SOCIALIST UNITY

Unofficial Labour candidate, Lutfur Rahman,  has been elected the first executive mayor of Tower Hamlets in a landslide. He received over 23,000 votes, more than twice the vote of his nearest rival, the official Labour candidate, Helal Abbas.

The turnout was very low, just over 25% but Lutfur’s majority was an indication of his overwhelming support in the Bangladeshi community, outraged by his deselection by Labour’s NEC, which was led by Harriet Harman, but the two numpty local MPs, Rushanara Ali and Jim Fitzpatrick allegedly played a role in influencing that foolish decision.

See Dave Hill’s Guardian blog for further info - http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2010/oct/21/london-london?showallcomments=true#end-of-comments

By DAVID GUNN, from the Scotsman

A group demonstrating against the UK Government’s spending cuts occupied a branch of Lloyds TSB in Glasgow city centre yesterday.

Members of Citizens United gathered in front of the City Chambers at around 11am before begining their protest in the St Vincent Street bank.

The 11-strong group, which included pensioners, shouted “no cuts, no cuts” as they held pieces of paper with messages including “Stand up for Glasgow. Stand united against these cuts”.

Some of the bank’s staff stood near the doors of the branch and told customers that they were closed as the demonstration continued inside.

Three police officers arrived and entered the branch at just before midday today.

Sean Clerkin, 49, a spokesman for Citizens United, who took part, said: “This is a formal occupation of a bank. Concerned citizens in a group called Citizens United have got together today to oppose the Government’s spending cuts which would decimate the social fabric of British society.

“What we are saying is no to that because there is an alternative. The alternative is very straightforward - tax the super rich and the rich, and also go after the tax evasion/tax avoidance and that would bring in £120 billion that would be needed to close the deficit.

“The banks caused this. This is why we are occupying a bank today. The banks caused this deficit. They got a massive bailout from the taxpayer, from the public sector. Why should public sector workers and the poor have to pay the price for their greed?

“Citizens United is non-party political, it is not a violent protest and there will be no damage to property. We will not be intimidating any workers in the bank.

“What we are saying is our society must come together. It’s (the cuts) going to split our whole society apart and that’s what must be avoided.”

Mr Clerkin said he hoped the protest would raise awareness and to make sure people “fight back” to make sure the cuts do not happen.

He said the cuts would lead to more criminals on the street and less police officers, which would result in more crime.

A list of anti-cuts demonstrations in towns and cities across the UK this weekend. Please help in distributing this list to other messageboards and mailing lists you have access to.

Also post details of other protests you are aware of below.

From small seeds…

* London: Assemble at RMT HQ, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD at 11.00am. March to TUC, Great Russell street, London WC1B 3LS where rally will be held from 12 noon. Called by the RMT, FBU, NUT, PCS and the National Shop Stewards Network
More info: http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/?p=1182
PDF flyer: http://www.pcs.org.uk/download.cfm?docid=80AD95BB-DAE2-49DF-BDB62A37CE312A77
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148201075219859

* Belfast: assemble 1pm College of Art Gardens. http://www.rmt.org.uk/  

* Bristol: Assemble: 11am, Castle Park, March through Bristol city centre, Rally: 12pm, College Green.
More info: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/E64C7F3B-3684-4F6E-A8AF937D22EBA3DA  

* Cambridge: Assemble 12 noon Parkside Fire Station, Rally 1.30pm, Large Hall, Cambridge Guildhall.
More info: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/49AB67A0-47C6-4A97-BA543095BBBE58D3  and http://www.cambstuc.org.uk/2010/10/defend-public-services-fight-all-cuts/#more-272  and http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/?p=1889

* Cardiff: assemble City Hall at noon. Supported by PCS, RMT, CWU, FBU & UCU and Cardiff & Swansea Trade Union Councils
More info: http://www.rmt.org.uk/  and http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/whatson/10319/23-10-2010/no-to-cuts-demonstrations-on-this-day

* Derby: ‘Derby People’s Day’ , Market Place, noon to 3pm, Speakers, music and street stalls. http://www.rmt.org.uk/  

* Edinburgh: assemble 11am: at East Market Street, march leaves 11.30am to Ross Bandstaff for rally from 12.30pm.
More info: http://www.thereisabetterway.org/events/1/there-is-a-better-way-demo  

* Lincoln: assemble noon at Castle Square, march to rally at Cornhill at 1pm.
More info: http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/?p=2032  

* Manchester: Assemble at St Peter’s square at 11am for a demo
Public meeting after the demo from 2pm in the Peterloo room, Mechanics institute, 103 Princess street, Manchester.
More info: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/67E63206-8744-4C55-B5AD30F5D99A2D58  and http://www.shopstewards.net/  

* Norwich: Rally starts at 12.30, HayHill. Organised by Norfolk Coalition Against the Cuts.
More info: http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-18353-f0.cfm?regional=7  and http://norfolkcoalitionagainstcuts.org/  

* Sheffield: regional demo assembling outside City Hall, 12.30pm.
More info: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/events/index.cfm/id/1DA8179F-EA1B-4C8E-89D21B338BD29CF1

* York: March and Rally in York City centre. Assemble 1pm in Parliament Street. March through city centre at 1.30pm.
More info: http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/?p=1944  and http://yorkstopthecuts.wordpress.com/  

Other protest details available via Coalition of Resistance website:
http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/

And at Unison and PCS websites:
http://www.unison.org.uk/spendingreview/events.asp  and http://www.pcs.org.uk/

PLEASE HELP IN DISTRIBUTING THIS LIST ON OTHER MESSAGEBOARDS AND MAILING LISTS YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.

compiled by alibi

FROM INDYMEDIA

Around 20 people walked into the Department for Business Innovation & Skills making themselves at home just after 8pm, setting up tents, unravelling banners, with one even climbing lighting rigging inside the lobby. London.

More pictures: http://www.demotix.com/news/481566/soas-activists-occupy-bis

by Salma Yaqoob

According to the Birmingham Mail today, “1 in 10 jobs may go in the West Midlands as a result of the biggest spending cuts in Britain since the Second World War”. And when Tory Chancellor George Osborne stood up in parliament and announced this attack on jobs, public services and the welfare state, his MPs cheered every cut. That is how much they understand what the real impact of this is going to be for individuals, families and entire communities.

The price for the financial crisis is going to be paid by people who had nothing to do with causing it. The bankers will keep their bonuses. The shareholders will keep their profits. And the 23 millionaires in the Tory-Lib Dem cabinet will not have to worry about their jobs, how to pay the bills, or where their pension is going to come from.

On top of that there is no evidence that this bonfire of public service jobs will actually work. Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel prize winner in economics, says it is no more than a gamble: (more…)

The Orwell Prize for Blogs 2011 is now open for entries. All work with a clear relationship with the UK or Ireland, first published between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2010, is eligible. Entries close on 19th January 2011.

Entry forms and full entry details can be found on our new website, www.theorwellprize.co.uk . The Prize is self-nominating. Each blogger should submit 10 blogposts.

This year’s Blog Prize judges are David Allen Green (‘Jack of Kent’, shortlisted for the Blog Prize 2010) and Gaby Hinsliff (former political editor of The Observer).

The Orwell Prize is free to enter, and there is no charge at any point in the process. To promote as much political writing as possible, a full list of entries will be published on our website after the closing date. Entries are also open for the Book Prize and Journalism Prize.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Good luck!
Gavin

Gavin Freeguard | The Orwell Prize | 0207 229 5722 | gavin.freeguard@mediastandardstrust.org

‘What I have most wanted to do… is to make political writing into an art’ | George Orwell
www.theorwellprize.co.uk  | http://orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/  | twitter.com/TheOrwellPrize
5/7 Vernon Yard | Portobello Road | London W11 2DX www.journalisted.com  | www.valueaddednews.org
www.mediastandardstrust.org  | twitter.com/NewsMatters

VIVA PALESTINA CONVOY BREAKS SIEGE AND ENTERS GAZA TO JUBILANT CROWDS
 
The Viva Palestina convoy of almost 150 vehicles, 370 people from 30 different countries and $5 million of aid has entered Gaza.
 
Amidst scenes of jubilation from thousands of Palestinians there to greet the convoy, Kevin Ovenden, the convoy director, expressed his joy at being in Gaza once again. “We have driven more than 3,000 miles to bring this essential aid and to break this illegal siege of Gaza. We have been joined by supporters from Morocco and Algeria and from the Gulf States and Jordan, to make this the biggest convoy ever to break the siege of Gaza. We are absolutely overjoyed to be here and to bring with us the soil from the graves of those who were massacred on the Mavi Marmara which will be used to plant trees as a memorial to their sacrifice.”
 
The convoy set out four weeks and five days ago from London. It travelled through France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Syria. Everywhere the reception was fantastic and the generosity of well-wishers unsurpassed. Towards the end there was a frustrating delay in Syria whilst negotiations at the highest levels were conducted with the Egyptian authorities. In the end it was all worth it as the Egyptian authorities decided to allow passage of the whole convoy, sadly excluding just 17 members of the convoy including George Galloway.
 
The convoy will be handed over in its entirety to the relevant bodies tomorrow and the members of the convoy then expect to leave Gaza and return home in the next 48 hours after celebrations and formal thanks are given.

John Weeks, economist and Professor Emeritus at SOAS, University of London, discussES a social democratic political economy.

The level of animosity that has been shown in the mayoral campaign for today’s vote in Tower Hamlets has been extraordinary.

The latest edition of the widely read Bangla paper is scathing about the official Labour candidate, Helal Abbas.

The person regarded by many as the real Labour candidate, Lutfur Rahman, (who was chosen overwhelmingly as their candidate by members of Tower Hamlets Labour Party) is now standing as an Independent.

This is due to an inept and stupid mistake by the Labour Party’s NEC to intervene on one side of a long running faction fight in the local Labour Party; and to remove Lutfur Rahman because of unsubstantiated allegations by his defeated rival in the selection process (indeed the allegations were not even investigated)

So far eight Labour councillors have been expelled for supporting Lutfur; and the Labour Party NEC also threw a lifeline to Respect, which still has a significant influence in the area, and which is supporting Lutfur Rahman’s independent candidacy.

The danger is that a split Labour vote could see a Tory victory, which if it happened this particular week would be a damaging blow to the Labour movement of national importance. But this is unlikely, and either Abbas or Rahman is the more probable victor: the priority going forward must be to find a way to bring the divisions to an end; and to reunite the Labour Party in Tower Hamlets..

by Michael Meacher from Left Futures

Cutting public spending by £83bn within 4 years and eliminating the entire £109bn structural deficit within a single 5-year Parliamentary session is the most ambitious Tory attempt yet, Mrs. Thatcher not excluded, to turn the clock back to pre-Welfare State days and to embed private services more deeply into British society.   But the bare figures don’t reveal half of it.

If health services are increasingly put out to tender, will it be impossible to bring them back under NHS principles without major legal challenges from private (especially US multi-national) companies?   Will NHS activities be able to be challenged under EU competition rules because of the growing intensification of the market?

Will the halving (an unprecedented 50% cut) in the social housing budget leave 5 million households without hope of the housing they need for a decade or more?   Will big cuts in housing benefit lead to social cleansing (i.e. freezing out low-paiod working class families) from inner city areas?   Will the new proposal for shorter-term tenure at near-market rents lead to long-term revolving door insecurity?

Will the 16% real terms cut abruptly imposed on the BBC at the last moment severely damage public sector broadcasting in Britain whilst allowing Murdoch, with a £5.9bn empire already far larger than the BBC, to emerge as the new Berlusconi, especially if he is permitted to go ahead with buying up the 61% of BSkyB he does not already own?

There are many, many such questions.   Read the small print very, very carefully.

picture from Harpy Marx