Ambulance emergency
In November the Care Quality Commission gave the London Ambulance Service its lowest rating. What’s going on? And what is the way forward?
Trade gap widens
The latest official figures show that exports of goods and services fell in October while imports rose, leaving Britain in the red to the tune of £4.1 billion.
Borders: Brussels bids for power
The EU is proposing a radical extension of its powers, with plans to take over control of their member states’ borders in “emergencies”.
Postal workers walk out
No law can restrain workers when they choose to ignore it. In Bridgwater, Somerset, Post Office workers walked out without a ballot in protest at the dismissal of a colleague – and no law was invoked.
'Incoherent' teacher plans
A recent Ofsted report talks about local authorities failing to raise school standards – but noted the long-standing difficulties in recruiting teachers.
Local government pay talks under way
The 2016 local government pay negotiations are under way. Unite, GMB and Unison gird their loins for a battle, but the claim is weighted towards the “Living Wage”.
Welcome to the board: Labour, Inc
Alistair Darling, the former Labour chancellor, has been appointed to the board of directors at Morgan Stanley, the US-based financial services firm, while Gordon Brown is to join a global investment firm.
Co-op Bank close Cuba solidarity account
The Co-op Bank has closed the accounts of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. The action follows on the heels of the closure of 20 accounts held by British pro-Palestine groups.
Kellingley closes
13 December 2015
The last of Britain’s deep coal mines closed on 19 December. It sounds the death knell not only for coal mining but electricity generation from coal, hastened by government decsions posing as a commitment to deal with climate change.
The war must be stopped
3 December 2015
David Cameron has got his way, and the RAF is bombing Syria. We will all live to regret the despicable vote in parliament last night which saw the bombing authorised.
Student nurses and midwives in bursary protest
2 December 2015
War abroad, war at home. As parliament was debating the bombing of Syria, less than 100 yards up Whitehall student nurses and midwives were standing outside the Department of Health in a loud and lively protest against plans to scrap their bursaries.
Rail unions unite over driver-only trains
30 November 2015
In a significant move, rail unions ASLEF and RMT have agreed a joint statement opposing the operation of trains without a guard – a direct response to plans to operate new inter-city trains with drivers only.
Doctors show the way
27 November 2015
Junior doctors have forced health secretary Jeremy Hunt to go to Acas without precondition, which he said could not happen. The threat of industrial action starting on 1 December still stands, although withdrawal of labour is very difficult for junior doctors.
Sheffield rally urges action to save steel
23 November 2015
Steel workers from across Britain demonstrated in the “steel city” of Sheffield on Saturday, demanding urgent government action to save the industry.
It's still No to war on Syria
23 November 2015
Cameron is planning to come back to parliament with a motion to authorise British bombing in Syria. In this he is backed by many Labour MPs and aided by the weak-willed hints from all parts of the shadow cabinet about a “free vote”.
Capitalism: leading to an early grave
23 November 2015
A book by eminent researcher Sir Michael Marmot shows that people at relative social disadvantage suffer worse health and live shorter lives and gives evidence about how that can be prevented.
The USA: a force bad for the world
23 November 2015
The WikiLeaks files of US State Department cables reveal how the US government operates in world affairs. This book provides a thorough analysis of the different ways the US government keeps its power.
Winter kills: fuel poverty on the rise
23 November 2015
On Wednesday 25 November, figures will be announced for the number of additional winter deaths of older people due to cold-related illnesses – and black balloons will be released to indicate the scale of fuel poverty in Britain.
Hunt misses every target
15 November 2015
The NHS in England continues to miss many key targets, such as those for emergency responses and cancer care. A&E departments face a “perfect storm” this winter.
OECD indicators indict Britain's health spending
9 November 2015
The latest indictment of Britain’s spending on health has come from a formidable source – the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the club of leading capitalist countries.
Students fight against fees and debt
5 November 2015
Students from 60 university campuses across Britain converged on the Department of Business Innovation and Skills on Wednesday 4 November to call for an end to tuition fees and debt.
No energy policy = no British industry
Without a credible energy policy Britain’s entire industrial future is at risk. Events in steel and power hammer home that truth…
Credits for capitalists
Should British workers demand the right to working tax credits? The government’s push to reduce them is being greeted with howls of outrage from many.
Steel and industry
The current crisis in steel is a perfect example of the debacle facing Britain as a whole. First we have a formerly nationalised industry being privatised, then inevitably finding its way into foreign hands.
The lie of Social Europe
Many unions seem wedded to the EU. Yet look closely, and it’s clear the EU has been a disaster for workers…
It shouldn't be if Britain leaves the EU, but when
Even before an actual day was set for the EU referendum, the mongers of doom are predicting disaster if Britain leaves. Yet the opposite is true…
Struggle off the stage
A long-running dispute over front of house staff wages and conditions at the Globe Theatre in London has been “settled” – for the time being. This follows a one-day strike in May 2015, with the threat of further action. A degree of progress has been made.
The atomisation of England
Never mind that whenever the people have been asked they have said they don’t want it – devolution is to be forced on England…
Separatists join attack on BBC
The SNP is weighing in behind those who want to see an end to the BBC as we know it. Scottish Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop has just outlined her plans for a “federal BBC with at least a Board for each nation” with a budget controlled in Scotland.
Adult education campaign launched
The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is calling for support for its campaign to save adult education. The area is under increased threat in the run-up to the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.