Third Camp Marxism

David Broder: did the AWL “harass” his mother?

In October 2016 a disgusting, anonymous allegation of serious criminal behaviour by myself appeared on the Stalinist Red London Facebook page.

Since there are no labour movement mechanisms to deal with Red London Facebook posts I immediately reported the libel to the police and encouraged them to vigorously investigate the post. Red London is a Red-Brown Stalinist trolling group.

BLM protest

Protesting in the pandemic

A radio interviewer asked David Nabarro, World Health Organisation special envoy on Covid-19, what he’d say to the interviewer’s (or Nabarro’s) young adult children about the Black Lives Matter protests.

Nabarro replied: “Yes, of course, you go [to the protests]. Because it matters. This is so important.

“But you wear a mask, and you keep it on properly. You keep physical distance, and it can be done...”

He added: “It’s probably on the transport going to and from [the protests] that the risks are greatest”.

Safe and Equal

No time to lose on isolation pay and PPE

The government has dropped its plans to reopen primary schools to all year groups before the end of term in July, but will allow shops to reopen from 15 June, and pubs, hairdressers, cinemas, etc. from 4 July at earliest as long they meet covid-distancing rules.

Face-coverings will become compulsory on public transport from 15 June. Britain’s lockdown-easing policies are more erratic than in other European countries. So far, as in those other European countries, the curve of cases and death is still moving downwards, but in Britain the movement is slow.

Children at risk

Children at risk

The Observer (7 June) relayed reports from charities that “trafficked and unaccompanied children are going missing in ‘significant’ numbers from the UK’s care system” during lockdown.

It says that it is “too early” to estimate figures, but that the government’s move under the Coronavirus Act (via Statutory Instrument 445, 23 April) to remove or weaken councils’ legal obligations on vulnerable children is probably a factor.

PCS banner

Standing up for equality (John Moloney's column)

There was a discussion at our National Executive Committee of PCS about the Black Lives Matter protests in the USA. There was overwhelming support for the struggle against racism and police brutality. Some comrades did raise safety concerns about mass gatherings at a time when the threat from the virus is still high, and BAME people have been disproportionately affected. The issues will be discussed further within the union, as we want members to be able to protest safely.

Workers' Liberty t-shirt

£3,207 towards £10,000

This week has been a slow one, taking us only from £3,125 to £3,207 towards our target of £10,000 by 22 November. Only a few small donations this week, but several more promised for the next week!

As more and more places now become card-only, why not get your change jars paid in and send the money to us?

Tube worker

Diary of a Tube worker: "Black lives matter! Black lives matter!"

I was in the mess room when the shouting started. I paid no attention at first. I knew the demo in central London [3 June] had been big, but didn’t really twig whether people would be out on a Wednesday afternoon and how they would get there and get home.

“Jay, I think you should come out here”, F, who is covering on another station, radios through.

Fossil fuels

Fossil-fuel reboot?

Big-name mainstream economists like Nick Stern and Joseph Stiglitz have championed a “green recovery” from the current economic slump as good for “the economy” as well as “the environment”. Many politicians have said similar.

Yet the vast majority of the huge rescue packages to prop up industries and companies are being poured into the fossil fuel economy, without environmental conditions attached.

Edward Colston statue

Call Starmer to account on anti-racist struggle

Momentum Internationalists has launched an open letter calling for Keir Starmer to withdraw his criticism of protesters who pulled down statue of slave-trader Edward Colston in Bristol and instead back their action.

Please add your name: bit.ly/starmercolston

The issue with Starmer is wider. Beyond the Colston remark and a few anti-racist platitudes, he has been largely silent in this crisis.

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