RMT: Bob Crow re-elected
Bob Crow has been re-elected unopposed as leader of transport union RMT, in what looks awfully like a vote of confidence for one of Britain’s most leftwing general secretaries. Crow received nominations from 131 of the union’s 225 branches. Bookmark It
Political lightbulb jokes
Herald columnist Ken Smith – surely not the Ken Smith who used to be press officer for the Militant? – offers this interesting snippet in today’s edition of the Glasgow daily: ‘Comedian Lenny Henry is compiling the best 100 lightbulb jokes as part of a power company’s campaign to urge bill-weary customers to buy low-energy [...]
John McDonnell on Gordon Brown’s pre-budget speech
Labour leadership contender John McDonnell on Gordon Brown’s pre-budget speech: ‘The quotation by the chancellor of a wide range of glowing economic statistics does not reassure the millions of people in our country who are facing intense financial pressures from worrying levels of debt, insecure employment prospects, oppressively long working hours, rising unemployment, mounting housing [...]
Respect gets second Birmingham councillor
Respect now has a group – no less – on Birmingham City Council, following Abdul Aziz’s recent defection from the Lib Dems. You can read all about it on the Respect website: ‘Cllr Aziz was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in 2005 and resigned the whip in November 2006 to sit as an independent. [...]
Replacing Trident: does Britain need nuclear weapons?
Blairism – so we used repeatedly to be told – is all about ‘thinking the unthinkable’. So can I offer a modest challenge to the line of thinking that has this week seen New Labour as good as commit to spending £15-20bn on a replacement for Trident? After all, £15-20bn is heck of a lot [...]
TGWU, Amicus merger: a rose by any other name?
The TGWU and Amicus are next year set to join forces in what will be Britain’s biggest union. This blog has already chronicled the lengths Amicus officials are prepared to stretch to stitch up their TGWU colleagues. But according to The Times this morning, the two sides get on so badly that they cannot even [...]
Goldman Sachs are still running the world
When Gordon Brown – in one of his first acts as chancellor – handed the Bank of England control over interest rates, Labour leftwinger Diane Abbott responded with what remains one of my all-time top ten political soundbites: ‘On the basis of the argument that monetary policy is too important to leave to politicians, why [...]
Guest post: an old fart’s guide to house music
Guestblogger Kit writes: House music isn’t repetitive. It only sounds repetitive because you don’t like it. That’s probably because there isn’t some overgrown gorilla in a leotard going ‘ra-ra-ra-ra’ or a human safety pin cushion screaming ‘anarch-ee-ee’ at you (while getting paid a wedge and going on ‘I’m A Celebrity…’ later on in life). Take [...]
Saturday Night Music Club: The Buzzcocks
Busy day today. I’m about to take Daddy’s Little Princesses to Hamley’s to pick their Christmas presents. Yes, shopping in the West End on a Saturday in December. Hell. But I should have more fun this evening, because me and the bird are going to see the Buzzcocks at the Forum. These punk band comeback [...]
Rules for guest posts
Dave’s Part will shortly host its first-ever guest post. In the spirit of promoting intergenerational understanding, tonight’s Saturday Night Music Club will feature the young ‘n’ ineffably hip young Trot Kit – I’m old enough to be his dad, you know – explain the ins and outs of house for the benefit of the over [...]
