Socialist Worker

---

Lies from the top as the Tories push for war on Syria

Cameron put his case for bombing Syria in parliament on Thursday of last week. He claimed military intervention is the only way to keep Britain safe from a terrorist attack by Islamist group Isis.

---

International Comment Features Reviews What We Think Other

News

George Osborne forced into a U-turn—but still ramps up austerity

The Tories may have been pushed into a U-turn, but the Autumn Statement isn’t good news, says Simon Basketter

Frustration and disappointment as BMA suspends junior doctors' strike

Junior doctors across England were set to walkout for 12 hours this morning, Tuesday, in the first of three planned walkouts.

Open University workers keep up action with rolling strikes to stop cuts

Open University (OU) workers have begun a week of rolling strikes in protest at plans to close seven regional OU centres and slash 500 jobs.

Pickets on Huddersfield buses refuse to be divided

Some 190 bus drivers in the Unite union struck in Huddersfield on Monday of this week.

Drive home the advantage in pay fight at Tesco hubs

Over 700 Tesco lorry drivers and warehouse workers at distribution hubs in Doncaster and Belfast are being balloted to strike over a “pitiful” pay offer.

Rise to the challenge to stop job cuts at Hovis in Wigan

More than 100 jobs are set to be slashed at the Hovis factory in Wigan.

News in-brief

Teachers at Birmingham’s Small Heath School were set to strike on Thursday of next week.

Paris talks greeted by opposition on the streets

Tens of thousands joined climate protests worldwide as leaders blew hot air at the Cop21 summit in Paris

Jeremy Corbyn is in retreat as the Labour right goes to war

Letting MPs follow their ‘conscience’ needlessly hands the warmongers a victory at the expense of Syria—and of Jeremy Corbyn, writes Nick Clark

Reviews round-up

Coming Oot! A Fabulous History of Gay Scotland | ... Sings Dylan II

What is really behind the Syrian conflict?

Bashar al-Assad has been president of Syria since 2000. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled from 1970 to 2000.

Paramedic speaks out: crisis at London Ambulance Service driven by government policy

The London Ambulance Service (LAS) was branded inadequate and unsafe by the Care Quality Commission in a report released last week. It was the first ambulance trust to be put into “special measures”. The findings came as no surprise to any of us who work there.

Thousands take to the streets for emergency protests

Around 5,000 people joined an emergency protest outside Downing Street last Saturday against Britain joining the bombing of Syria. The protest had been called with just a few days’ notice.

Imperialist rulers are out to battle each other, not Isis

The world’s imperialist powers are rounding on Syria. They claim they’re “fighting terrorism” or “helping” ordinary Syrians.

Stop war on Syria round up

David Cameron claimed bombing Syria is necessary because Isis poses a specific evil.Yet in August 2013 he said bombing Syria was necessary because of the specific evil of president Bashar al-Assad.

DVSA workers turn it up a gear with rolling walkouts

Driving examiners working for the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have escalated action against plans to lengthen the working day.

Unison activists raise concerns over general secretary election

As voting in the Unison union general secretary election was coming to a close this week, activists were raising concerns about incumbent Dave Prentis’s campaign.

Cops won’t be prosecuted for spying on Janet Alder

Police officers who ran a surveillance operation on Janet Alder will not be prosecuted, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has told her.

Strikes needed to save tax office jobs

Workers at an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax office in Bootle, Merseyside, protested on Wednesday of last week against plans to close the office.

Hillsborough Inquests hear that better treatment may have helped some victims survive

Inquests into the deaths of fans who died due to the Hillsborough disaster have heard that better treatment may have helped some victims survive.

Thousands protest in London against Tory plan to bomb Syria

Ex nurse Leanne Walters was there with her children. She told Socialist Worker, “What they want to do is inhuman. I don’t think Syrian children are worth any less than my own children. It’s important that we all came out tonight.”

Protesters vow to fight on as Tories begin bombing Syria

Around 3,000 protesters took the streets outside parliament as MPs inside voted for war. The first airstrike was launched just a few hours later.

---

International

Europe's rulers find billions for clampdown on refugees

Many migrants trapped at Europe’s borders are resisting attempts to keep them out, says Dave Sewell

Greek prime minister Tsipras in crisis as mass strike looms

Workers across Greece were set to walk out for a general strike on Thursday of this week.

Abortion law ‘breaches’ rights rules Belfast High Court

The Belfast High Court has ruled that abortion law in Northern Ireland breaches human rights law.

South Korean state takes revenge after strike and mass protests

Trade union activists facing a brutal crackdown urgently need solidarity, writes Jong-hwan Kim

Greek general strike provokes political crisis

As Greece’s parliament debates its budget, workers held the second general strike in a month today, Thursday.

---

Comment

Blairites back war in Syria to take aim at Jeremy Corbyn

The drama over whether Britain should join the bombing campaign in Syria irresistibly recalls the feverish climate in February and March 2003, in the lead-up to the Anglo-American assault on Iraq.

---

Features

Trapped in emergency—repression and defiance on the streets of France

Muslims in France speak to Dave Sewell about the repression they face under the state of emergency

Abuse—a family affair

A new report shows most child abuse takes place inside families. Sadie Robinson argues this reflects a class society that puts children at the bottom of the pile

---

Reviews

Hardboiled cop show Luther is still fresh after five years

The BBC’s crime show Luther is back for a fourth series. But it remains fresh—because it refuses to be a regular cop show, writes?Tomáš Tengely-Evans

Modern Living by Matthew Darbyshire

This collection of artist Matthew Darbyshire’s work looks at how humans relate to the spaces that they live in. He looks at the way people amass objects for the home, shop or office and what these objects say about us and our society.

---

What We Think

It's up to us to stop Cameron's bombing plan in Syria

Politicians meet in committee rooms and sit on the green benches making decisions that can mean life or death.

Scandal shows that toxic Tories are in trouble

The multiple identities of Tory minister Grant Shapps quit last week. Shapps handed Tory aide Mark Clarke a key job for the 2015 election.

---

Other Categories

Letters

Members of Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) were disgusted to learn that the Co-op—of all banks—is closing all PSC accounts after to reviewing its “risk appetite”.

Things they say...

The Tories and press go wild at the prospect of war

Tory axe leaves black hole in local councils' finances

Contrary to claims by some of the press austerity is not over. Socialist Worker looks in more detail at Tory chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement

---