Durham County Council announced today, Wednesday, it will not fire around 2,000 teaching assistants on 31 December and rehire them on worse contracts the next day.

Ukip’s new leader Paul Nuttall can’t hide their old troubles

Newly-elected bigot Paul Nuttall now has to lead a deeply divided party, writes Sadie Robinson

Shocking new figures reveal neglect and corruption across police forces

The cops’ pet watchdog has received “complaints”—including potential “high level corruption”—regarding police handling of child sexual abuse cases.

NHS victory in Nottingham hits privateers Carillion

Campaigners fighting to defend the NHS across Britain can take heart from a victory against outsourcing giant Carillion in Nottingham last week.

Drivers vote for walkouts as Southern rail's crisis grows

Train drivers on Southern rail have voted by 87 percent to strike. Their first walkout is planned for 13 and 14 December.

Crossrail workers occupy bosses' office in protest over missing bonus

Over 100 construction workers protested against Crossrail bosses in London last Friday.

Arcadia distribution walkout hits 'cyber Monday' as workers strike in Solihull

Arcadia distribution workers in Solihull struck on Monday—one of the year’s busiest online shopping days.

Diane Abbott speaks out against racism as Labour MPs call for immigration to be reduced

The divisions within the Labour Party over immigration have been laid bare

South Gloucestershire parents ask, ‘Why can’t schools be run by local authority?’

Around 400 parents, teachers and students protested outside the gates of the Winterbourne Academy in South Gloucestershire last Saturday.

Reports round-up: Nazi hardcore drowned out by Bolton anti-fascists

Over 200 anti-fascists outnumbered up to 80 Nazis from National Action and English Defence League splinter groups in Bolton last Saturday.

Uneven response to Labour's national day of action for the NHS

Labour Party members and health campaigners took part in a national day of action for the NHS last Saturday.

International

Donald Trump's school chief funds calls to revive child labour

Donald Trump last week appointed an education secretary who helps to run and fund a think tank that proposed bringing back child labour.

Austerity-lite has given a dangerous boost to the right in Italy

The right has fed off a political crisis in Italy but workers’ action could shift the mood to the left, writes Simon Basketter

Nazi Norbert Hofer could win Austrian presidency in election re-run

As Austria’s rulers make peace with the fascists ahead of a presidential election, only militant opposition on the streets will push back the threat

Workers across public sector in Greece walk out against Syriza government's austerity

Public sector workers struck across Greece against austerity measures on Thursday of last week.

‘It’s our turn to fire you’, South Korean workers tell president

In a sign of the growing pressure on South Korean president Park Geun-hye to resign, she announced that MPs would decide her fate on Tuesday.

Comment

Capitalism’s woes run deeper than Brexit

Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement marked another stage in the low-intensity warfare that has gripped the Tory party. They’ve been squabbling since David Cameron struck his ill-fated deal with the European Union (EU) in February.

Features

It’s time to delete alt-right

The movement of bigots that Donald Trump has brought off the web forums into the White House tries to look edgy, but Nazis are at its heart

'We won't be bullied'—meet the women standing up to Labour in County Durham

County Durham teaching assistants are battling against the odds—and pushing their union officials—to take the fight to a Labour council trying to slash their pay. Raymie Kiernan spoke to the women leading the fight

Reviews

The ABC of Capitalism—it’s back to school for young and old with this exhibition

There are hard plastic chairs and work on the walls—but this is no ordinary classroom. The ABC of Capitalism is seriously good fun, writes Geoff Brown

John Pilger's film The Coming War On China exposes US brutality in Pacific Ocean

Veteran left wing filmmaker John Pilger turns the tables on US scaremongering about Chinese military expansion by exposing the imperialist history of the US in the Asia-Pacific region.

What We Think

The west is no help to Syria

Forces supporting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad had taken control of up to a third of east Aleppo at the start of this week. The area has been under siege since 2014 and the situation for people there is dire.