- Voters tell Johnson ‘it’s time to go’ — but Labour falls short
- Abortion rights under threat in the US—the battle over our bodies
- Arm yourself with the arguments—why it’s right to oppose the Russian invasion and Nato
Oxford & Thames Valley SWP branch meetings - all welcome
From Blair to Starmer - why won't Labour fight the Tories?
7pm Wednesday 11th May
Online via Zoom: Meeting ID: 861 2001 6477 Passcode: 967537 http://bit.ly/OxTVSWP
Two year ago Sir Keir Starmer took over from Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader after winning a decisive victory in the leadership election. While the left’s candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey lost, the majority of the left decided to “Stay and fight” and to “hold Starmer to account” on his soft left policy pledges.
Two years on and Starmer has shifted the party to the right. He has cosied up to big business, the police and security apparatus, dumped radical action on climate change and thrown working class people under the bus during the pandemic.
At the same time the Tories are in deep crisis over partygate, the growing cost of living crisis, and punishing electoral losses. Labour's election performance was lacklustre and didn't capture the anger people feel at the Tories. Starmer refuses to lead a meaningful fight that will deliver real benefits for the working class. Meanwhile, Corbyn isn’t even a Labour MP anymore.
Can the left in the Labour Party turn this around? Is there an alternative? Join the discussion
Future meetings
- 18th May - From WWI to Vietnam - how people power ended war
End the staffing crisis - end poverty pay now - extend London weighting to Oxford - defend the NHS
called by Oxfordshire health branches of UNISON and UNITE
Assemble 2 PM Saturday 14th May, Manzil Way green, East Oxford
NHS workers in Oxfordshire struggle to pay the rent and most cannot consider buying a house in one of the most expensive cities in the UK. If they lived in the parts of London paying similar rents they would get an additional 15% weighting in their pay. Instead too many are exhausting themselves working holidays and days off to make ends meet. Now they face inflation of over 9% and huge rises in energy bills. These pressures are forcing staff out of county and creating staffing shortages in our local NHS services reucing the service available to us all. The Tories answer is to push people to private for profit services to jump the ever lengthening queues.
Join NHS staff demanding the government extends London weighting to Oxford to give a 15% pay rise, supports the SOSNHS demand for an additional £20 billion funding for the NHS this year, and stops the privatisation of the NHS.
TUC national demo over the cost of living crisis: "We Demand Better"
Book seats on the Oxfordshire transport here
Sat 18 June, London. Assemble 10.30 Portland Place, then march at 12noon to Parliament Square for a rally at 1pm.
Working people have had enough. Everything’s going up but our wages.
Ministers partied while people died. Now they do nothing while living standards plummet and P&O lays off hundreds of workers on the spot.
It’s time for a new deal for working people. We need help with energy bills and a real pay rise for every worker.
Let’s take matters into our own hands – and get out on the streets.
On 18 June, in London, let’s tell this government: we DEMAND better.
We demand...
- A real pay rise for every worker – and a real living wage for all
- Respect and security for all workers - ban zero hours contracts, ban fire and rehire, decent sick pay now
- End racism at work
- Tax energy profits to pay our bills
- Raise universal credit
- Boost union bargaining rights now
1st to 3rd July
Queen Mary's University London & online
Speakers announcement for Marxism Festival
The line up for Marxism Festival includes:
*Jeremy Corbyn* & *Gary Younge* in the Bookmarks culture tent • *Yanis Varoufakis*, author & economist • *Hannah Lowe*, poet and author • *Tariq Ali*, writer • *Muzan Alneel*, Sudanese revolutionary • *Ilan Pappe*, author & historian • *Janet Alder*, BLM activist • *Jeff Sparrow*, Guardian columnist • *Mike Davis*, historian, Richard Boyd Barrett TD · Sukhdev Reel, justice campaigner · Michael Roberts, economist · Hossam El-Hamalawy, journalist · Judith Orr, Stop the War officer (pc) · Alex Callinicos, author · Anne Alexander, author... plus David Rosenberg, author of Rebel Footprints, will be doing a walking tour in the area on The spark of rebellion in Bow and Mile End.
Marxism 2022 is a festival of socialist ideas in East London including debates, workshops, live music, a culture tent, film screenings and more. Thousands of activists, students, academics and campaigners from across the globe will be debating the fight for a better world.
We're back — in person! The event is at Queen Mary University in East London. If you can't attend in person due to covid, you'll be able to stream in online.
Timetable: We'll be releasing a timetable for the event soon. But check out our website to see the themes we'll be debating and YouTube channel for videos of previous festivals.
Themes we will be discussing include: Resisting war and imperialism; Marx and Marxism today; Is revolution possible? Race, class and revolution; System change not climate change; Trans liberation; Freedom for Palestine; Smashing the sexist system
Venue: Marxism 2022 takes place at Queen Mary University in East London. If you can't join in person, your ticket will allow you to stream in online.
Accommodation: You can book rooms on campus direct with Queen Mary by quoting code MARX2022 when you book here. We can also provide basic accommodation for students.
Book your ticket here