UK Feminism: a review of the last decade
As part of our special on International Women’s Month, TMP commissioned a feminist writer and campaigner to produce their perspectives on the progress that Feminism has made in the last decade. This article ranges from asylum seekers to the demonisation of female MPs, and hopefully will kick start a debate about the way forward.
Poor old George Osborne
Close your eyes and imagine this, you’ve been bred to believe you will lead your country, you’ve swallowed your pride and accepted the lesser role as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer hoping that one day you will replace your boss as leader (preferably after getting into Number 11). Your opposition has had their worst ever result since 1945 and came third in the last national elections, and your party came first with almost twice the Labour vote.
So you were sitting pretty running the Tory election campaign with a charismatic leader and the incumbent having as much charm as a corpse, then for some reason that you have yet to discern, things start going pear-shaped.
In August 2009, the Conservative Party had a 17 point lead over the Labour Government. However, even then there were rumblings from the Conservative activist base about George’s portfolio. Despite these complaints by the oiks, George remains undeterred and decides to run both important jobs of Shadow Chancellor and General Election Campaign co-ordinator. Sure he has made a few mistakes; going on holiday with the enemy proved not to be very constructive. Read more
Thoughts from the BA Cabin Crew Strike Picket Line
From The Third Estate
Yesterday I went down again to the Heathrow picket lines, to see how the strike is developing, and also to check out the new community garden squatted by Sipson residents and activists.
Last time I didn’t write about my journey down there. (Quick tangent: a crack-of-dawn piccadilly line farce complete with hundreds of tourists, Japanese cameras, garbled German, a replacement bus and a fortuitous chat with a CWU rep on his way to Belfast.)
This time, I arrived at the far more civilised time of midday. As I got out at Hatton Cross station, there was the same picket line with its mandatory 14 picketers. Even though this had been designated by Unite as ‘family day’ (yesterday was ‘International Solidarity Day’) there was still a limited number of supporters, this time the lone child on the side of the motorway with her Unite flag, cheering at honking cars, seemed a dismal response to such an awesomely effective strike.
In discussion with Margaret Hodge MP
So on Wednesday night, your friendly neighbourhood community activist and blogger attended the excellent play “A Day at the Racists” and was in a post-show discussion with Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Culture and also Member of Parliament for the Barking constituency.
The play to review it briefly, was excellent. It was not describing the exact situation in Barking for this election but a scary glimpse of a possible future where the British National Party moderate themselves to accept a British mixed race Asian candidate. It was well-researched, very funny in the first half and then becomes a visceral emotionally and political rollercoaster in the second half, also it upset Margaret. For a more fuller review look here. Below is a short Al-Jazeera (English) news item on the play: Read more
Justice for UBS Cleaners Update
Listen to this interesting Colourful Radio interview with Henry Bonsu and Chris Ford, one of the organisers of last Friday’s Justice for UBS Cleaners international demonstration for sacked Unite shop steward Alberto Durango, and also to defend the living wage at UBS London offices.
According to reports there were between 100 and 150 people outside UBS Capital on Friday, and below are one of the many videos covering the demonstration.
A young person’s POV on London’s Teenage “Fallen Soldiers”
Ben Kinsella murdered in London - June 2008
“Fallen soldiers”, “Baghdad” and “recruits” are often terms one would associate with the ongoing conflict in Iraq.
Those terms however now seem to have become part of the rocky lives of a section of young people growing up in Britain’s capital city and this is evidenced by the tragic murders of 69 young Londoners aged between 10-19 over during 2007 – 2009.
65 British MPs condemn Malawi gay trial
Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga before a hearing in January (Photo: Reuters/Eldson Chagara)
Towards the end of 2009, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga decided to openly consecrate their love for one another and make history, by becoming the first Malawian gay married couple. Two days later, they were arrested and charged with “unnatural practices between males”, they were also forced to go through a humiliating and intrusive medical examination to gather ‘evidence’ for trial.
Earlier this week, sixty-five British MPs have signed a House of Commons Early Day Motion (EDM 564), which condemns Malawi’s arrest and trial of Monjeza, 20 and Chimbalanga, 26. The two men love each other and have harmed no one. But they could be jailed for up to 14 years. According to an interview in the Times Mr Monjeza, who claimed to be beaten in jail and appeared to be disorientated — said: “I love my husband and laws should not prohibit love.”
Migrant cleaners fight UBS Bank across 3 continents
What started out as just another workplace dispute inside one London office for Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) now has escalated into an international campaign led by migrant workers spanning 3 continents to picket UBS’ offices in Zurich, New York, Buenos Aires, Kyiv and other countries.
Evil Tory MP wants to keep Africa in debt
From The Poor Mouth
Christopher Chope, friend of the Vulture FundsThere exists in the world a group of businessmen and women who can plumb the depths even further than the amoral bastards who run Trafigura. These are the likes of Paul Singer and his firm Elliot Associates who wallow in the fetid depths of finance known as vulture funds.
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What should I say to Margaret Hodge tonight?
This is your one and only chance to use me as a proxy to put your thoughts and feelings across to Margaret Hodge MP for Barking, and Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Tonight I am speaking at a post-show discussion of “A Day at the Racists” at the Finborough Theatre, SW10. I’m going to ask her to apologise for claiming in the Observer in May 2007 that immigrants were the reason that white working class people couldn’t get council housing in Barking & Dagenham.
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