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Respect supports PCS workers
George Galloway and Respect members standing for the London Assembly have offered their full support to teachers and civil service workers who are set to strike on 24 April over pay. George has written to the civil service union, PCS, in response to a questionnaire put to all candidates, outlining Respect's backing for the stance the union has taken.

"The PCS has my full support in its campaigns for fair pay for its members and against job losses, including compulsory redundancies.

"I have met local PCS representatives in my constituency and have written to the union branch expressing my full support for the recent action they took.

"The balkanisation of pay negotiations in the civil service is a scandal, designed only to weaken civil service workers' collective strength.

"Not only am I aware of the general impact of the Lyons review, I am seeking to highlight the particular impact of job losses in the Department of Work and Pensions in my constituency. This is not some narrow trade union issue – it is about providing a quality service to some of the most vulnerable people in society, and there are many of them in my constituency.

"The fact that there has been more privatisation of the civil service under Blair and Brown than under Thatcher and Major is an outrage, which underscores the need for PCS members and other trade unionists to have effective political representation.

"Of course, the London Assembly has little or no direct power over these matters. But it can be a platform for making a political case over them. In the London elections I am backing Ken Livingstone against Boris Johnson – not because I agree with everything Ken has done, but because Johnson would be a disaster for London and a revival of the Tories cannot be good news for trade unionists.

"I'm standing for the Assembly, however, precisely to hold Ken to account and to promote the interests of ordinary working Londoners."

George has also met representatives of the PCS and National Union of Teachers to discuss the issues behind next week's strikes. He says, "When parents find that schools up and down the country are closed next week, and when whole government departments grind to a halt then the blame will lie squarely with Gordon Brown and New Labour.

"His policy of cutting the pay of public sector workers is totally unjustified. The PCS and NUT unions are taking a stand for millions of other working people by coordinating their action.

"They have my support and Respect's support. And we will be touring London next Thursday putting the case against pay freezes, job losses and cutbacks as part of our campaign for the London Assembly on 1 May. "
 

News and articles of interest

Here are some articles and news reports we think are worth looking at

Poll of polls shows Labour at its most unpopular since 1935 by Nigel Morris
Gordon Brown is leading Labour to its worst electoral defeat since the 1930s, according to a new "poll of polls" for The Independent. On current levels of support, Labour would lose almost half its MPs at the next election and David Cameron would become Prime Minister with an overwhelming majority. The backlash against Labour has left the party with the support of just 27 per cent of voters, the weighted average of last month's polls for The Independent shows.

Unmanned spy planes to police Britain by Kim Sengupta
The Government is drawing up plans to use unmanned "drone" aircraft currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to counter terrorism and aid police operations in Britain. The MoD is carrying out research and development to enable the spy planes, which are equipped with highly sophisticated monitoring equipment that allows them to secretly track and photograph suspects without their knowledge, to be deployed within three years.

The Camp for Climate Action, at Kingsnorth, Kent, 3rd to 11th August - full details
Wednesday 10 am update. Local MP Bob Marshall-Andrews condems police action at climate camp (see BBC article), saying "I find the use of police in riot gear incomprehensible and I think it was a mistake." He also described the actions of the police as "provocation."

Diego Garcia: the UK's shame by Andy Worthington
The ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus wrote: "In war, truth is the first casualty." These words are particularly apt in relation to the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia, leased to the United States in 1971, where the truth – that a secret "War on Terror" prison existed from 2002 until as recently as 2006 – has been persistently denied by both the British and American governments.

The Horror Of Israeli Occupation - documentary developed by Chaim Yavin West Bank Checkpoints
A video clip that dramatically portrays the meeting of Israeli solders and Palestinians at controversial West Bank security checkpoints. This clip is the second of a series taken from "Land of the Settlers", the acclaimed documentary developed by Chaim Yavin, Israel's premier news anchor.

Anger at police raid on green camp ahead of coal protest by Matthew Taylor
Environmental campaigners and politicians criticised the police last night after around 200 officers raided a climate camp, seizing hundreds of items that they claimed could be used to break the law. Activists at the camp, which starts today with a series of workshops on sustainable energy and social justice, said the raid aimed to disrupt legitimate protest.

Morning Star Back on Track After Office Fire by Tomasz Pierscionek
In the early hours of Monday morning (last week), an electrical fire broke out at William Rust House, the East London office of the socialist newspaper the Morning Star. The fire, believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning air-conditioner, broke out at approximately 3am and caused considerable structural damage to both the interior of the Morning Star's newsroom and the equipment within, knocking out both electrical power and phone lines.

Venezuela Bridges Diplomatic Fissures and Polishes Alliances in European Tour by James Suggett
Rounding off a diplomatic tour of Europe that began with Tuesday's controversial visit in Russia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez mended relations with the Spanish government, set up a bi-national commerce commission with Portugal, and eliminated visa requirements to facilitate bilateral accords with Belarus this week.

Why David Cameron Blames the Poor by Peter Taylor-Gooby
David Cameron's 'blaming the poor' speech in Glasgow may be more than just an attempt to placate the unreconstructed right of the Conservative party. It is not often recognised how far British public opinion has shifted towards a liberal individualist stance on social issues in recent years. In some ways we are more Thatcherite under New Labour than we ever were under the Conservatives.

Star names set to top the bill at Carnegie Festival - Dunfermline Press
TWO of the best-known faces on television will be making personal appearances in Dunfermline next month as part of the inaugural Carnegie Festival, from 21st August to 7th September. Evan Davis will be in dialogue with fiesty MP George Galloway in a conversation on Saturday, 23rd August, at 7.30pm in the Carnegie Hall. Tickets, priced £5, are available from the Carnegie Hall box office.

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