Labour-run Durham County Council is playing classic divide and rule to ram through its 23 percent cut to pay teaching assistants' (TAs) pay in the hope it can undermine a move towards strikes.

Reports round-up: Protests against NHS cuts and privatisation

Labour gets members mobilised in school fight

Labour’s day of action against Tory grammar schools got its activists out on the streets, reports Nick Clark

Right wing Labour MPs plan shadow cabinet comeback—but only on their terms

Jeremy Corbyn was under pressure this week to accept a compromise deal on shadow cabinet elections with those who tried to oust him.

Rotherham abuse case defendant denies knowing accusers

A man accused of sexual assaults denied knowing his accusers yet had contacted two of them on Facebook, a court has heard.

Trade unionists blockade Amazon depot

Also: LSE cleaners insist they are not second class

Radical Independence conference pushes for indyref2 and unity against austerity

Over 200 people attended the Radical Independence Campaign (Ric) conference in Glasgow last Saturday.

Orgreave and Rotherham 12 campaigns fight against injustices and lies

Around 80 people gathered for a conference hosted by the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign in Sheffield last Saturday.

Tories backtrack on deficit but are still out to line the bosses’ pockets

Chancellor Philip Hammond confirmed a “reset” of Tory economic policy in his speech on Monday, ditching any timetable for eliminating Britain’s deficit.

Tories show their nasty side with housing policy

Plans unveiled by the Tories to boost housing won’t come close to solving the crisis of a lack of affordable homes.

Southern Rail privatisers threaten to sack all strikers

Train guards on Southern Rail faced the sack unless they accepted a new role and agreed to bosses’ terms by Thursday this week.

Theresa May's talk of 'centre ground' can't mask her dangerous right wing vision

Prime minister Theresa May closed a Conservative Party conference of hard right wing policies by laying out her “vision” in a speech today, Wednesday.

Activists plan protests after Tories overturn Lancashire council's fracking ban

Communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid has overturned Lancashire County Council’s rejection of fracking today, Thursday. He authorised gas firm Cuadrilla to begin its dangerous drilling for shale gas at Preston New Road in the village of Little Plumpton.

Over 200 join solidarity protest outside court as trial of Rotherham 12 begins

More than 200 people protested on the first day of the trial of the Rotherham 12 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, today, Thursday.

International

More bombing won’t end the killing in Syria

Hundreds of people have been killed and whole residential districts destroyed in Aleppo, Syria, in the last two weeks.

Black Lives Matter protesters won’t accept a whitewash after more killings

Protests took place across the US over the weekend as the police’s killing spree continued apace.

Anger as politicians pledge to demolish Calais 'jungle'

The “jungle” shantytown of refugees in Calais is to be demolished “in the next few weeks”, French prime minister Manuel Valls vowed last Sunday.

Racist propaganda falls short in Hungary’s anti-refugee referendum

Also: Narrow vote rejects Farc peace deal in Colombia

South African student revolt grows in face of repression

The South African students’ revolt against a tuition fee hike continues—and has defied the authorities’ attempts to stop demonstrations and protests.

West plots to deport Afghan refugees back to warzone

Western governments and their allies are conniving to send Afghan refugees back to a warzone.

Chicago teachers suspend planned all out strike after 'tentative agreement'

The Chicago Teachers’ Union suspended a planned strike of 30,000 workers as Socialist Worker went to press.

Comment

Deutsche Bank— the profit unarmed

Deutsche Bank has symbolised German capitalism ever since its foundation in 1870, on the eve of Germany’s unification.

Features

What’s behind Labour’s migrant panic?

Too many Labour politicians are going along with the Tories’ racist arguments that migrants are taking jobs, houses and driving down wages. Dave Sewell looks at the facts

Reviews

Will Damned expose Tories’ cuts agenda in social work?

Damned, Channel 4’s new sitcom about social workers, made a decent start. But we’re yet to see if it will tackle the real issues, writes Louise Harrisen