Poetry Corner: Day of the Pawns by Bob Dixon
Day of the Pawns by Bob Dixon
Born into a working-class family in Spennymoor, County durham, Bob Dixon eventually became a school teacher, and then a lecturer in English at Stockwell College of Education, Bromley. He was involved with the left-wing cultural journal Artery in the 1970s, and he wrote three collections of poems, three books on the ways in which children’s attitudes have been shaped by the publishing and manufacturing industries, plus an autobiography, The Wrong. Bob was a life long member of the Communist Party and well-known figure on the left-wing poetry scene, reading at CND rallies and other events.
Communists offer real alternative to Starmer’s Labour
Communist Party candidates in Scotland launched their campaigns this week ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections this May. The Communist Party is putting up candidates, not just in Scotland, but across Wales, many of the English regions, and London. Each and every one of these candidates offers hope in a political landscape that has been ravaged by neoliberal politics for over a decade at least.
On the comments made by Wilfried Zaha
Recently, Zaha has come out and stated that he will no longer be taking the knee before Premier League matches or wearing Black Lives Matter on his shirt as he claims that players “should stand tall” and that the gesture is becoming “degrading.” This has obviously caused quite the stir amongst the football community, but the issues run deeper here.
The architecture of Irish partition is disintegrating
Nick Wright argues the people of the Irish Republic and their government have had a rude lesson in the politics of inter-imperialist rivalry.
US Covid death toll passes 500,000 in grim milestone
The number of US coronavirus deaths have passed 500,000 as of Monday (22 February 2021) according to data from John Hopkins University. Over 28 million have also tested positive for COVID-19 in the USA. This is higher than any nation in the world. Both statistics are the worst in the world and the pandemic has thrown a harsh spotlight on the country’s ability to cope with such a disaster, especially during the tumultuous tenure of Donald Trump, whose administration botched the government response.
Chinese divorce court orders husband to pay ex-wife in landmark ruling
A Chinese man in Beijing’s Fangshan district was ordered by a court to pay $7,700 /50,000 yuan/£5,460 as ‘housework compensation’ to his ex-wife who carried out the work during their five year marriage, sparking a heated debate in China.
Premature school opening puts COVID recovery at risk
Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined the “roadmap” out of lockdown for England on Monday (22 February 2021), with an idea of when pubs, cinemas, sporting events and non essential shops would be opened. However many are concerned at the opening of schools as early as the 8th of March. Johnson put forward his 4 step plan for England to the House of Commons, with the first step being schools opening early next month.
Weekend Premier League recap
All 20 Premier League teams were back in action for a full Friday to Monday gameweek. In a week that included not one but two derby encounters, it wouldn’t just be points on the line for the squads involved but the pride and ability to call their respective cities theirs.
Communist guerilla enters 46th day of hunger strike in Greek prison
Dimitris Koufontinas has decided to use the last remaining tactic of struggle available to an imprisoned revolutionary, using his final point of leverage against the state – his life.
Facebook ban hits Australian news in response to a proposed law
On Thursday (18 February) Facebook started preventing Australian news outlets from sharing their posts, while users (both Australian and international) couldn’t view or share any content from the news sites. However, this didn’t affect news sites alone. Australian government pages were affected too. While the ban only meant to affect Australian news publishers, it also affected many pages run by unions, politicians and community pages.
