London Follow

Parents and teachers at Kingsland School in Hackney, east London, are determined to fight the threatened closure of the school. Hackney people desperately need Kingsland, one of only two mixed secular comprehensives in the borough.

MORE THAN 500 people took part in a noisy demonstration in London last Saturday against the government's Mental Health Bill. The bill's proposals may result in the forcible detention of around 600 people each year.

AWARD-WINNING campaigning journalist Paul Foot has been selected as the Socialist Alliance candidate in October's election for mayor of Hackney in east London. Voting begins on Monday 7 October, in three weeks time. His campaign has already attracted national media attention. Socialist Worker spoke to Paul Foot.

DOUG McAVOY, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), is to authorise a ballot for one-day strike action in London over allowances for working in the capital. NUT leaders say the ballot will take place before half term and they hope the NASUWT, the second largest teachers' union, will also vote for action on London allowances.

JOURNALISTS at EMAP Healthcare/PSM in London are considering further action after their one-day strike. Union members were told by national NUJ officials last week that an approach had been made by the conciliation service ACAS over the dispute. Branch members agreed to pursue this avenue to see if anything resulted.

PAUL FOOT, the Socialist Alliance candidate for the mayor of Hackney in east London, is frightening New Labour. The Independent newspaper reported last week, "Such was Millbank's consternation at the prospect of Paul Foot standing for election in east London that it turned to Mo Mowlam to become the Labour candidate. "But the former secretary of state for Northern Ireland had little hesitation in declining."

FORTY JOURNALISTS at EMAP Healthcare/PSM in London last week launched the first strike in national magazines for over a decade. The successful one-day action over pay follows a series of strikes by journalists in local and regional newspapers.

PARENTS AND children were subjected to disgusting intimidation last week as education managers forced through a nursery closure in Hackney, east London. Officials of the Learning Trust, which now runs education in the borough, believed that an occupation was planned at St John's nursery. On Thursday of last week they did everything possible to stop parents getting into the facility.

CAMPAIGNERS in east London have stepped up their fight to defend trade union rights and to stop a massive privatisation scheme. Over 40 people met on Thursday of last week to plan the campaign for the full reinstatement of Unison branch secretary Phil Billows (pictured right) at the Barts and Royal London NHS Trust.

A GHANAIAN man has died after being arrested by police and taken to Stoke Newington police station in Hackney, east London. Kwame Wirdue was a 23 year old student in Britain. Police picked him up at a Sainsbury's in Dalston on Friday of last week.

OVER 2,000 firefighters and their supporters converged on Belfast from around Northern Ireland and Britain as the firefighters' campaign for decent pay hotted up last weekend. This latest Fire Brigades Union (FBU) demonstration had the same confident and vibrant spirit shown on previous demonstrations on the streets of London, Glasgow and other cities.

COUNCIL workers' unions last week reaffirmed their determination to fight for higher London weighting allowances for the capital's council workforces. Unless the employers come up with a satisfactory offer another one-day strike could be called later in September.