UK UK Newswire Archive
CoR conference - account, pics, and COMMENT
29-11-2010 00:22
more than 1300 people came from all over the country to yesterday's COALITION OF RESISTANCE (CoR) conference at the camden centre. it is clear that students have kick-started a game-changing new era in british politics and there is a real sense that the cuts can be defeated and a new order may just be possible. my only reservations are about the inevitable manouevreings of the old left who hope to gain power and control out of the current troubles. i offer a report on the parts of the conference i saw, and in my comment at the end, a few thoughts and observations about the role of anarchism in this movement.
INTRODUCTION
the conference was so over-subscribed that organisers were caught out, and contingency plans had to be hurriedly put together to cope with the massive attendance.
the main hall was overflowing for the original opening plenary, with addresses from politicians, union officials. students, and others. as the situation became untenable, some of the speakers agreed to address groups in other rooms and in the school opposite the camden centre.
YOUTH, STUDENTS & EDUCATION WORKSHOP
i attended the 'youth, students and education' workshop, which was one of six taking place in various parts of the two buildings.
after introductions, the workshop was addressed first by 'kieran' a 6th form student from westminster kingsway college. he told us he felt emancipated by last wednesday's protest, despite being kettled for hours in the cold by police. the experience had broken down many misconceptions about protests for him, and he realised that protest was not just for peaceniks, eccentrics, single-issue groups, or indeed anarchists.
he spoke about the importance of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) which the government intends to scrap. this allowance helps under-privileged people to attend courses because it provides help for fares and lunch money. he defended the right to protest in any way necessary, and spoke of the violence of the tory cuts on the lives of the poorest and dispossessed.
he told us how students had suddenly become very politically engaged, and told of how councillors had been invited to a meeting at the college and that 120 students turned up. also that students were making links with unions and how he had accompanied a group of students on a visit to speak to train drivers at euston.
finally, he acknowledged the role of new media like facebook and twitter in the planning and organisation of effectively leaderless protests, something which the authorities were finding hard to keep up with.
next on the mic was alex kenny, speaking for the 'socialist teachers alliance'. he admired the fact that the students had lit a beacon and had exploded the myth that they were apolitical.
he also spoke with deep concern about the way that michael gove had used seldom-used and undemocratic parliamentary processes to avoid all discussion of his announcement to allow schools to break away from councils and be set up by almost anyone. this, alex warned, will deepen privatisation of education and destroy local authority influence. he said that this is not just a fight about fees, or about the accountability of the new 'academies', but that all these issues and more are linked. he described it as a capitalist-led assault on education, because an idle but well-educated population is a dangerous one to the rich and powerful.
jean-baptiste tondu spoke about the french student struggle and talked of the importance of solidarity, not just between students internationally, but also between students, unions, workers and the unemployed. he made the point that student occupations don't directly affect the economy (although he forgot to mention the sometimes acute problem to the personal economy of precarity-paid part-time teaching staff), but that worker's strikes and occupations do.
'barnaby' then spoke as a school student against the cuts. he was an inspiration - clearly from a privileged background and a pupil at the 'westminster school', he had a great grasp of oratory, and an even clearer analysis of the current system. he was funny too, speaking of the kettled protests last week and telling us he'd learnt what a university education was for - "to stop us from ending up in a police uniform". he also said that students in the kettle realised that they were not being held because of any threat to the public, but as a punishment designed to stop them from coming again, but that this realisation had given them an even greater motive to resist, organise and protest.
barnaby said that students were no longer a 'post-ideological generation', and that they were not just angry about fees and EMA but were joining the dots. as an example he told how hundreds of students had just signed up to a facebook group to support the RMT union.
the chair, 'clare solomon' from london NUS, and a socialist, then opened up the workshop to the floor, and a string of people came to the microphone suggesting proposals for the conference.
a student from leeds described that more than 3000 protestors had come out there on wednesday, and that 7 colleges or universities were occupied, a leeds-wide general assembly was forming to include students, unions and other groups, and that there was a plan to surround banks in future protests.
a young NUT member spoke of the new white paper on education and described it as devastating. she mentioned in horror the idea of bringing newly-returned troops from the front line into teaching "to instil discipline in the classroom"! she also said there was a big fight looming over teacher's pensions, and that it was so important to link and promote solidarity between students and teachers at this early stage.
this call was taken up by a UCU activist from yourkshire who said it was imperative that the teachers support and come out nationwide to back the students. he realised that teacher's unions were scared by thatcher's anti-union laws, but that if they all walk out together they would be safe and that the union executives must be given the confidence to let that happen.
another UCL/UCU activist took this point further, saying the moment was critical, that staff are inspired by the students but that more pressure was needed and so a walk-out by teachers was a priority. he called for the UCU and NUT executives to join the students.
the next speaker from the more revolutionary 'national campaign against fees cuts' (NCAFC) said that the student protests were a game changer, and that they were making history.
speaking about millbank, he pointed out that looking back, no-one nowadays condems the poll tax rioters, and that millbank would be seen in the same light in years to come. he warned of the manouevring of some left-wing groups, and called for general assemblies to be built from 'education assemblies' formed during a total education strike.
picking up on the condemnation of protestors, a further education lecturer spoke about the real violence of a million unemployed and said millbank was just but a drop compared to this.
a retired teacher from birmingham told of her years working with children in care. she said that the EMA was absolutely vital and was the only way in which any of them ever managed to go into further education and improve their prospects. she also warned that the new academies would take money away from local authority schools and accountability away from local control.
alex kenny then mentioned two more cuts proposed. first, that the guaranteed right of under five-year-olds to qualified teachers was being removed. and second, that the £160 million school sports fund was being completely cut. however, on a positive note he said that PE teachers, parents and sports celebrities had already built a 20,000 strong facebook group and that their lobbying and pressure was apparently splitting the cabinet over this issue.
returning once more to the importance and power of solidarity, a student from SOAS told how the university authorities had backed down from using bailiffs against the occupation once academics became involved to support the students, and staff had demanded negotiation rather than repression.
she also reported how students had formed assembies to make decisions about future protests and that anyone could get involved, with birkbeck college hosting a national student assembly this afternoon, and a london assembly from 5pm.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE CRISIS
after a short lunch break, six more workshops took place, and i decided to attend 'alternatives to the crisis' which took place in the school canteen over the road. this was a large room overflowing with a couple of hundred people.
the first speaker, ozlem onaran, a senior economics lecturer and researcher, spoke about the simple alternatives to cuts available to the government.
first, make those responsible for the crisis pay! tax the corporations, tax financial trading, and close tax loopholes.
next, stop the war, a huge drain on public economy for an ill-defined and unwinnable purpose.
finally, cut the trident nuclear weapon programme, a useless deterrent in a time of assymetrical warfare.
she spoke about the illegitimacy of the current debt, and how public finance could be freed from the burden of debt if the debt were audited openly, and then paid off by those that owed it. this process would inevitably lead to the bankcruptcy of the banks, so that they could be properly nationalised under the control of workers and local assemblies.
she also said we must look at the bigger picture. that continuing economic growth is simply an unsustainable premise from a climate justice and ecological viewpoint. without growth, people would have to lessen their working weeks, but that the liberated time could be put to use by involvement in truly democratic processes to decide openly how money could be freed up.
next on the mic was richard bremmer. he is the author of 'credit crunch - the crisis is capitalism'. he described how as the rate of return goes down at the end of each economic cycle, the controllers find ways to destroy and shed the less productive parts of the system. this is what is happening in the current 'credit crunch'. his suggestion was that the only alternative to capitalism is communism. i kind of lost concentration for a while then.
the third speaker was john hilary from 'war on want'.
he told us that the idea that there is no alternative to cuts is in fact a huge media con. the cuts are a political and ideological choice, and in fact there are many and varied ways to ease the debt outside of the kneejerk keynesian paradigm.
as a first example, he gave us the estimated figures for lost, unpaid or missing corporation tax. the combination of tax avoidance, tax loopholes and havens, and the amounts simply owed but discounted by inland revenue (including the recent disclosures about vodaphone for instance), add up to a staggering £120 billion. just half that amount would completley plug the current crisis.
on the subject of tax havens he pointed out that a large proportion of them are british dependencies.
however, instead of tackling this huge corporate avoidance of tax, the current government is actually closing tax offices as part of the cuts.
again, the meeting was opened up to the floor, but while a lot of good points were made, there seemed to be an unchallenged consensus that the 'only alternative' is socialism or communism. i got a little depressed by this having read 'animal farm', and went off for a cup of fairtrade coffee.
FINAL SESSION, NOMINATIONS, DECLARATION & CLOSING SPEECHES
the final session brought everyone back into the main hall, which was packed to overflowing, with people left standing in the two large balconies as well as in the main downstairs area.
paul mackney (a retired teacher's union leader and socialist labour activist) announced that there had been 122 nominations for the coalition of resistance national council, and andrew burgin (a socialist bookseller and prominent figure in the 'stop the war coalition') added that 37% of the nominees were women. he said that the coalition's 'declaration of purpose' had had dozens of suggested amendments, but rather than go through them all that afternoon, he asked the floor to remit them and trust the steering committee to consider them all in due course.
the chair then announced tony benn (notorious socialist labourite and president of the 'stop the war coalition') the president of the coalition. perhaps i missed the vote for this, but whatever, it seemed to receive an overwhelmingly positive response and standing ovation for the 88 year old activist.
the coalition, while supporting the students' struggle in words, seems more concerned in building a mass movement leading to a national march next year on 26th march.
a pensions campaigner, dot gibson, said that the march should be against ALL cuts, reminding us that the labour party had consistently stated that some cuts were necessary.
she reminisced about how in 1945, the labour welfare programme arose form a desire not to return to pre-war unemployment, and offered a genuine hope of free education and health to all. she contrasted those times with now, and the fact that her grandchildren have no idea whether they will be able to get jobs or whether they will be able to afford a home.
she complained that while the welfare state was formed in a principle of universalism, it had always been compromised by the existence of a mixed economy, with as just one example, the pharmaceutical industry making vast profits from the health service. over the years, the private sector was always waiting in the wings to profit from or take over the public sector, and currently private companies have over £100 billion worth of contracts within public sector, directly profiting from public money.
next chris banbury (socialist worker, union steward, and 'right to work' campaigner) called for total unity. in an impassioned speech which got the hall cheering, he said the time for games was over, and he called for everyone to be on the streets next tuesday, but recognising the difficulties faced by unions given thatcher's laws, he suggested they do this in their lunchtime so they didn't get into trouble.
lee jasper ('black activist rising against cuts' BARAC) called the cuts a declaration of class war. with cuts to public services he predicted a rise in racism, with the EDL and NF already brushing up their beguiling arguments to blame immigrants for the pain. he called for us all to stand in anti-racist unity against the cuts.
alf filer (business lecturer and socialist) then asked for large donations of money for the coalition to continue its campaign. in a remarkably honest declaration of intent he said the coalition wanted to build a real alternative to the current political parties - he asked for notes rather than coins, and standing orders rather than one-off payments.
jeremy corbyn (labour socialist MP) referred to naomi klein's book 'the shock doctrine' which outlines the process of debt slavery applied in the third world, where welfare was destroyed and blanket privatisation installed, leading to tiny minorities of unfeasably rich people and vast numbers of dispossessed poor in abject conditions.
he compared that process to the methods used once again by the IMF, the world bank, and now including the european central bank, this time against european countries, starting with greece and ireland, and now the UK. he said that while the poorest are faced with swingeing cuts, money is being invested on a colossal scale in new nuclear weapons and military funding for unwinnable wars.
he spoke of the history of attempts by the central banks to apply the process in latin america, and noted that in the countries where the people fought back, some gains were made, resistance built, and progressive governments resulted.
he called on people to defend the absolute principles of welfare (free education and free healthcare).
he said there was a major debate on fees cuts this week in parliament, and a final vote before christmas, and he reported that parliament has been rattled by the scale and intensity of the students' fightback. he made the observation that if we could win on student fees, it would show the possibility of fighting and winning against ALL the cuts.
john rees (CoR founding member, socialist activist, and 'stop the war coalition' national officer) said he didn't want to be told by 'eton boys' that 'you can be a hairdresser, but you can't be an artist or a philosopher'. he commented that cameron had wanted 'the big society' - looking round the hall he said 'well this is it, and we're coming to get you'. he promised that the colaition would bring down this government.
rapper 'lowkey' then took the mic and supported corbyn's observations about the 'shock doctrine'. he suggested the current politicians who had received free education should all pay £9000 back for the free education they'd had.
on nick clegg's reversal of promises, he reminded us that before the election clegg had called for an arms embargo on israel, but that last week the liberal democrat had made a speech in which he said maybe he'd been wrong about israel. lowkey wanted to tie the struggle over cuts with the ongoing war in afghanistan and the problems in the middle east.
he ended with a quote from frederick douglas that "power concedes nothing without demand, so we must always demand demand demand demand demand".
kate hudson (CND) reminded us of the huge costs of nuclear programmes and asked in whose interests our economy is currently run. she asked whether it was for the majority who use it, or for the minority that run it.
tony benn (new president of CoR) spoke about how he remembered (he's 88 you know) the time when the welfare state was being built after the war. he described current cuts as possibly the biggest attack yet.
he reminded us of the principle of universality that inspired the welfare state, and of the importance of solidarity in the struggle. the role of the coalition, he said, was not just to resist, but also to educate.
he said that lies are told to excuse the dismantling of the welfare state, to turn the banker's crisis into a broader economic crisis, and to make working people pay for the mistakes and greed of the ruling classes.
he agreed with kate hudson that the first economy should be the dropping of the trident replacement, and he reminded us that in 1945, the highest tax level affecting the richest in a time of crisis was 95%. he said the country needed the money then, and it was fair that everyone should share the burden.
he finished by saying it was a great honour to be the president of the coalition and that he was at the coalition's disposal at all times.
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PERSONAL COMMENT ON THE CONFERENCE
so there we are, the birth of a new national movement.
at a time when we need people to come together to fight a government controlled by the evidently psychopathic interests of big business and financiers, i don't like to be unhelpfully cynical or suspicious, but after seeing a welcome, unexpected and possibly "game-changing" surge of resistance and activism from young people on city streets throughout the nation, i have some concerns about the appearance of the 'coalition of resistance' and its direction, structure, and motives.
so many of the organisers and speakers have unashamed affiliation with socialist worker roots, that their claim to be a broad alliance has to be questioned. this, along with their undisguised aspiration to bring down the government and seize power, does little to inspire me with confidence.
additionally, many of the leading lights are the same people who ran the 'stop the war coalition'. this organisation, despite poll-backing by a majority of the british people and a mobilisation of millions on the street, conspicuously failed to stop the war.
they have since steadily disempowered the british public with their traditional and soul-destroying tactics of 'A to B' marching, to the extent that recently only 3000 turned up to an anti-afghanistan war rally despite the fact that pollsters regularly find that upwards of 70% of the british public want the troops home.
their president, tony benn, who is now the president of the 'coalition of resistance', has privately admitted that he didn't push for a criminal investigation of blair et al, because one of the "al" might well be his own son, hilary. well, i guess that blood is thicker than justice.
i think the real problem with both coalitions was alluded to by chris banbury at the conference when he called for a national stoppage next tuesday, but only in the lunch hour so as not to break any laws.
so why don't these socialists support civil disobedience?
the answer lies in their real agenda, a seizure of power within the current pseudo-democratic system, and the installation of a socialist government while leaving the structure of power and control in place.
if they were to advocate the civil disobedience that might be truly necessary in the face of the devastating declaration of ideological war that the con-dem government has instigated, then they would lose the establishment legitimacy that, in order to seize power, they need to retain.
having said that, i don't want this piece to come over as a typically futile indymedia 'more ideologically pure than thou' anarchist diatribe against the socialist worker party.
if you believe in the 'animal farm'/"whoever you vote for, the government gets in" critique of socialism, then now, more than ever is the moment for anarchists to engage with unions, students, pensioners, unemployed and under-privileged people and educate, inform and inspire. there was no reason why there could not have been an anarchist presence in every one of the workshops at this conference. the anarchists can't blame the socialists for their lack of engagement.
with so many new activists seeking solutions, inspiration and ideas, it is a shame to allow the same tired traditionalists to hijack and dampen the creative, passionate exuberance of the students and other street protestors. now is the time to get out there to student assemblies and anti-cuts groups and teach them about non-hierarchical co-operation, syndicalism, truly participatory democracy, and consensus.
the students want free education - get out there and give it to them!
Antifascist Films at Bradford 1 in 12 Club
28-11-2010 23:59
More media - sinking ship
28-11-2010 23:22
A pretty picture.To go with all the other posters that have been appearing on here recently... Copy and distribute freely Hi-res version available here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?srojkmk6qm5400p
Anti fur demonstratios at Paul Smith
28-11-2010 22:23
Anti fur demonstrations have been taking place regularly outside Paul Smiths recently since they have launched a new line of real fur clothing.
Campaigners from the local anti fur group "Campaign for a fur free Nottingham" have been protesting against the shops descision to stock real fur in their UK stores again despite the fact that fur farming was banned over a decade ago in the UK due to the extreme cruelty involved in the production of fur for clothing.
The protests have had a positive response from the general public most seem shocked at the stores descision to sell these products.
Protesters vow to up their campaign until Paul Smith adopt a fur free policy with various protests and stunts planned in the near future at the Nottingham store.
More than 45 million animals are raised in cages and killed for their fur. Not only are the animals killed inhumanely, but they suffer from numerous physical and behavioral abnormalities induced by the stress of caging conditions. After spending their short lives in squalid conditions, animals raised on fur farms are killed by cruel methods to prevent damage to the pelt, such as gassing, neck breaking, anal electricution animals are even skinned alive for their fur.
If anyone would like to get involved with the campaign e mail furfreenotts@live.co.uk
I Punched Somebody lol - Copper Caught boasting
28-11-2010 21:17
Notts Cuts Watch #7
28-11-2010 20:23
An (incomplete) overview of how the age of austerity has affected Nottingham and Notinghamshire over the last week or so. This is largely culled from various local media outlets, so apologies for some of the dodgy analysis.
Campaigning
1) “Internet minister” and public schoolboy Ed Vaizey was in Notttingham on Friday, but managed to avoid protesters eager to challenge him about the Coalition government’s cuts.
Vaizey Vanishes, Nottingham Indymedia
2) The CWU have finally decided the only way to get Anna Soubry MP to listen to them is to actually go down there and present her with a giant postcard.
…along with 600 letters from workers at Nottingham APC (The Beeston Ryland based sorting office) stating very clearly that they opposed Soubry’s support for the privatisation of the Royal Mail. This rather makes her claim in the House of Commons that (quoting Hansard)
“In my constituency there are 700 postal workers at the Beeston Sorting Office. To my knowledge, not one of them has written to urge me not to support the Bill. Two of them came to the Commons today to ask me not to support it-two in 700.”
Beestonia and The Giant Postcard, Beestonia’s Blog
Housing
1)RUSHCLIFFE, Newark and Sherwood and Gedling are the three most expensive places to buy houses in Notts, a new report has revealed.
East Midlands Home Truths 2010 warns that house prices in the region have increased faster than the national average, leaving many people unable to afford to buy.
A 90 per cent mortgage on an average home in the East Midlands now requires an income of more than £40,600.
The three least affordable local authority areas in Notts are:
Click here for more
Rushcliffe: £212,742 average house price – 8.9 times higher than the £23,920 average income.
Newark & Sherwood: £168,060 average house price – nine times higher than the £18,746 average income.
Gedling: £149,345 average house price – 7.2 times higher than the £20,774 average income.
The cheapest place in the East Midlands to buy a home is Ashfield, where the average house price is £114,245 – 6.1 times higher than the £18,632 average income.
The report comes after the Government’s decision to cut the affordable housebuilding budget by 63 per cent last month.
Higher prices put homes out of reach for Notts residents, Nottingham Post
2) A HOUSING repair scheme for ‘vulnerable’ home owners and private-sector tenants in Hucknall and the rest of Ashfield is to be axed amid spending cuts.
The ‘Care And Repair’ service, run jointly by Ashfield and Mansfield District Councils, helps people in these categories who are elderly, disabled or on a low income.
Local building contractors are used to carry out maintenance and adaptations to the homes.
The service is being discontinued because Notts County Council is removing its Supporting People funding from April 1 next year. It will mean a saving of £173,000.
A county council spokesman said it was planning to replace ‘Care And Repair’ with another scheme called ‘Handy Persons’ Repairs’, which was being launched in Ashfield and Mansfield and would eventually become county-wide.
“The scheme puts people in touch with local firms to help them deal with small jobs in their homes,” said the spokesman.
Home-repair help for vulnerable axed, Hucknall Dispatch
Newark and Sherwood District Council
Jobs are set to go at Newark and Sherwood District Council as it looks for ways to save £71/2m over the next four years.
The cabinet meets next Thursday when it will be asked to approve proposals to axe 40.6 full-time equivalent jobs.
The current workforce is 443 full-time equivalent.
More than half the council’s expenditure is on staffing.
Chief executive Mr Andrew Muter said they would ask for volunteers but anticipated there would have to be some compulsory redundancies.
40 council jobs set to be axed, Newark Advertiser
Nottingham City Council
1) THE Government has said it will not fund the £200 million project to redevelop The Meadows.
Nottingham City Council has already spent over £700,000 to develop the proposals, which included hundreds of better homes and improvements to street layouts.
But on Monday the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced it will not provide cash for any more private finance initiatives to improve homes if work to award contracts has not started.
Nottingham City Council was just about to begin procurement work on the contracts and will miss out on the funding for The Meadows as a result.
Nottingham City Council was allocated a £200 million PFI Credit from the Government in July 2009 for a major housing regeneration scheme in The Meadows.
An Outline Business Case (OBC), which shows what the scheme could look like and how it could be achieved, was submitted to the Government for final approval in October 2010.
The scheme would have been delivered over the next 25 years. It included 520 refurbished council houses, 330 new “affordable rented” homes, 160 flats turned into 80 family houses and 702 “unpopular” properties demolished.
The scheme also included the redesign of street layouts, refurbishment and improvements to remaining council properties, new family housing and improved parking facilities.
Government axes The Meadows redevelopment scheme, Nottingham Post
Government axes £200 Million PFI scheme for Meadows Neighbourhood Redevelopment, Nottingham City Council
2) THE head of a charity for homeless people has warned that hundreds more people will be forced to live on the streets – and more rough sleepers will die – if savage budget cut proposals go ahead.
The city council is set to axe funding for 207 bed spaces for homeless people – including young women, people with mental health issues and those fighting drug and alcohol problems.
It is part of a bid to save £4.5 million in the city council’s Supporting People budget this year. Meanwhile, the county council is seeking to cut its own equivalent budget between 44 per cent and 67 per cent in the next four years.
This would see homeless charity Framework – which receives most of its funding from Supporting People grants – facing a fall in its county budget from £6.9 million to between £2.3 million and £3.9 million over four years.
Charity’s warning over homeless deaths if cuts go ahead, Nottingham Post
Nottingham City Council axes funding for more than 200 beds, Nottingham Post
3) The Post had two major bad news stories on Monday. One about NCC cutting over 200 places in homelessness hostels, the other about the government deciding not to fund the PFI scheme to do up the Meadows.
Only one of these stories made it to the council’s homepage, can you guess which one it is?
Keep the Public Informed…When It Suits You, NCC LOLs
4) AN historic swimming baths in New Basford is to go under the hammer next month.
Nottingham property agent Heb is selling the Noel Street teaching pool that opened in the 1930s and formed part of the former leisure complex.
It is being auctioned on the instructions of Nottingham City Council and has a price guide of £175,000 to £190,000.
The auction will feature a total of 25 lots, including commercial property, houses and a development sites.The commercial lots include The King of Diamonds pub in Shirebrook and Windsor Garage in Ellis Road, Beeston.
There are also 22 residential properties at various locations across Notts and Derbyshire.
“Our auctions this year have been very successful and we’re delighted at how they’ve turned out. It makes us feel particularly optimistic about this. It’s going to a great end to a fantastic year,” said Mr Hilton.
The auction is on December 14 at Nottingham Belfry Hotel, Mellors Way, Strelley, at 2.30pm.
Historic baths go under the hammer, Nottingham Post
5) NCC LOLs has managed to get sight of some of the emails that were exchanged between Nottingham Studios’ representatives and NCC when negotiations started to turn sour. You may recall that NS were somewhat unhappy about having to allow some of the community groups to stay on in the building for an indeterminate period. NS were quibbling over the rent that NCC were going to pay on the groups’ behalf.
NCC had received an alternative much greater offer for the building yet were still pushing for a sale to NS for a much lower figure, completion of which would have cost them even more for renting half of it back.
Essentially, it is clear that, even before the serious incompetence set in with legal services’ failure to give the tenants proper notice, NCC was already nearly £200k down. For some reason, it seems that somebody high up really wanted the building to go to Nottingham Studios.
It’s That Radford Unity Complex Again, NCC LOLs
6) NEW research claims the city of Nottingham will be among the top ten hardest hit areas outside London when the Government cuts council funding.
Nottingham City Council receives a smaller proportion of its income from council tax than other local authorities.
It was given 63 per cent of its total budget by the Government this year, which is one of the highest levels in the country.
The figures, published by the Local Government Association and the Labour party, show only seven other councils were given a higher proportion of their income by central Government.
Labour ministers have argued this will leave urban areas worse off when the Government announces cuts to councils’ formula grants next month.
Nottingham to be one of the "hardest hit" areas by Government cuts outside London, Nottingham Post
7) NOTTINGHAM City Council has been criticised for spending almost £4,000 of taxpayers’ money on a Christmas tree for its headquarters.
The 35ft artificial tree will sit in the main atrium of Loxley House in Station Street.
The council is seeking sponsorship to meet the cost of the £5,000 tree, but so far it has only received just over £1,000.
Notts County Council has a second-hand Christmas tree in its reception at County Hall, which was donated about five years ago.
Martin Allen, senior organiser of union GMB Midland and East Coast, said: "When there is a time of austerity and our members are facing redundancy decisions like this need to be evaluated seriously to see whether taxpayers are getting value for money.
“The GMB certainly isn’t cancelling Christmas in any way, shape or form. When we were on a protest last Saturday it was nice to see the Christmas tree going up in Slab Square – but that’s for the people of Nottingham to enjoy.”
City Council spends £4,000 on a Christmas tree for its office, Nottingham Post
Nottinghamshire County Council
1) THOUSANDS of vulnerable people will be left without support due to county council cuts, according to the chairman of Notts Supporting People Provider Forum.
The council is looking at a cut of between 44% and 67% on its supporting people budget.
The budget helps more than 14,000 people in Notts including older people, people with learning disabilities, disabled people, people with mental health problems, women and children fleeing domestic violence, young people and care leavers, ex-offenders, people with substance misuse problems and homeless people.
The Government is reducing the Supporting People Grant for councils by 12.5% over the next four years.
But Lucy Cooper, the chair of the Supporting People Provider Forum, said the cuts in Notts would be much harsher.
She said: “We are extremely concerned by Notts County Council’s budget proposals to cut funding in this area by £10 to £15 million over the next four years. This is a budget reduction of almost 50 to 70% which is 4 to 6 times the level of reduction in funding the local authority will receive to deliver these services locally.”
Notts County Council cuts will leave ‘thousands of vulnerable people’ without support, Nottingham Post
2) Guests at a civic service organised by Nottinghamshire County Council could be left feeling peckish as cost cutting means the usual finger buffet will be scaled down.
Instead, about 350 guests, including civic dignitaries, at the event in Southwell Minster in June, will be served tea and a slice of cake.
The new menu should cost £1 per guest, reducing the cost to £350 compared with the £2,800 cost of this summer’s buffet.
The total cost for the service next year would be £2,089, a saving of about £2,000 on this year.
Catering cost-cuts just take the biscuit, Newark Advertiser
Policing
Nottinghamshire police are considering compulsory retirement for officers with 30 years’ service or more, as part of their cost-cutting agenda.
The force has sent proposals to the police authority which will be debated further on 15 December.
The proposals also include voluntary and compulsory redundancies of other police staff.
The force will find out in December exactly how much it will receive in government funding.
Nottinghamshire police consider senior redundancies, BBC Nottingham
Notts cops could be forced to retire on efficiency grounds, Nottingham Post
Public transport
ANY last hopes that the Government might electrify rail track between Nottingham and London in the near future took a heavy blow yesterday.
Business groups and politicians argue that electrifying the Midland Mainline would mean trains running between the two cities could carry more passengers, be faster and more environmentally-friendly.
They had hoped the Government might approve the route’s upgrade despite cuts to public spending, but the Post reported last week that ministers planned to shelve the scheme.
Yesterday Transport Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed the news when he announced how the Government would invest in rail infrastructure over the course of the next Parliament.
A spokesman from the Department for Transport said: "Electrification is still important and we still continue to assess the Midland Mainline scheme but it is not wrapped up in this spending announcement.
“However we certainly don’t rule out Midland Mainline electrification for the future.”
Hopes of boost to Midland Mainline services dealt heavy blow, Nottingham Post
School
1) GEDLING councillors have pledged their support for the campaign to save a school.
Members of the borough council met county council service director for learning and achievement John Slater for talks over the future of Gedling School yesterday.
The county council is due to decide on December 15 whether to begin consulting on a recommendation for the phased closure of the 639-pupil school from August 2012.
But yesterday’s meeting discussed ways to keep the school open.
Concerns were raised about figures the county council was using to support the closure proposal.
“The school thinks it has 100 spaces whereas the council thinks it is 300 pupils short” he said, “so we think the figures they are using make a false case for the closure.”
Borough councillors pledge support for campaign to save Gedling School, Nottingham Post
2) A Government schools’ minister was in Newark today to see for himself the dire state of the Grove, Magnus and Orchard schools.
All three were promised millions of pounds under Building Schools for the Future – a programme axed by the newly-elected coalition Government when it came to power.
Lord Hill of Oareford, under-secretary of state for schools, toured all three schools and met with parents.
He was unable to give any assurances over the long-term futures of any of the schools he visited but said money was available nationally to be prioritised in the New Year.
Minister’s schools’ visit, Newark Advertiser
3) Around 100 student from Toot Hill School, Bingham, gathered in the Market Place this morning to protest against the proposed increase in university tuition fees.
The protest, staged from 9am-10am, was part of a national event that saw college and university students walk out of lessons across the country.
Students make fees protest, Newark Advertiser
University
1) Nottingham students, including the reigning Miss England, have been voicing their opposition to the planned rise in tuition fees.
About 100 students intended to hold a “teach-in” and occupy a room at Nottingham University.
Law student Jessica Linley – crowned Miss England in September – has spoken in support of the action, calling the government plans “unacceptable”.
Miss England backs Nottingham fees protest, BBC Notttingham
2) Around 60 students from Nottingham University gathered on the steps of the portland Building at 2PM. They marched to the Trent Building where they demanded to see the Vice Chancellor. Coincidentally, the VC was on holiday and students regrouped outside one of the libraries. A teach in was planned for 4PM.
Day of Action 24/11/2010 Nottingham, Notttingham Indymedia
The Rise of North Yemeni Islamism in Birmingham, U.K.
28-11-2010 20:13
With Yemen in the news these days, this essay is about how a North Yemeni Islamisation school arrived in Birmingham, UK, in the 1980's. The essay outlines the arrival of this school within the geo-political context of the period, namely when the US/UK were actively courting political Islamism.Dogshocking Vivisector whose animal torture used by military to develop human to
28-11-2010 19:46
Martin Seligman shocked dogs at the University of Pennsylvania. His workwas used to develop torture techniques at the CIA. He is the 2nd president of the
APA to have worked with the CIA in torture techniques for detainees.
Now he has been given a 31 million dollar contract by the US military.
Wikileaks under cyber-attack & official censorship
28-11-2010 18:23
Wikileaks has announced by twitter that their website is under a mass distributed denial-of-service attack. "El Pais, Le Monde, Speigel, Guardian & NYT will publish many US embassy cables tonight, even if WikiLeaks goes down," they continue.
The whistle-blowing website had previously announced that the UK government had issue a special notice to media outlets, asking them to discuss with the government before publishing any of the new material that is expected to be published tonight.
The Social Christ by Samael Aun Weor
28-11-2010 17:44
A book on the subject of Gnostic Socialism by Samael Aun WeorWikileaks under mass distributed Denial of Service Attack
28-11-2010 17:36
educate, agitate, organise - poster template
28-11-2010 17:15
Urgent: Stop the U.S./S Korean Attack - Know the Facts and take action
28-11-2010 15:11
"Tuesday, Nov 30 is the date that more than 2 million workers in the U.S. will loose all extended jobless funding or unemployment benefits. They will be left totally destitute. So we were working with some of the workers loosing benefits on that day. So one proposal was to refocus with signs and flyers this action to include more prominently the U.S. threats against DPRK, the cost of sending nuclear powered aircraft carriers, destroyers, jet aircraft half way around the world while continuing to cut the most basic necessities here at home."Notes from an Occupier (Oxford)
28-11-2010 14:56
It is now 24 hours since we (the protesters) were evicted from the Radcliffe Camera library, part of the beautiful and no doubt invaluable Bodleian library. In that time, all I seem to have done is talk, write and read about the student and public protests, which are sweeping the country. I’ve also had time to process everything that happened and come to some conclusions about why direct action against education and public sector cuts, conducted peacefully (not to be confused with quietly) is absolutely justified and necessary.UG#525 - Cannabis (Medical Marijuana, Forgetting and the Botany of Desire)
28-11-2010 14:37
Climate Change: Avoiding Catastrophe
28-11-2010 14:37
The revelation that carbon dioxide emissions are set to increase this year by over 3 per cent, despite temporarily falling 1.3 per cent between 2008 and 2009 due to global recession, signals an urgent warning that current efforts on climate change have simply failed. Even while we are still in the midst of recession - where the recovery is so fragile that another bank bailout is being pushed through in hopes of preventing a full-blown eurozone crisis - fossil fuel emissions have never been higher, and are projected to accelerate in coming years.
The SDL: A joke with no Punchline
28-11-2010 13:22
Yesterday "saw" the SDL's Stirling event. Or it would have been seen if the 20-30 racist thugs who made their way to the sleepy wee town had done anything other than be escorted from the station to whatever drinking den they had hired to hide in for the day.
Education Revolt: Solidarity Statement
28-11-2010 13:22
See BelowWe, the individuals and groups listed below, offer our solidarity and support for the action(s) taken earlier this week and the continuing occupations in Bristol and across the country.
The raising of Tuition fees, the cutting of Housing Benefit, Legal Aid and many other Social Benefits will cause hurt to many across the social spectrum. Mainstream Politicians and Media are already attempting to segregate and split an as yet unformalised, genuine coalition of the aggrieved.
One way to counter this attempt at division is if we refuse to criticise or condemn differing tactics, even if we privately disagree with them, and offer support to those arrested, suspended from university, or their jobs due to action taken.
Whilst many of the undersigned have doubts about the role of “The State” in our lives, we don’t seek to monopolise or take over protests to use as our own platform. Rather, we commit to engaging in spaces of protest and dissent as a means to debate and decide our common future(s).
We also call on those trade union members who are unhappy with their leaderships’ inaction on the cuts to engage with and support these protests which are currently the most vocal and visible challenge to the ConDem coalition.
Bristol No Borders
Bristol Anarchist Black Cross
Cave Street Factory (Social Centre)
Bristol Anarchist Federation
(Other Groups are currently considering the statement)