Socialist Worker

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No to the racist backlash over Isis - former Guantanamo prisoner Moazzam Begg speaks out

Moazzam Begg spoke to Socialist Worker about the racist backlash in the media over "Jihadi John" and how it is part of an Islamophobic agenda that goes right to the top.

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International Comment Features Reviews What We Think Other

News

Hundreds debate Syriza and socialist strategy

Up to 300 people came to a debate on Syriza and socialist strategy in central London on Wednesday of last week. The debate was organised by the International Socialism journal (ISJ).

Essex fire strikers defiant as bosses lock out workers

Firefighters and 999 control operators in Essex struck on Sunday and Monday of this week over attacks on their jobs and the service.

Meet Jenny Sutton the TUSC candidate for Tottenham

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidates are standing in May’s general election to offer an alternative to racism and austerity.

Defend sacked cleaners’ union rep Clara Osagiede

RMT union rep Clara Osagiede has outrageously been sacked by Interserve, the cleaning company used by London Underground.

Amey maintenance workers' pay strike cut short for new deal

Motorway maintenance workers ended their dispute with Amey on Monday of this week.

Reports round-up

Short news stories on pay strikes by Met office workers, campaigning against blacklisting on Crossrail, Freedom Riders protest, day school on workers' resistance in China and solidarity campaigns with Palestine.

Habib "Paps" Ullah cops face further questions after inquest

A jury concluded this week that Habib “Paps” Ullah’s death in custody was a result of "misadventure". 

Education reports round-up

Campaign against academies in Lewisham grows as schools set to strike, Barnsley College votes to escalate strikes and outrage over adult education cuts

Disabled People Against Cuts hold day of action to minimise Maximus

There were protests outside 31 Maximus offices and assessment centres across Britain on Monday of this week, as it began testing sick and disabled claimants of ESA benefit.

Abuse in Yarls Wood immigrant detention centre exposed again

An undercover Channel 4 News investigation into Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre has confirmed detainees’ allegations of racism and abuse. 

Jimmy Savile had links right up to top of society

Victims were ignored because of abuser’s connections to the rich and powerful, writes Sadie Robinson

‘Challenge racism against immigrants on 21 March’ says Labour MP Diane Abbott

Diane Abbott MP called for a challenge to racism in the run-up to the election.

Hundreds of anti-racists march through Margate to stand up to Ukip

Up to 700 people protested against Ukip in Margate last Saturday as the racist party held its spring conference. The demo included local anti-racists, students and trade unionists.

Protesters resist the cuts in councils' new budgets

Hundreds of trade unionists and community campaigners protested against cuts in local councils across Britain last week.

Stop Heathrow expansion

A rally against expansion at Heathrow airport took place in central London on Tuesday of this week.

News round-up

Schools expel vulnerable kids | Stop eviction at Aylesbury

Police information on Hillsborough fans was 'false', inquests hear

Police gave a false impression of fans’ alcohol consumption in the wake of the Hillsborough football disaster, an inquest has heard.

Racists guilty of assault at Palestine literary festival

Racists from the so-called Jewish Defence League have been found guilty of assault after they attacked a panel at a Palestine literary festival last September.

State terror and West’s wars helped create an Isis fighter

The revelation that the Isis executioner known in the Western media as “Jihadi John” was Londoner Mohammed Emwazi has unleashed a new flood of Islamophobia.

Building the alternative at TUSC conference in Scotland

Over 70 socialists, trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners joined a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) rally in Glasgow last Saturday.

ICO strikers demand more pay after exposing bosses’ huge rises

Around 30 strikers from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) braved snow to demonstrate outside the ICO’s prestigious Data Protection Practitioner Conference in Manchester on Monday. As exhibiters and delegates arrived, union members chanted “Low Pay, No Way”.

Thousands take to the streets of London to demand action on climate change

More than 20,000 marched through central London today, Saturday, demanding urgent action to tackle climate change. The Time to Act demonstration was called to put climate change at the top of the agenda ahead of the general election in May and the international talks in Paris in December.

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International

Splits in Syriza after leaders sign deal for more austerity

Greece’s left wing government began a new test last week as it returned from eurozone negotiations to face its supporters at home.

Fury as cops kill homeless man in Los Angeles

Killing of an unarmed black man in US is the latest police atrocity to be filmed, Annette Mackin reports

Mass march in Russia after Putin critic is murdered

Tens of thousands of people marched through Moscow on Sunday of last week following the murder of opposition figure Boris Nemtsov.

Clampdown on socialists in South Africa leads to 49 arrests

South African police have arrested 49 activists after opening fire on two protests on Thursday of last week. These include Trevor Ngwane, a well known figure in anti-privatisation campaigns.

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Comment

Will the Greens unlock parliament?

As the Green Party gathers for its spring conference in Liverpool, the party is still riding on its recent boost in support.

Resistance can beat the Eurogroup rulers

The Greek struggle has only just started, and we need to learn the lessons of its opening phase, writes Alex Callinicos.

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Features

Sexism is in the system

Women’s oppression is about more than individual acts or attitudes—it is structured into society. To overthrow it we have to get rid of the system, writes Sadie Robinson

Make the rich pay

There's no need for austerity - and we have the numbers to prove it

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Reviews

Election! Britain Votes - A look at the political crisis through a history of struggle

The People’s History Museum’s new exhibition Election! unearths Britain’s electoral history and probes the crisis in politics today, writes Mark Krantz

House of Cards - A political thriller of murder, corruption and deceit

This star-spangled series features US Democrat Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) on a ruthless climb to the top of US politics.

Reviews round-up

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage | Salt and Silver—Early Photography, 1840-1860 | Yankee Cries And Rebel Yells—The American Civil War

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What We Think

Isis - the real problem is Western imperialism

Muslims face a new racist crackdown after the identity of “Jihadi John” was revealed.

Our rulers won't combat climate change - we have to rise up to save the planet

Protesters marching in London this Saturday will say it is time to act on climate change. They are right.

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Other Categories

Letters

Resisting Immigration Street in Southampton and stop and search in Scotland

How can we take back the wealth from the rich?

The world’s rich have plenty of wealth that we could use to end austerity.

Ukip stands for no policies but has plenty of prejudice

With just weeks to go until the general election Ukip STILL has no policies. But don’t think this reflects internal wrangling and rows within the racist party. On the contrary, it is in fact a cunning plan by party leader Nigel Farage.

How did nationalist despair hijack the hopes in Ukraine?

Tomáš Tengely-Evans talked to disillusioned demonstrators in Kiev a year after protests brought down a government. He analyses how the country can escape the brutal civil war

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