Labour Left Briefing September 1998

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

Editorial

Aiding the world's top terrorist

The horrific Omagh bombing has been condemned, rightly, by virtually every politician in Britain. Tragically, however, these politicians, notably Tony Blair and Robin Cook, have not applied the same standards of law and order and respect for human life in responding to the brutal bombing of Sudan and Afghanistan by the United States government.

NEC elections: vote for democracy

As we go to press, the New Labour clique and its friends in the media are doing their best to muddy the waters in the ballot for the constituency section of the NEC, employing the by now familiar tactics of smear, misrepresentation, and manipulation. Can't the control freaks of Millbank abide the thought of even the smallest dissident minority sitting on the Party's Executive?

News and views

Your chance to make a difference

Liz Davies, Grassroots Alliance candidate for the NEC, sets out her reasons for running for Labour's ruling executive.

Millbank Tendency running scared

Tim Frost reports on latest developments in the battle for Labour's NEC.

Omagh: repressive measures won't help

Brian Campbell, editor of Sinn Fein's An Phoblacht/Republican News, considers the consequences of the Omagh bombing.

Dobbo's damp squib

UNISON nurse Helen Weatherley calls on Frank Dobson to sort out the crisis in the NHS and then leave nurses alone to do their job.

Labour sabotages gay rights

Peter Tatchell is sickened by Labour's refusal to crack down on queer-bashing violence and homophobic discrimination.

Gay MPs refuse to support equality

All six openly gay Labour MPs failed to support an amendment to the Human Rights Bill that would have given protection against discrimination to lesbians, gay men and people with HIV. The amendment -- New Clause Ten -- was defeated in the House of Commons in July by 234 votes to 18.

Domed to failure

Ed Hall, Greenwich CLP, contrasts the resources allocated to Mandelson's monument to exclusion with the crisis of funding in Greenwich.

Tooling up for the 21st century

By examining the Strategic Defence Review we can find out what the New Labour Government thinks it's worth killing people for, says Chris Williams of Sheffield Labour Club.

Ken Livingstone's manifesto for London

Millbank's desperation tactics

Ken Livingstone comments on the desperate tactics of the Millbank Tendency.

Privatisation Special

Invasion of the privateers

Schools, health, transport, housing, social services, prisons, policing, air traffic control... New Labour is taking privatisation where the Tories feared to tread. Mike Marqusee introduces an 14 article LLB special.

London Underground for sale

A tube driver asks why John Prescott refuses to consider alternatives.

Ending the dictatorship of the private sector

LLB interviewed economist Harry Shutt. His recently published book The Trouble with Capitalism looks at the problems of privatisation and ownership. Oxford-trained Shutt acts as an adviser to overseas governments.

Hiving off council housing

Liz Davies looks at the Government's enthusiasm for local housing companies.

Selling off the silver

A Lewisham Council employee reports on the reality of housing privatisation in South London.

Inviting McWolf into the fold

Dave Morris, McLibel trial defendant and single parent in North London, examines the impact of opening up schools to private companies, including McDonald's.

Dread zones

Former teacher Bob Spooner, Leeds North East CLP, looks at Education Action Zones (EAZs).

US thumbs down for big business in schools

Privatised education has been a flop in the USA, reports Ernie Haberkern, Centre for Socialist History in Berkeley, California, and Rosalyn Haberkern, state school teacher and educator.

EAZ -- the facts

The Government's School Standards and Framework Bill, published last December, proposes to establish 25 Educational Action Zones, comprising groups of schools to be run by partnerships including commercial, voluntary, government and local authority organisations.

Protecting his privates

Vehement in his criticism of Tory prison privatisation in opposition, and a popular turn at successive Police Federation conferences, Jack Straw has taken less than 18 months in government to come to terms with the 'realities' of office. Alex Taylor reports.

Children in Group 4's hands

Frances Crook, long-time campaigner for a better prison service, outlines the dangers in privately-run prisons.

Investing in immigration control

Sue Jones finds that business is good at the Home Office, as long as human rights are kept at arm's length.

Social services on the cheap

Leonora Lloyd examines how local authorities are using charities to privatise services through the back door.

Scrap PFIs

There are alternatives to the Private Finance Initiative writes Kevin O'Brien, UNISON National Executive Council member.

The Spanish sell-off

Socialist privatisation? Carlos Martin Urriza of the journal Viento Sur looks back at Spain's disastrous experiment.

Labour Party

Lambeth: a democracy free zone?

Mary Atkin and Katrina Payne, Streatham CLP Women's Section, fear that they are part of a New Labour experiment to tame the women's organisation.

Going through the motions

David Pope, Leyton and Wanstead CLP, explains the arrangements for submitting motions to this year's Party Conference.

Trade unions

Glasgow New Labour use courts against UNISON

Glasgow City Council's Social Work Department was brought to a halt on 3rd August as staff walked out in support of colleagues suspended without pay for following UNISON Branch policy. Ian Sharpe, Glasgow City Branch UNISON member, reports.

New Labour and the unions

Although Tony Blair has made it very plain that the unions can expect no favours from New Labour, clearly New Labour expects favours from the unions, says Leonora Lloyd, MSF activitist.

Tameside care dispute

Two hundred and fifty careworkers in Tameside, Greater Manchester, have been sacked by a privatised company, Tameside Care Group (TCG). Tony Dale, Manchester UNISON, reports.

Leading with the left

The Geoff Martin Column

International

Nigeria at the crossroads

Sean Coyne recently spoke to Nigerian trade union leaders following the deaths of dictator General Sani Abacha and MKO Abiola, the imprisoned winner of the 1993 election.

Indonesia -- all still to fight for

What is Indonesia like since the rioting and student uprising in May overthrew Suharto's 32 year dictatorship? How are President Habibie's policies different from those of his mentor? How is the pro-democracy movement developing? And what should be Labour's response here? Celia Mather, who has been following developments in the Indonesian workers' movement for over twenty years, reports.

Sierra Leone: inquiry reveals business as usual

Sean Coyne reports on the outcome of the Legg Inquiry.

EMU attacks democracy

Dr Brian Burkitt, University of Bradford and Pudsey CLP, continues LLB 's debate on EMU and argues for a dose of euro-realism.

EMU is good for you

John Palmer, formerly The Guardian's Europe correspondent, responds to critics of EMU.

Reviews

Beyond Newszak

Mike Phipps reviews Hidden Agendas by John Pilger.

Nimby? Nope!

Mike Phipps reviews DiY culture, edited by George McKay, and Animal Rights by Hilda Kean.

Wit and wisdom

Dave Lewney reviews The Noble Sayings of Lord Bassam by Tony Greenstein.

In Defence of Trade Unionism

Fighting racism

Stephen Lawrence inquiry: what next?

After 56 days of shocking revelations of racism and corruption in the Metropolitan Police, the Stephen Lawrence inquiry adjourned earlier this summer. When it reconvenes in the autumn, it will examine the lessons to be learned from the case and the policy changes required. Labour Left Briefing interviewed Suresh Grover, co-ordinator of the Lawrence Campaign and director of The Monitoring Group.

Refugees: faster but not fairer

Last month the Government published Fairer, Faster and Firmer, the new asylum and immigration White Paper. Jane Smith, a refugee agency worker, examines its provisions.

German caravan campaign

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

Periscope

AOB on Cronygate

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 October issue is Monday 14th September. 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, 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, John Stewart, Eddie Tucker, Alistair Ward. Web site editor: Chris Croome (chris@atomism.demon.co.uk).

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