Permanent Revolution

Your Child, Your schools, Our future: Labour's nightmare vision for our schools

kirstie — 2009-07-03 00:11:52

The Government's new white paper Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future is Labour's most explict statement yet for what they have in store for state education - it's complete breakup. What they outline is an explict business model of education, where children are commodities whose value in the market can be improved through 'efficiency' and 'productivity' and where 'time and motion' studies of the classroom (read factory floor) will be used to monitor 'outcomes' (read our kids). Big brother is watching you. But trading people in the market isn't straight forward. How do you coerce people? Fear. Alongside the wholesale sell off of our schools is a host of draconian measures aimed at putting us in our place argues Kirstie Paton...

NSSN Conference: The Network that does Not Work

Bill J — 2009-07-02 22:16:12

On Saturday 27 June, beneath North London’s sweltering skies, the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) gathered for its third annual conference. There were some cracking speeches and some cracking speakers.

Manchester Lecturers Strike to Save Jobs

tina — 2009-07-02 11:37:30

Yesterday (1^st July) lecturers at Manchester College took strike action against threats of compulsory redundancy. One of the lecturers threatened with redundancy is the UCU branch secretary David Swanson.

Haggerston School strike Thursday 9th July

Bill J — 2009-07-01 23:48:44

NUT members at Haggerston School in Hackney are to strike next week on Thursday 9th July against proposed redundancies.

No trust in School Trusts!

kirstie — 2009-06-30 22:19:28

Those who have been fighting the privatisation of our schools through the Academy programme are well aware that Trusts are academies by another name. On Monday 29 June, over 60 people including teachers, lecturers, admin staff, teaching assistants, parents and activists from the local community agreed to launch a campaign to defeat Labour's plans to privatise our schools.

Convention of the Left Brighton 26th September

Bill J — 2009-06-29 18:39:50

The third Convention of the Left will be held in Brighton on Saturday September 26^th (around 10-4.30) – at the Brighthelm Community Centre.

Defend the DRAX 29

Bill J — 2009-06-28 10:43:40

Last summer 29 people stopped a train containing 1,000 tonnes of coal on its way to Drax power station in Yorkshire. Their trial starts in Leeds Crown Court on Monday 29 June 2009.

Iran: first round to Ahmadinejad?

Keith H — 2009-06-25 11:28:26

Iran has just been through the largest period of mass mobilisation and social unrest since the 1979 revolution, writes Stuart King

Hands Off Lewisham Bridge threatened with eviction – round one to Lewisham Bridge!

Eleanor — 2009-06-26 14:40:19

Hands Off Lewisham Bridge called on all our supporters to help us resist the threatened eviction on 25th June. The bailiffs were due to arrive at 10.30 am.

By 9.00 am there were about 20 of us in the occupation and about 20 in the park below us. The sun was shining and our spirits were high – it was going to be a good day...writes Eleanor Davies...

Manchester College strike action over job losses

tina — 2009-06-25 09:42:09

Members of UCU today (Wednesday) overwhelmingly voted for strike action at Manchester College. Following a ballot where 74% of members polled voted yes to strike action and 84% voted in
favour of action short of a strike, the union announced that members will walk out on Wednesday 1 July.

Bad Science: Ben Goldacre: Review

Bill J — 2009-06-18 17:47:51

I thoroughly recommend this book. It simply and entertainingly explains “basic scientific principles to help everyone to become an effective bullshit detector.”

Le Nouveau Parti Anti-Capitaliste est arrivé!

Bill J — 2009-06-18 17:50:03

A revolutionary party that breaks out of the ghetto of the French far left: that was the promise on offer at the February launch of the new anti-capitalist party in Paris. Christina Duval was there, listened to the debates and interviewed local activists. This is was she made of it The French Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR) is no more.

Reply to the Socialist Workers Party’s Open Letter on Left Unity

Bill J — 2009-06-24 22:20:04

Dear Comrades, we welcome your open letter and call for unity on the left and would like to work alongside you to achieve it. Given the recent failure of attempts to build left alternatives, this is not going to be easy – but it is a vital and urgent task....write Permanent Revolution...

Germany: Nationwide mobilization of school and university students

Bill J — 2009-06-24 11:46:47

After the last major school students’ strike in Germany in November 2008, there were large demonstrations across the country on June 17 as part of a week-long “education strike”, Johannes reports from Berlin.

After the Euro Elections - Left Unity?

Bill J — 2009-06-22 00:43:49

The European election results marked a significant political turning point in British politics. They confirmed that the Tories will win the next election, for the first time in British history a fascist party has made an electoral breakthrough and that the political, organisational and numerical weakness of the left in Britain has been revealed as terminal, not transitory...writes Mark Hoskisson....

Permanent Revolution 12 Spring 2009 now available to download

Keith H — 2009-03-07 14:03:53

The spring 2009 issue of Permanent Revolution is now on sale for £2.50 for 60 pages of analysis and argument on national and international issues. Articles on Palestine-Israel, credit crunch, Lindsey refinery strike, the new anti-capitalist party in France and the discussion underway inside the Socialist Workers Party (UK). Plus briefings, reports and reviews.

Permanent Revolution 13 – Out Now

Bill J — 2009-05-27 15:39:00

The new issue has a number of related themes. We look at how the world recession and financial crisis is impacting on Europe, in particular within the eurozone economies. In our Briefings section comrades from Ireland and Sweden follow this up with reports on how the recession is leading to attacks on workers, both on jobs and benefits. We also carry an article that looks at the lessons of the Visteon struggle, an important fightback against factory closures and redundancy terms....