Labour Left Briefing November 1998

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

Editorial

A victory for democracy

The victory of the Grassroots Alliance candidates in Labour's NEC elections proves that ordinary Party members can take on the Party machine, the Government, the media, and win.

News and views

Labour tax on capital flows could halt global tidal wave

Dr Brian Burkitt, Pudsey CLP and University of Bradford, shows once again that there is an alternative to the Government's economic policies.

Five measures to challenge the crisis

PR - let's have a proper debate

At the end of October the Jenkins Commission is due to publish its proposals for electoral reform. Tony Dale, a supporter of Proportional Representation, believes that the proposals are unlikely to produce a more democratic electoral system.

Just a puff of green smoke

The Government's record on the environment is a sad joke, argues John Morrissey, Co-ordinator of The Way Ahead, the left current in the Green Party, and a past chair of the Green Party Executive.

Unite the fight against fees

Neil Ormerod, Reading University Labour Club, calls for united opposition from the National Union of Students to oppose tuition fees and the abolition of grants.

End school segregation

A leap of faith?

Andrew Stevens, former Director of the Campaign for the Separation of Church and State argues for disestablishment.

Labour Party

Centre-parting Blair sows seeds of Grassroots glory

Ken Livingstone MP looks at the outcome of Labour Party Conference and the prospect of future gains for the left.

A clear message to New Labour

Liz Davies, Islington North CLP, reports on her involvement in some recent Labour Party internal election.

The results - National Executive Committee CLP section

Left turn for MPs

Blair PLC - annual report

Sarah Cotterill, first time delegate from Manchester Central Constituency Labour Party, gives her impressions of the first Conference held under the new Partnership Into Power rules.

How I stopped worrying and learned to love the National Policy Forum

Christine Shawcroft, Canning Town and Poplar CLP, reports on the mysterious workings of the National Policy Forum.

What is the NPF?

Euro carve-up dumps left

Labour's new selection procedures for candidates for next year's elections to the European Parliament have resulted in wholesale exclusion for the left - and many more. Mike Phipps reports.

The thoughts of Chairman Roy

Labour Reform recently interviewed Roy Hattersley for their journal Labour Review. Here are some highly selective highlights.

Does Young Labour need a Grassroots Alliance?

Duncan Hall, Skipton and Ripon CLP, wonders if the left could get another place on the NEC.

Knavish tricks to stop Ken

The real welfare challenge

The Alan Simpson column

Trade unions

Decent pay for all!

Geoff Martin writes.

Obituary - Paul Wozny

Glenn Kelly, National Secretary CFDU writes.

Trade Union Notebook

Leading with the left

The Geoff Martin Column

International

Self-determination for Kosova

Bob Myers, Workers' Aid for Kosova.

Letter from Kosova

South African privatisation: Mandelson muddies waters

Last month LLB reported on water privatisation in South Africa. Here Anna Weekes, media officer of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), reports (in a personal capacity) that it will need superhuman effort to stop water transnationals from getting a foot in South Africa's door.

Rambo nation

Andy George in Cape Town looks at the background to South Africa's disastrous intervention in Lesotho - the first foreign deployment of troops since the demise of apartheid.

Germany -- "Happy, but with no illusions"

Alexandra Schulte and William West, our correspondents in Germany, assess the results of the country's recent general elections.

Australian Labor fights back

Roy Green, Director of the Employment Studies Centre, University of Newcastle, Australia, has worked for both the British Labour Party and Australian Labor government. Here he maps out the Australian Labor Party (ALP)'s fightback.

Sweden's Social Democrats defeated

Goran Karrman reports from Stockholm.

The Peace Deal must not fail

Brian Campbell, editor of Sinn Fein's An Phoblacht/Republican News, urges Tony Blair not to repeat the mistakes of previous British governments.

We don't want gold - we want life

Liz Knight, Chris Knight, and Arif Bektas, from the London Workers Support Group, report on ecological damage being inflicted in Turkey and how villagers are fighting back.

King-size creeps

We've heard about Nestle's violation of World Health Organisation Rules in their drive to push artificial baby foods at mothers in the Third World. But what about the increasingly aggressive marketing ploys of the tobacco giants? Mike Phipps reports.

"Reconciling human dignity and economic necessities"

Victor Hugo Tinoco of the Sandinista National Directorate and leader of their Parliamentary group was in Britain recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign. Mike Phipps spoke to him.

Good signs for the European left?

The Michael Hindley column

Fighting racism

Roma Refugees' Catch-22

Anti-Roma sentiment permeates Slovak society from top to bottom. The British Government has just introduced visa requirements for migrants from Slovakia but asylum applicants are never granted visas. Amanda Sebestyen reports.

Welcome to Britain

Amanda Sebestyen writes.

Roma Refugee Organisation

Extract from Jan Demeter's speech to the founding conference of the Roma Refugee Organisation in London.

Deportations increase under Labour

No-one is illegal -- papers for all!

John Stewart, Treasurer of the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns reports on the German campaign for asylum rights.

Periscope

AOB

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: for the November issue is Monday 16th November. 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, Mark Donoghue, 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, Christine Shawcroft, John Stewart, Alistair Ward (Editor).

Production Team: Graham Bash, Gary Drostle, Louise Kawakami, Dave Lewney, Leonora Lloyd, Dorothy Macedo, Mike Phipps, Eddie Tucker, Alistair Ward. Web site editor: Chris Croome (chris@atomism.demon.co.uk).

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