Labour Left Briefing February 1999

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Below you will find links to all the articles from the February 1999 issue of Labour Left Briefing.

Editorial

Hit the streets to stop Blair-backed bombings

The bombing of Iraq was a shameful moment for the Labour Government.

Mandelson's legacy

In the wake of the Ecclestone affair, LLB warned that the insensitivity of the New Labour hierarchy to potential conflicts of interest would land the Party in trouble, and so it has proved.

News and views

Education: Blunkett misses the target

Bob Spooner, Leeds North East CLP

Profiteering from education

Adrian Kozlowski writes

New Labour must cure the health service's sickness

Helen Weatherly, nurse and UNISON member, reports on the crisis in the NHS and the need for a decent pay settlement.

Nightmare on Baker Street

Ken Livingstone writes

When is privatisation not privatisation?

Diana Udall, President, London Transport Regional Council RMT, attacks Labour's plans for London's tube.

Law Lords strike out tube action

A London Underground worker calls for action to be escalated in defence of wages, conditions and a public service.

Off message

The Liz Davies column

Labour Party

GC or not GC - that is the question

New Labour's modernisation project continues, says Christine Shawcroft

Big cheeses meeting in Red Leicester

Christine Shawcroft reports

Educate, nominate, organise

Brighton block - Stanton stamped on

Kebabing Labour's dodgy donors

Dorothy Macedo previews the Network of Socialist Campaign Groups' AGM.

Council cabinets close door on democracy

The Blair Government is eager to promote cabinets in local government, but Hammersmith have already jumped the gun, with an Executive Mayor and a Board of seven deputies since May 1998. Councillor Keith Mallinson reports.

The end of Co-operation

Another chance to aviod disaster

The Ken Livingstone column

Trade unions

Striking sparks victory

Did you read about the Jubilee Line strike and wonder about the result? Here Steve Kelly, Jubilee Line AEEU Shop Steward and secretary of Builders Fightback Group, reports on the outright victory by 700 electricians on the Jubilee Line Extension (JLE).

RMT election for General Secretary

Sacked workers' fight goes on

Union members try to teach college lesson

Sarah Cotterill, Manchester Central CLP, reports.

Trade Union Notebook

Leading with the left

The Geoff Martin column

International

Iraqi blood is on Blair's hands

Dr Mohammed Al-Obaidi, an Iraqi exile long resident in Britain recounts the sufferings of his family in Iraq.

CND statement on the brutal bombing of Iraq

Dave Knight, CND chair.

Bonanza for arms industry

Executioners tighten noose

Glen Rangwala, of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq, reports on the devastation wrought of "a policy primarily affecting the poorest and weakest in the vain hope that the pain will trickle up".

Noam Chomsky speaks out

Noam Chomsky, interviewed in the Indian publication Frontline.

Butler's UNSCOM serves US interests

Mike Marqusee reports on how the US exploited the UN weapons process.

Blair's weapon of mass deception

Oil, dosh and destruction

Were oil prices a factor in the bombing of Iraq? Here we reproduce the view of Noam Chomsky.

Information on campaigns against war with Iraq

Milosevic launches murder massacre

Maude Paul reports.

Pinochet's murder plan exposed

As the Chilean dictator's PR campaign takes off, his supporters demand that national sovereignty is respected. Patricia Isasa, Argentine architect and human rights researcher, tells LLB how little the general respected it in power.

Campaigning for Pinochet's victims

The arrest and proposed extradition of Pinochet has galvanised many into activity. Sue Lukes, who chairs the Chile Committee for Justice, explains its work.

Russia: genocide and fascism loom

Lisa Taylor reports on the situation in Russian and the launch of a new solidarity campaign.

US puppets cling on in Haiti

Recently Ben Dupuy, leader of the National Popular Assembly, one of Haiti's largest popular organisations and co-director of the newspaper Haiti Progres, visited London and spoke to Mike Phipps.

Haiti crisis comes to a head

Rebels breach castle walls

Brian Campbell, editor of Sinn Fein's An Phoblacht/Republican News, visits the seat of the new Northern Ireland Assembly.

"British state remains in complete control"

Not everyone supports the Irish peace process. Liam Mac Uaid spoke to John McAnulty, an activist of thirty years' experience and one of the authors of the new Socialist Democracy book The Real Irish Peace Process.

Political crackdown in Turkey: two murdered

The arrest and proposed extradition of Pinochet has galvanised many into activity. Sue Lukes, who chairs the Chile Committee for Justice, explains its work.

The divine right of bankers?

The Michael Hindley column

Fighting racism

Racist press stokes up fascist menace

Dave Turner, an active anti-fascist in Kent for the past 21 years, reports on opposition to Nazi activity in Dover and the local media's role in targeting Roma refugees.

Join the fight for asylum and immigration rights

John Stewart, of the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, looks at an important joint campaign against further restrictions on asylum and immigration rights.

Double victory for campaign against deportation threats

John Stewart reports.

Refugee rights campaign is all there on papers

Sara Callaway (Black Women for Wages for Housework) and Benoit Martin (Payday Men's Network) report on the French asylum rights campaign that is crossing state borders.

Obituary

Ron Huzzard

Frank Allaun pays tribute to a man of the highest principles.

Donald Soper

Leonora Lloyd pays tribute to a neglected aspect of his activites.

Reviews

Cracking the code of cancerous capitalism

Mike Phipps reviews three books which take a look at the left's response to "globalisation".

One of the prices of war

Mike Phipps reviews Hidden Wounds by Aly Renwick.

Film's Bul-worth going to see

Mike Marqusee reviews Bulworth.

The ramblings of a mediocrity

Eddie Tucker reviews The Unfinished Revolution by Philip Gould.

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 March issue is Monday 15th February. If you wish to contribute please phone us first. We reserve the right to edit all articles.

Editorial Board: Editorial Board: Graham Bash, Padna Bhatt, Ramen Bhattacharrya, 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, Sean Fitzpatrick, 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).

Front photo: ©Paul Mattsson

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