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In a typically New Labour Blunketty, weaselly way, the chief inspector of schools, David Bell, managed to sound both tolerant and intolerant in the space of several minutes, when he attacked the separateness of "faith" schools. He said, "I worry that many young people are being educated in faith-based schools with little appreciation of their wider responsibilities and obligations to British society."

Four British citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay were set to be released this week. Mamdouh Habib, an Australian citizen, is also due for release. A recent interview with his lawyers, by Socialist Worker’s sister paper in Australia, gave an insight into the conditions suffered by the detainees.

THE ELECTION in Iraq this weekend is nothing but a fraud. I have registered as eligible to vote, but will not be voting. What right have I, living in relative safety in Britain, got to decide what goes on in Iraq? Anyone whose father is Iraqi can vote, while many in Iraq cannot. Does this sound like a free and fair election?

A TERRITORIAL Army (TA) soldier has resigned from the force in protest at the war and occupation of Iraq.

The British jazz scene has often been overshadowed by its much larger American cousin. But a new series starting on BBC4 next Friday lifts the lid on the development of jazz in this country. In doing so, it offers a fascinating glimpse of Britain’s multicultural history.

Ali Fadhil, the Iraqi who made the documentary about the US assault on Fallujah shown last week on Channel 4, has delayed leaving Britain so that he can speak at the Stop the War Coalition student teach-in on 2 February. For more details of the teach-in see page 10.

THE ELECTION for the new leader of Unison, Britain’s biggest public sector union, begins on Tuesday of next week. Jon Rogers is the United Left candidate for Unison general secretary. The debate in the elections will centre on the union’s relationship with New Labour.

Myth One Pensions are a huge burden on taxation. At present 5 percent of Britain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes on pensions. The government’s official statistics say that even in 2050 this will only be 5.7 percent. This is not a crisis.

FRANCE WITNESSED two of the most extraordinary mass strikes since May 1968 in the fight against pension reform. At the heart of the battles in the winter of 1995 and the spring of 2003 was the fight against increasing the retirement age—just as in Britain today.

5% Share of GDP the British government spends on pensions

WORKERS AT the Filtrona factory in Switzerland—owned by the British-based company Bunzl—are engaged in a bitter fight to save their factory from closure.

FOR THE forward-looking gang at internet-based gadget emporium Firebox.com, 2004 was a great year. The small, private business saw another gargantuan leap in profits. In December the company was named Britain’s 13th fastest growing private company in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.