HOME SECRETARY David Blunkett last week echoed one of the most disgusting speeches that Tory Margaret Thatcher ever made. In April 1978 Thatcher, then leader of the Tory opposition, said that the public were "really afraid that this country might be swamped by people of a different culture".
MAINSTREAM POLITICIANS and media commentators have had a field day exploiting the tragedy of Damilola Taylor. Much of the coverage has been an excuse to parade pet prejudices and political gimmicks, and to generate a panic over crime. The Sun's bigoted columnist Richard Littlejohn tried to blame the failure of the police investigation into the death of the black ten year old on "the stormtroopers of the race industry".
HAVE Jackson's supporters been surprised at the backing for you?
AROUND 80 people demonstrated outside South Shields Town Hall on Friday of last week against council plans to close or privatise the area's care homes for the elderly. Failure of the heating systems in several of the homes led South Tyneside council to commission a report from consultants KPMG at a cost of £45,000. It recommended closure or transfer to the private sector.
LEFT WING candidates have made gains in elections for the national executive of the civil servants' PCS union. Scottish Socialist Party member Janice Godrich has been elected president and Steve Cawkwell vice-president.
OVER 100 people attended a public meeting on Monday of this week commemorating the Holocaust. The meeting was jointly organised by the Sefton Unison union branch on Merseyside and the Holocause Memorial Project. Two Holocaust survivors addressed the meeting about their experiences.
Protests against corporate killing OVER 100 people protested in Brighton on Wednesday of last week as part of the national day of action called by the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign. Protesters, including Simon's parents, managed to close the offices of the Personnel Selection employment agency.
THE JOURNALISTS on Guardian Media Group newspapers in Manchester have won a victory over pay after a series of strikes. Management were forced to increase their pay offer the day before a nine-day stoppage by NUJ union members was due to start.
AROUND 100 postal workers lobbied the Department for Trade and Industry offices in London last week. They were protesting at the unfairness of the employment tribunal system, and particularly at the way Mick and Tom Doherty have been treated. The brothers worked for the Post Office in north London and were sacked nearly two years ago.
WORKERS ON Arriva Trains Northern were asking for support as they prepared to strike again this week in their on-going battle over pay. Retail and station staff were to strike for 48 hours, followed by guards on Friday and Saturday. That follows a 48-hour strike last week.
WORKERS AT Rolls-Royce Aerospace in Bristol are continuing to fight over plans to transfer their jobs. All three shifts in the compressor section walked out on strike on Monday of last week.
