The crisis sweeping through the world’s financial markets threatens millions of people here in Britain.
Campaigners for the Left List were set to join a protest against airport extension at Heathrow airport in London on Thursday this week, Terminal Five’s opening day.
A council by-election held in Havering, east London on Thursday of last week has highlighted the danger posed by the fascist British National Party (BNP) – and underlined the importance of the Love Music Hate Racism carnival to be held in April.
The Labour government is pushing through the closure of more than 2,500 of Britain’s 14,000 post offices.
Left list candidates in Manchester are mounting a challenge in two council wards. Nahella Ashraf is standing in the Rusholme ward and Sue MacPherson is standing in Gorton South.
Left List candidate for the London assembly Kris Stewart, and supporters including candidate Tansy Hoskins, leafleted AFC Wimbledon football club’s game on Good Friday.
The Left List campaign for the London mayoral and assembly elections is up and running. Activists have been hitting the streets of the capital getting the message of opposition to war, racism and privatisation across to voters.
Workload was raised regularly at conference. A recent School Teachers Review Body (STRB) report found that primary school teachers were now working on average 52 hours a week. Teachers were clear that workload cannot be separated from other issues such as class size and pay.
A major theme of NUT conference was fighting for a different vision of education. Time after time delegates referred to the Unicef report that placed children in Britain 21 out of 21 in a league table of the well-being and happiness of children in the richest countries.
Conference voted overwhelmingly to support a motion opposing military recruitment in schools and to support teachers, students and parents who choose not to take part in events organised by the military.
Unite Against Fascism and Love Music Hate Racism had a big profile at conference. The NUT last year voted to set up a political fund, which will allow it to openly campaign against the BNP. Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the NUT, told conference, "I’m delighted that the ballot on our political fund was so successful. I will be very proud when the NUT can put out leaflets saying ‘Don’t vote for fascists and racists – don’t vote BNP’".
Around 250 people crammed into a fantastic fringe meeting on "Britishness, racism and war". The meeting was chaired by Baljeet Ghale, former President of the NUT, and addressed by Lindsey German from the Stop the War Coalition, Rose Gentle from Military Families Against the War and Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.
