Hundreds of British Gas engineers face sacking
As nearly 500 British Gas engineers face sackings, it is becoming increasingly clear that both employers and the Tory government are using the COVID crisis to attack workers’ rights.
Communist Party welcomes workers’ fight back
The Communist Party has called for solidarity with trade unionists across Britain who are preparing for a wave of industrial action. Speaking to the party’s Political Committee on Wednesday evening (14 April 2021), Andy Bain praised the determination of British Gas employees, London hospital staff and bus drivers, ScotRail and Scottish local council workers, prison education staff, Swansea civil servants, Bristol water workers, Liverpool lecturers and others to defend pay, conditions and health and safety standards at work.
Easing of restrictions COVID-19 restrictions welcomed amid youth scapegoating
There is optimism for many across England this week as many restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic were eased as the country edges towards normality following a gargantuan effort from the National Health Service.
Tory Party & David Cameron face corruption scandal
At the behest of Lex Greensill, a disreputable financier at the helm of a now collapsed firm, it has been revealed that David Cameron lobbied a senior Downing Street aide and the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock. Following the Treasury’s renunciation of Cameron’s efforts to assure the company access to a Covid emergency loan scheme, Cameron contacted a No 10 adviser, illustrating the exhaustive attempts the former prime minister was willing to use to guarantee political connections for Greensill Capital, which employed him as an adviser.
Philip Mountbatten dead at 99
Buckingham Palace announced this afternoon (9 April 2021) that the Philip, so-called ‘Duke of Edinburgh’, had died. The BBC’s stations all took a moment of silence before a rendition of God Save the Queen was broadcast throughout the country. Flags will be flown at half mast, and testimonials will follow from across the political spectrum.
Communist Party: Sewell Commission on race falls at first hurdle
Tony Conway, convenor of the Communist Party’s Anti-Racist Anti-Fascist Commission issued a response for the Party to the whitewash report of the Tory Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities earlier this week.
Sharp increase in modern slavery during the pandemic
Amid the pandemic, reports of sexual and criminal exploitation have severely increased, as stated in new figures calculating the extent of modern slavery and trafficking in the UK. Compared with the preceding year, cases of sexual exploitation, which includes people held captive in brothels and those strong-armed into prostitution, increased by a quarter in 2020. Almost a quarter of cases concerned children.
Labour Party shadow equalities minister apologises over anti-Traveller leaflet
In the same week as a botched Governmental report found the UK was not institutionally racist, there have been a number of incidents proving the contrary.
Communists urge action on Electoral Commission bias
A number of MPs have already responded to the Communist Party letter (below), some more positively than others. But what most of them say is that they would be more likely to take up this issue if the complaint comes from a constituent. This is the cue for Communist Party members, allies and friends. Email your MP, MSP or MS and urge them to protest against the Electoral Commission’s anti-democratic discrimination against a party that has contested elections in Britain at every level for the past 100 years. Communist Party general secretary Robert Griffiths wrote the following letters to all MPs, MSPs and MSs.
Batley teacher suspended after showing students cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed
A teacher in Batley was suspended last week after showing pupils an “inappropriate” cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed in class.