Revolution Blues

MOST socialists are understandably very angry today at the decision yesterday to withhold the whip from Jeremy Corbyn, despite a lot of us not wanting him to return to the vipers’ den which is now the Labour Party. Of course, when I say most socialists, this doesn’t seem to include socialist MPs who may have tweeted in support of the reinstatement of the whip but who have otherwise done nothing. If they had the principles many of us thought they had they would have resigned. It really is that simple. We saw a few years ago when ChangeUK (forgive me for laughing when I think about them) was set up that there is apparently no need for by-elections if you change parties. And, more recently, by the dreadful decision by Starmer to admit Christian Wakeford into the Party. What are they afraid of? Surely Labour no longer represents what they say they represent. And as far as the man himself, it’s not as if Jeremy Corbyn would not be standing on the platform he has always stood on, and his con...

  TONY BLAIR seems to be coming in for an awful lot of stick just for getting an honour, which I for one am sure he richly deserves. And it came directly from Queenie herself, who we all know is an impeccable judge of character. After all, he and Bush got rid of Saddam Hussein and ensured there’d be a free flow of oil to the West. Things could have became very dire for us if they hadn’t done so as the 2001 report on ‘energy security’ commissioned by then US Vice-President Dick Cheney showed. “Iraq remains a destabilising influence to... the flow of oil to international markets from the Middle East. Saddam Hussein has also demonstrated a willingness to threaten to use the oil weapon and to use his own export programme to manipulate oil markets. This would display his personal power, enhance his image as a pan-Arab leader…” the report stated. So it was clear, we had to go to war. The WMDs were just a distraction, we all knew that and we didn’t care.  We should all know by now t...

THERE is so much to be angry at right now, but unlike many people, Number 10 having a Xmas party is way down on my list. We know the Tories are hypocrites, we’ve always known it, and we were shown it again with the Cummings Barnard Castle trip. It has always been one rule for them and one rule for us. Always. But people are getting more het up over this than the bills the government are trying to get through. You do know that the Nationality and Borders Bill could affect six million British citizens, right? Citizens. Those with dual nationality could have their citizenship stripped on “reasonable grounds” and without notice, in the interests of national security. And who decides what’s in the interests of national security? The Government. Then there’s the Policing Bill where you could be jailed for 51 weeks for protesting. Is this likely to cut down on protests or will it make them more violent? If you are aware you can get a year in jail simply for protesting, why wouldn’t some go t...

  STARMER’S ‘We’re back in business” speech to the CBI yesterday couldn’t contrast more with Corbyn’s speech to the same organisation in 2018. While Corbyn’s was full of plans and ways to help people, Starmer’s was all about giving a hand to businesses. And yes, I do understand that should have been his focus while addressing the CBI, but would it be so bad to speak about supporting workers also? You know, Labour – the party of working people. Interesting also to note he finally started to use ‘we’ instead of 'I'. He didn't use it when speaking at Labour conference, yet uses it with business leaders.  “We need increased business investment. A better capital stock and improved infrastructure. We need to embrace new technology. We need to lift our export performance.” He did say we need investment in people “to ensure they have the skills that are right for the modern economy” but while his speech mentioned youth training – always good – he didn’t say a dicky bird about the ...

  THE nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi retired after his last race in Valencia on Sunday, taking a final lap of honour before a standing ovation from the crowd. Winner of the last race of the season, Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, paid tribute to Rossi by dedicating his win to the 42-year-old Italian, nicknamed ‘The Doctor’. " This race victory is a present to Valentino," Bagnaia, himself a product of Rossi's VR46 riders academy, said. "I want to dedicate this race to him and thank him for what he has done for us at the academy.” Rossi was mobbed by his fellow riders after the race, as congratulatory messages from across the sporting world were broadcast on the giant screen with tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal among those paying tribute. Hollywood actors Tom Cruise, Chris Hemsworth and Keanu Reeves also sent messages of support for Rossi, the only rider to win titles in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP categories. Fans, including myself, will be sa...

A GREAT many of us are often in a ‘fuck Xmas” mindset at this time of the year. It’s not just the constant pushing of items we neither need nor really want or the decorations and foodstuffs in the shops, but more and more of us are fed up with this endless consumption to celebrate a day most of us have no affinity with whatsoever. Then there are those who just cannot celebrate Xmas, often for monetary reasons. For those forced to live on the streets they can, more often than not, go to a homeless shelter or one of the many restaurants which have begun to serve free meals for people in need and I’m sure they’re very grateful for a good meal before returning to the cold pavement. That was in no means meant to be sarcastic, as I’m sure they are grateful; but the point is they shouldn’t have to be. Having a wholesome hot meal once a day should be a basic human right, not an act of bloody charity. Let's not forget either those who save every single penny all year and often go without ne...

ANYONE still holding onto the hope that we can achieve anything through our current voting system really needs to take more notice of what is happening in the world. And calling out for PR in the hope that that will fix it is just as much pie in the sky. Dave Middleton wrote an excellent article on PR for Critical Mass magazine on Friday and another today after the Japanese GE . So I’m not going to talk about PR or what voting system we could possibly have to bring about real change in society, but instead about the only thing that will – other than full-on revolution of course, which I’ve been calling for since the eighties but which too many people have been too apathetic to answer a ‘call to arms’. I’m not advocating we put the ruling classes up against a wall but we can take massive action. Too many are afraid they may lose some part of their cosy lives if they go out on a general strike which will almost undoubtedly help those less fortunate yet we are the people with all the po...