England Follow

Yvonne Ridley is the political editor of the Islam Channel, the only English language Islamic focused satellite channel in Europe. She explained to Socialist Worker why the Islam Channel will be supporting the demonstration:

The prison population of England and Wales reached an all time high of 77,962 last week. It has gone up by 51 percent in ten years. Many campaigners are worried about what the increased jailing of people means.

BirdsongSebastian Faulks Set before and during the First World War, Birdsong is the story of Stephen, a young Englishman, who arrives in Amiens in 1910. His life goes through a number of traumatic experiences, from a love affair that tears apart the family he lives with, to the brutality of the war itself.

Asda suspended Hugh Bennett, a truck driver and GMB union steward in Wigan, for supporting the union’s strike ballot by writing "vote yes" on an England flag.

Asda suspended Hugh Bennett, a truck driver and GMB union shop steward in Wigan, last week for writing "vote yes" on an England flag attached to his cab. The words refer to a strike ballot currently under way.

Just how far Tony Blair is prepared to go was shown last week when he replaced foreign secretary Jack Straw – because Straw was seen as too soft on Iran. A man who just weeks ago paraded US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice around north west England is now no longer regarded by Blair as being sufficiently enthusiastic about waging war alongside George Bush.

Over 2,000 PCS civil service workers’ union members struck on Friday of last week in the Learning and Skills Council, including at the Coventry headquarters. They were striking over plans to slash 1,120 jobs and management’s refusal to offer a no compulsory redundancy guarantee. The one-day strike saw a number of offices close across England and others operate on skeleton staff.

Further education lecturers in England and Wales are gearing up for their two-day strike over pay. Natfhe, the lecturers’ union, represents the 25,000 FE lecturers who will be striking on 2 and 3 May.

Workers at the Alcan plant in Lynemouth near Ashington in the north east of England, begin industrial action on Monday as part of a long running pay dispute.

George Galloway launched the Respect local election campaign on Monday at a press conference in London. Respect is challenging the three main parties in many council seats across England.

Vibrant protests ruined the visit of Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, to north west England last week.

Home secretary Jack Straw has invited US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to north west England.