Galloway document: first thoughts
The post below details what little is so far known of an eight-page critique of the SWP’s role in Respect, penned by none other than the solitary Respect MP, George Galloway. Here’s a couple of initial observations on the development. First question: why did Galloway write it? Given that he has connived actively with the [...]
The SWP and Respect
Extract from this week’s edition of the SWP internal bulletin, Party Notes, as published over at Socialist Unity: Two week’s ago Respect won a spectacular by-election in Shadwell in Tower Hamlets. For Respect activists and the Labour Party it demonstrated that Respect had not gone away and had a real chance of winning a seat [...]
Labour selections: Walthamstow and Streatham
Luke Akehurst lists some of the runners and riders in forthcoming Labour selections in two London seats. Campaign Groupie Neil Gerrard is throwing in the towel in Walthamstow, which has for opted to nominate his successor through an all women shortlist. Early frontrunners seem to be leftwinger Laura Bruni, secretary of the constituency party, and [...]
Labour in Hull East: family business?
Coronations are one thing. A hereditary monarchy is another. The Guardian website follows up a story in the Independent this morning, announcing that John Prescott is likely to step down as MP for Hull East at the next election. The House of Lords is likely to beckon for Chipolata Boy, a one time trade union [...]
LCR to launch ‘anti-capitalist’ party in France
The Ligue communiste révolutionnaire is going ahead with plans to launch a new and broader far left party in France. Local assemblies will be convened before the end of 2008 to discuss the question and organise the founding conference, according to a story in Le Monde republished here [in French]. Incidentally, the French Trots – [...]
Heckler & Koch boss funds Tories
How interesting to learn from the Electoral Commission website that an individual by the name Andreas Heeschen has donated £58,000 to the Conservative Party over the last year. That’ll be the bloke who nows owns Heckler & Koch, manufacturer of the fine submachine guns and assault rifles that aficionados believe to be the finest in [...]
Labour: Scottish coronation
Around 300 Scottish Labour lefts met in Glasgow on Sunday to determine whether or not they could muster the five MSPs necessary to mount a challenge to Wendy Alexander for the party leadership north of the border. They couldn’t. [Hat tip: a gloating Luke Akehurst] Bookmark It
Why stick with Marxism?
There any number of conceptual lenses one can use to analyse international relations today. But let’s cut to the chase. If you rule out such notions as a secret Zionist/illuminati/shape-shifting lizard world government or the possibility that we are now living through the events outlined 2,000 years ago in the Book of Revelations, the sensible [...]
Max Roach 1924-2007
I was lucky enough a few years back to catch what must have been the last-ever British concert by Max Roach, the great jazz drummer who has died at the age of 83. This bloke played with ‘em all: Hawk, Diz, Duke, Getz and, of course, the classic Bird quintet. The decidedly unatmospheric main auditorium [...]
Brent: Stonebridge by-election
There’s an interesting by-election coming up on September 13 in the Stonebridge ward of Brent Central, a deprived outer London area with inner city problems. Last year it featured on a list of the ten most dangerous areas in the capital, ranked by number of muggings: Stonebridge in Brent, north-west London, was in tenth place [...]
