Workers Party Victory in Rochdale—Thursday 29 February 2024 Labour Affairs congratulates George Galloway on his victory. George Galloway has won a landslide victory in the Rochdale by-election, saying his victory showed Keir Starmer has paid a “high price” for his stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict as Labour’s suspended candidate slumped to fourth in its former … Continue reading Workers Party Victory in Rochdale
John Clayden Government Training Centres were I think set up during the war or just after and were nationwide and were set up with trade union cooperation but were later destroyed by Thatcher. The one in Perivale West London I attended covered the various building trades and engineering trades, sheet metal work as well … Continue reading Apprenticeships—by a Former Apprentice
In the February issue of Labour Affairs we outlined the Workers Party policy advocating that fans take control over their own local football clubs. It was noted that this is still to a large extent the case in countries such as Germany. There fan-controlled clubs are able successfully to fight off threats from powerful financial … Continue reading Fan-Controlled Football Clubs in Germany—a Success Story
Dave Gardner Half the young people in Britain do not intend to go to university. Many of those who do, feel that they have no choice, even if they don’t particularly wish to. But what other choices do they have? This is where choices for young people become problematic. The main educational destination is a … Continue reading The Apprenticeship Fiasco
Restoring Football to the Community Part of the Workers Party of Britain programme https://workerspartybritain.org Football, with its roots firmly in working class Britain, should become the “people’s game” once again. In recent years external predatory capitalist forces have stolen the game from the people. We see ever-increasing commercialisation and exploitative merchandising. Financial institutions, particularly from … Continue reading Campaign for fan-owned Football
The problem of housing the less-affluent working class. By Eamon Dyas We have now arrived at the point where the second Labour minority government took power in 1929. In terms of housing policy the most significant difference between this second Labour administration and its predecessor was the absence of John Wheatley, from Ramsay MacDonald’s 1929 … Continue reading LABOUR AND HOUSING – Part 14.
Workers Plan for Steel A union with a vision for the steel industry and the country. As part of Unite’s campaign to fight for the steel industry, open letters have been written by 130 businesses, associations and clubs in Port Talbot, 150 in Scunthorpe, 130 in Teesside, 150 in Sheffield. We reproduce the Teesside letter and comments, underneath … Continue reading Unite—The Union: A workers Plan for Steel
Dave Gardner In the July/August editorial of Labour Affairs, we drew attention to the British trade unions at their most influential period between the Second World War and the late 1970s. It is worth asking ‘What is a trade union?’ before going on to the question of the role that they may or may not play … Continue reading Party Politics, Trade Unions and the Scope of Collective Action.
An imaginary interview between the BBC and a progressive Labour Party by Michal Lerner BBC: Labour says that it will eliminate the cap on child benefit. That will cost some £1.3 billion. How will Labour pay for it? LP: A Labour government will pay for it the way British governments pay for everything that has been approved by … Continue reading How to pay for it. The case for the elimination of the cap on child benefit.
Froggy In France political movements and the remaining political parties (Socialist party, Communist party) hold annual ‘summer universities’ rather than conferences. The Melenchon outfit with a ridiculous name designed to put off adults (France Insoumise/France Unbowed) held its summer university where a grown up actually spoke. This is François Ruffin, deputy for France Insoumise in Northern France. He … Continue reading France’s hopeless left opposition
Housing in Red Vienna and the question of reform v. revolution Eamon Dyas Although the phenomenon that is usually referred to as “Red Vienna” began with the election of the Social Democrats to the City Council in May 1919 the legacy of that phenomenon can be dated to the imposition of the taxation system introduced … Continue reading Red Vienna
Extracts from the Daily Herald [The Daily Herald was an important publication, being the only paper in Britain oriented towards the interests of the working class. It always struggled financially, not having wealthy proprietors. It started in 1911 by trade unionists; its line was always to support workers and strikers; it was against the war in 1914 … Continue reading Newspaper proprietors
In last month’s issue Labour Affairs argued that the British two-party system of representative parliamentary democracy was largely a theatre, giving the impression of serious political rivalry about substantial policies but artfully concealing underlying agreements between the parties on nearly all the important issues. Conventional party politics is an illusion of real choice. Phoney antagonisms are worked … Continue reading Party Politics and State Power—Editorial
Eamon Dyas We are living in interesting times as we witness the death throes of one world and the birth of a new one. But we, who are old enough, have lived through similar times in the past and looking back with the benefit of hindsight the main lesson that comes out of this is … Continue reading For what do we struggle?
Glossary From Problems of Capitalism and Socialism special series on the Bullock Report, Number 2 AUEW: Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers led by Hugh Scanlon (see below). Anuneasy amalgamation of engineers, builders, foundry workers and white collar workers (TASS). TASS, which was Communist Party dominated, split away and merged with the Association of Scientific, Technical … Continue reading Who was who and what was what in industry and politics in the 1970s
[Since Mick Lynch made this speech, the government have announced the closure of all ticket offices.] RMT Press Office: In his annual address to RMT AGM, general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The RMT is sound, robust and in good shape to meet the challenges ahead. "However, we cannot be complacent because the challenges are significant. … Continue reading Mick Lynch in his Own Words
Minimum Service Bill (3) 21 June 2023 House of Commons—Hansard The Minimum Service Bill is not just ludicrous, it is also authoritarian. Having no opposition to speak of, the government acts as if it can do what it likes. Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab) He currently undertakes the roles of Shadow Minister (Business and … Continue reading Minimum Service: a “Ludicrous Bill’ (3)
The International Labour Organisation and the Minimum Service Bill From Morning Star June 20 2023 UN watchdog condemns anti-union Strikes Bill by Matt Trinder Industrial reporter The United Nations launched an “embarrassing” attack on the Tory government’s latest assault on unions and the right to strike yesterday. In a rare but damning intervention, the International … Continue reading ILO and the Minimum Service Bill
Labour Affairs 