Eamon Dyas The main development we should be watching is not the 'coalition of the willing' versus Russia. Rather, it is the emerging battle between the commission and the nation states of Europe. Where will Germany be in that battle? When a group of states unite in forming what is effectively a military alliance with … Continue reading The European Commission will take us to war
Parliament Notes A lone voice of sanity in the House of Lords House of Lords, Monday 17th March 2025 “My Lords, last Thursday, the noble Lord, Lord Howell, asked the House to take note of the UK’s international position. My purpose today is narrower but more urgent; to ask the Government what their Ukraine policy … Continue reading Lord Skidelsky on the Government’s Ukraine Policy
After various incarnations as UKIP and the Brexit Party, Reform UK has become a major force in British politics. The Reform Party is the political vehicle of Nigel Farage, a longstanding political operator on the right of British politics who, although he has only just entered Parliament, has already exercised a huge influence on British … Continue reading What’s Reform UK’s Game? Editorial
Pat Walsh Did you know that President Trump is cancelling the New World Order the US proclaimed in the 1990s – starting with the last and most disastrous of its projects, the advance into the Ukraine? President Trump and his revolutionary band (Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, Steve Witkoff, General Kellogg and Pete Hegseth) have hit … Continue reading Trump cancels the New World Order
Ukraine and the supply of Russian gas to Europe - the European Commission and national sovereignty over energy By Eamon Dyas In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union the West became intoxicated by the prospect of Russia’s opening up its natural resources to Western business interests. This was represented at the time as a victory for the policies of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and it was only fitting thatthe version of capitalism that took the lead in converting Russia to free market economics was the onerepresented by both these … Continue reading Ukraine and the Supply of Russian Gas to Europe
Dave Gardner It is generally agreed that you are more likely to be successful in achieving your aims if you work with others to achieve those that you have in common. This is the basis of social life. Individuals who share a common interest are more likely to realise that interest if they work together. … Continue reading Trade unions
By Gwydion M. Williams East Ukraine: Invisible People Putin’s Modest Appetite Vance Orders Europe: Do It My Way Billionaires: Wealth Accumulators, not Wealth Creators Snippets Germany: a Nation Once Again? Germany’s Left Links and Alternatives Canada An Unwanted Example? Russia’s Narrow Escape Poland Stops Pretending to Like Ukrainians You Want the Law, But the Law … Continue reading Notes on the News
Palestinians in Egypt fear for return amid Trump uncertainty (Reem Sleem, Electronic Intifada, 27 February 2025) ICC urged to investigate Biden’s personal role in Gaza genocide (Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada, 26 February 2025) Tough return to harsh reality (Abdallah al-Naami, Electronic Intifada, 26 February 2025) By pulling Gaza film, BBC shows it cannot stand up … Continue reading Palestine Links, March 2025
BSW Newsletter, 27 February 2025 After the German General Election. [LA notes: BSW gained 4.97% of the popular vote. They need 5% to qualify to enter the Bundestag. Note how unique they are: the only socialist, non-authoritarian, non-imperialist party in German politics.] This is the newsletter of Sahra Wagenknecht, Member of the German Bundestag. In … Continue reading Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance
Labour Affairs is reprinting the address of Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China to the 61st Munich Security Conference. In his address Wang Yi sets out the principles for international relations: Equal treatment of nations. Respect for international law. Practice of multilateralism (i.e. look for solutions that respect the interests of all … Continue reading China Talks Peace and Good Sense
Throughout January, there has been much excitement in the main stream media about the state of the government finances. Apparently the ‘bond vigilantes’, by reducing the amount they were prepared to pay for a government bond, were expressing their displeasure with proposed government policies. We were told that Reeves was ‘all out of money’ and would likely … Continue reading Reeves’ False Debt and Interest Problems
Labour Affairs Group There are now four main pieces of counter-terrorism legislation: the Terrorism Act 2000, the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, and the Terrorism Act 2006. Plus The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (which includes the “Prevent” programme). In fact this list may not be exhaustive, as the anti-terror legislation keeps … Continue reading Use of the Terrorism Acts against Palestine supporters
Eamon Dyas Although placing limits on freedom of expression has always been a feature of western democracies — particularly in angst-ridden Germany — I’ve noticed since Covid an upsurge in the way in which public figures in the west are increasingly describing freedom of expression as a privilege. In Britain the establishment’s use of antisemitism … Continue reading Is freedom of expression a privilege or an essential ingredient of democracy?
By Labour Affairs Rail maintenance budgets slashed The need for an energetic trade union leader for the RMT has not gone away. The issues within the industry that led to the industrial action have not been resolved. Scot Rail, state owned, is pushing ahead with a programme to reduce booking office hours, in some cases … Continue reading Mick Lynch retires
By Eamon Dyas I had meant to continue the previous article (Labour Affairs December 2024) on the attitude of the US to Europe’s relationship with Russian energy. But at the time of writing the newspapers and airways were dominated by the news of the decision by Kiev to end, on 31 December 2024, the long-standing … Continue reading Ukraine and the supply of Russian gas to Europe
Dave Gardner Human beings need to live in association with each other. They can live in societies without a state, but the world of today is dominated by states. But each of these states is composed of different kinds of social groups based on family, economic, religious and linguistic ties. The state relates not just … Continue reading Civil Society and Socialism
Reflections on questions concerning global warming Part Six: 5% of scientists can't be wrong or Science Whoring By Richard Jones I intended to write about attribution. I will, but mostly just to introduce the concept and the bare bones of the problem, as nothing I could write would compare with simply referring readers to the recent … Continue reading 5% of scientists can’t be wrong or Science Whoring
Eamon Dyas With Starmer reluctant to use home grown state funds to stimulate the economy he’s relying on blood money from the Ukrainian conflict as an alternative source. At what point does that policy - ostensibly designed to encourage Kiev to keep going - mean that the government’s domestic policy for growth has come to … Continue reading Growth through War?
Labour Affairs 