Entries from January 2007 ↓

I met the good people of Apple last night. I couldn’t resist the photo. Sorry, I know it’s a bit geeky.

“What was lost” is a debut novel from West Midlands author Catherine O’Flynn. Her book is published by the excellent Tindal Street press. There’s a lovely interview with Catherine on stirrer TV. I’ve not read this book yet, but after watching the interview, I’m taking a punt on it. If there are any literary editors reading this, why not take a punt too?

This is a joke right? Surely must be, isn’t it?

Neal Lawson, former lobbyist who sold his company to set up a left-leaning think tank calls on party members to deselect councillors and MPs who disagree with his view of Proportional Representation. He’ll go far that lad.

John Hutton lays claim to the spirit of Attlee with his podcast announcing the new arrangements contained within the Pensions Bill.

John Hutton Podcast

The whispers are that Trident will create a big row at the NEC today. Peter Willsman will be moving an amendment to give the policy forum a vote on the matter at their meeting this weekend. There are many reasons why you would not give the policy forum a vote on Trident this weekend – all of them hard to justify in the real world.

Muslim extremists mirror BNP

The British National Party is set to formally launch its scab union on the 24 February at an undisclosed venue in central London. It is the latest attempt by the BNP to attract working class voters. ‘Solidarity, The British Workers Union’ was registered with the certification in December 2005 but it has yet to hold a formal public event. This will change later in the month when it holds its first Annual Meeting.

Solidarity claims that it will be a normal trade union defending the interests of any British worker, but in reality it will be simply a front for the BNP. Given the BNP’s views on trade unionism and industrial relations, Solidarity will be little more than a plastic union.
According to documents lodged with the Certification Office, which regulates matters concerning trade unions, Solidarity aims to “improve the relations between employers and employees throughout all industries served by the union”.
The BNP has been at pains to pretend that Solidarity is an “independent” union, not linked to any political party. It even installed former National Front leader, Patrick Harrington, who now runs Third Way, as its President. It even wrote a letter to the Communication Workers Union denouncing an article in its union journal claiming that Solidarity was a scab fascist union. “We are not as a ‘front’ group for anyone,” the scab union wrote in it letter. “Solidarity calls for the unity of all workers on a progressive platform.”
The BNP has attempted to hide its involvement in Solidarity. The documents submitted to the certification office made no mention of the BNP, however it did state its intention to set up a Political Fund and “print, publish, issue and circulate” literature that “may seem conducive to the … objects of Solidarity”.
But let there be no mistake about it, this is a BNP front. The President of Solidarity is Patrick Harrington but the project is coordinated by Clive Potter, a long-time BNP activist from Leicester, who was expelled from Unison for improper conduct. The Solidarity address traces back to Potter’s home. Other BNP activists involved in the project include Jay Lee, who was recently booted out of Aslef, and John Walker, the BNP’s national treasurer, who has had his own troubles with the T&G.
The establishment of Solidarity appears to be a natural continuation of the party’s turn to working-class politics which began in 2000 and quickened over the past two years. The second edition of the Solidarity bulletin focuses extensively on the issue of migrant workers.

Solidarity is unlikely to ever take off. To operate formally as a union it needs to agreements with employers and a proven record of activity, neither of which it is likely to achieve.

(this text originates from stopthebnp)

Can you recommend any good sites that relate to the FOI Act? I’ve got a little project and I could do with some help.

A new member of the Labour Party calls for John McDonnell to adopt a certain, dare I say it, New Labour approach to political campaigning. As Gramsci said, the struggle takes many forms.

The picture above is taken from the Billy Wright stand where I was surrounded by people, who I assume had been temporarily evicted from the South Bank by the visiting Baggies. This was not conducive to a light-hearted and humorous banter between jovial groups of opposing fans. If I could have taken an invisibility potion on the way out, I would have done.

In the many historic days that have made up the most jagged road to peace in Northern Ireland, today’s Sinn Fein vote must be up there as the most significant. Surely now, we are near the point where we can say that we have a permanent peace?

Hacking Democracy is a documentary film by Simon Ardizzone and Russell Michaels, made for HBO in 2006. It documents anomalies and irregularities with electronic voting systems that occurred during the 2004 election, especially in Volusia County, Florida, and investigates the integrity of electronic voting machines.

There is a rare UK screening on Tuesday, February 6th, UCL Gower Street at 7pm. I’m going to try and get there and I’m told MPs from the other parties will be attending as well.