Job losses reach new high

Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), have shown the number of people in work decreased by 220,000 between April and June. The largest quarterly drop since the height of the financial crisis in 2009. As with the crisis then, young workers are expected to be hit hardest. Morgan Horn, industrial officer […]

Under pressure SNP in U-turn over SQA results scandal

Today (11 August 2020) in the Scottish Parliament, John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary, announced a U-turn over the SQA exam result fiasco which saw hundreds of thousands of grades downgraded. In Parliament, Swinney apologised for “getting it wrong”, and has pledged to launch an independent inquiry into the scandal.

Students prepared to fight Scottish Government on SQA results scandal

Yesterday (4 August 2020), Challenge covered how the Scottish Government and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) had committed an clear class war against working class and deprived schoolchildren, awarding a significant number of children grades which were much lower than that which their teachers and preliminary grades had predicted.

China successfully launches first Mars mission

China launched a Mars probe on Thursday (23 July 2020), designed to complete orbiting, landing and roving in one mission, taking the first step in its planetary exploration of the solar system.

Domestic abuse rates rise sharply during lockdown

Statistics released this week revealed a steep rise in domestic abuse during the coronavirus lockdown which has left existing services stretched. According to the charity Refuge in the first three months of the of the lockdown in Britain over 40,000 calls were made to the National Domestic Abuse Hotline.

CP Political Committee slams new ‘Cold War’ hysteria

“Labour should develop a genuinely independent foreign policy for Britain, not join the new Cold War hysteria against China and Russia driven by the US White House and Pentagon”, John Foster told a two-day meeting of the Communist Party’s political committee yesterday (23 July 2020).