. By the time it comes on stream next April, it will be worth £3.45 at today's prices. It is likely to be frozen at that level until after the next general election.

Racism and resistance

The acquittal of the Campsfield Nine and the tide of revelations flowing from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry have shed a harsh light on the barbarous mechanics of racism in Britain today.

News and views

Reclaim the Labour Party

Liz Davies and Christine Shawcroft, candidates for Labour's NEC Constituency Section

Your chance to send a message to our Labour Government

Jenny Fisher Poplar and Canning Town CLP

Minimum wage, minimum commitment

Helen Weatherley bends the Government's ear on Labour's proposals on the minimum wage.

Awash with profit

New Labour, New Privatisation -- Blair and Brown's love-in with the corporate sector continues. But as Mark Ridgeley reports, it's the consumer who will foot the bill.

Hospital chiefs plan beds massacre

John Lister, London Health Emergency

Pensioners of tomorrow need to struggle today

Christine Shawcroft, candidate for Labour's NEC, reveals the holes in the Government's strategy for providing security in retirement.

Rising East

Chris Knight (Chair, Barking NATFHE) reports on the recent occupation at the University of East London.

Labour Party

No delay for the GLA!

The sooner the elections are held for the new London Authority the better, argues Ken Livingstone MP.

A day out in Millbank Towers

Rebecca Bowers, a Parliamentary Assistant to a Blairite Labour MP, gives a worker's eye view on efforts to mobilise research staff to help clone the model New Labour MP.

Better late than never

John Stewart reports from the London Labour Party Conference.

Passed at GLLP Conference

Selecting candidates for Mayor and Assembly

Save Twiggy

National Policy Forum Elections

Trade unions

We want £4.61!

UNISON annual conference showed the union to be in a fighting mood. Tony Dale, Manchester UNISON, reports.

MSF demand £6 NMW!

Islington sacks strikers

Firefighters winning in Essex

Tube strike bites hard

An RMT activist reports on the Tube strike.

Stitched up!

John McIlroy looks at how the trade unions have responded to Labour's Rights at Work and minimum wage packages.

Leading with the left

The Geoff Martin Column

International

EMU and the ghost of Thatcher

Bernie Moss, author of The Single European Currency in National Perpective, responds to last months' article from the Guardian's Europe correspondent John Palmer.

The price of the Euro-ticket

Italian journalist Orsola Casagrande reports on the Cardiff counter-summit's challenge to Euro-leaders.

Nigerian union leaders released

Sean Coyne reports on the mass movement gathering momentum following the death of Sani Abacha.

The battle begins!

Brian Campbell, editor of An Phoblacht/Republican News looks forward to a new phase in Irish history.

The Blairisation of Germany

Germany faces a federal election later this year. David Pope interviewed Pit Wurher, foreign editor of Swiss-based journal Die Wochenzeitung.

What's left of the Sandinista Revolution?

As the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign celebrates its 20th anniversary, there's little of the optimism that accompanied the 1979 Revolution. As new scandals break around the FSLN leadership, Mike Phipps asks what remains of their achievement.

Breaking the jingoistic consensus

John Pinto of the Alliance Against Communalism and for Democracy in South Asia gives a personal view on the likely fall out from India's nuclear tests.

Mugabe must go

Sean Coyne reports from Zimbabwe.

Forward to Market Leninism?

Michael Hindley, Labour MEP for Lancashire South, assesses the state of China today.

Sport

World Cup -- no escape from politics

Cathy Jamieson, Candidate for NEC

Loony Left football tournament

John Stewart, midfield magician, reports.

Fighting racism

Abdul Kadir must stay!

Free the Campsfield Five!

Sue Lukes, Islington North CLP, calls the Home Office to account for the detention system that created the Campsfield riot last year and the trial that ended on 17th June.

Reviews

Prawn cocktails or pink Thatcherites?

John Stewart reviews Prawn Cocktail Party: The Hidden Power behind New Labour by Robin Ramsey.

What's left? Not much!

Mike Phipps reviews What's left by David Powell.

Colonialism, debasement, destruction

Seamas Keenan reviews The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett.

Correspondence

LLB is an independent voice and forum for socialist ideas in the Labour Party and trade unions. It is managed by an editorial board elected at its AGM. Both EBs and the AGM are open to all supporters. We are happy to offer a right of reply to all members of the labour movement and we welcome criticisms and contributions. All the articles in LLB reflect solely the opinions of the authors, writing in a personal capacity, unless otherwise stated.

To survive and thrive we need the support of our readers. Why not take copies of LLB to sell at your Labour Party, trade union or campaign meetings?

Copy deadline: there is no August edition. The copy deadline for the September issue is Monday 17th August. If you wish to contribute please phone us first. We reserve the right to edit all articles.

Editorial Board: 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, Dorothy Macedo, Mike Marqusee, Mike Phipps, David Pope, Eddie Tucker, Alistair Ward. Web site editor: Chris Croome (chris@atomism.demon.co.uk).

home page

back issues