The story of Robert Tressell and his book has been told and re-told by various authors, each account framed in accordance with their own perspective. His novel has also been the subject of academic scrutiny and literary criticism, but the approach adopted here is different. This new book focuses on the striking, not to say shocking parallels with modern day Britain, comparing Tressell’s descriptions of early 20th century Britain and with their 21st century counterparts.
Each subject is split into two parts, with the first section quoting examples from The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and in the second part evidence based modern-day equivalents are introduced.… Read on ...
Stop a SECOND waste incinerator at Belvedere, Borough of Bexley. The existing plant is already the largest incinerator in Greater London. (24 other London boroughs have no incinerators!) The 2nd plant planned for the site, is to take London wide commercial waste for incineration. There will be extra health and environmental hazards caused by operating 2 giant waste burning incinerators in one place.
Former secondary maths teacher, primary school governor, College of North West London lecturer, and most importantly trade unionist, Indro Sen has died shortly before his 68th birthday.
I was invited to speak at the launch, on 26 March, of Anti-Nazi Germans, by Steve Cushion and Merilyn Moos. The launch had to be cancelled, but the following is, more or less, what I should have said.
Rayan was deported on Tuesday, 11th February. He is a resident of Tower Hamlets and lived with his partner, Jana, an EU citizen who has Indefinite Leave to Remain, and their two sons, aged three and twelve, both of whom were born in the UK and have British Passports. Rayan was closely involved in his children’s upbringing. The evidence shows ‘separated children develop emotional, behavioural and educational problems, including anxiety, depression and attachment difficulties’. Rayan was deported with no money, no belongings, no medication and no support plan for his medical condition in Jamaica.
We are entering a crucial phase in UCU’s two concurrent disputes. Our second wave of strikes represents an escalation in terms of strike days and the number of members involved in action.
When I was at school in the 1950s, we were told in geography lessons that the United States of America had no colonies. Even if one accepts the 13 original British colonies, this neglects the remaining 37 states. No one never seemed to wonder about the origins of names like Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Florida etc., which had originally been Spanish then Mexican before being seized by the US government. This book looks at the history of North America from the point of view of its Spanish speaking inhabitants and makes a useful counterbalance to the normal Anglo-centric historiography
The new Tory government has committed to imposing new anti-strike laws, specifically targeting railway workers. There is now an urgent need for the labour movement to renew campaigning against restrictions on our right to organise and take action.