Student activism: how a new landscape is being created
contribution by Liam Burns
There have been some profound changes to the nature of campaigning over the last few years. Associated with this is the rise of very loosely organised campaigning approaches, such as that epitomised by UK Uncut.
How we best campaign on this in a manner which is coherent nationally but relevant locally is therefore a challenge now more than ever.
Whilst we are great at running large-scale national events – mobilising over 50,000 students together with UCU last year – adapting to locally run disparate actions on wide-ranging issues is more difficult.
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Quakers make statement supporting @occupyLSX
As the City of London Corporation gave notice to the Occupy LSX activists to clear the “public highway” by 6pm yesterday evening, Quakers in Britain made a public declaration of support for the protesters.
A statement from Quakers in Britain says that they share the concern for global economic justice and sustainability expressed by the Occupy movement.
And speaking from their long tradition of nonviolence, they praised the peaceful nature of the Occupy movement.
The Quaker statement, signed by Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, goes on to say: “Quakers in Britain agree with the statement of Occupy London Stock Exchange that our current economic system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives. We, too, ‘want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich’.”
The full text of the statement reads
Quakers in Britain share the concern for global economic justice and sustainability expressed by the Occupy movement. We agree with the statement of Occupy London Stock Exchange that our current economic system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives. We, too, “want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich,” (as stated in Occupy LSX initial statement).
We are grateful to the various Occupy groups for raising these issues so passionately and respond to the deep spiritual significance that we recognise in the movement.
Those of us who have visited have been welcomed, and found the Occupy sites an exceptional learning experience. We honour the values and positive ways of working within Occupy communities: without hierarchy, based on care for others, open to the contributions of all and searching for the truth. These are in harmony with our Quaker practice and business methods.
The idea that another world is possible is crucial for us too. We cannot accept the injustice and destructiveness of our economic system as it is. At the annual meeting of Quakers in Britain in August 2011 we wrote: “We need to ask the question whether this system is so broken that we must urgently work with others of faith and good will to put in its place a different system in which our testimonies can flourish”.
We support the process initiated by the Occupy movement to create a path towards a different future, and to develop it democratically.
We hope that individual Quakers will continue to provide support, both moral and practical, to the movement. We greatly value its peaceful quality and we pray that this can be actively supported by all, including the civil and ecclesiastical authorities who have the difficult task of maintaining simultaneously both public order and the right of peaceful protest.
Signed Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain
Around 23,000 people attend nearly 475 Quaker meetings for worship in Britain.
via Sara Barnard
Watch: How well are the top 1% doing?
Last week we put out a call for people to start doing some info-graphics on inequality across the UK.
Christian Darkin has taken it further and produced this slick video.
We think its very good – please do share it far and wide on your social networks.
He’s on Twitter and this is his website
Why Labour still finds it hard to offer a “coherent alternative” to the cuts
Labour is frequently accused by lefties of not having a “coherent alternative to Tory cuts” and not fighting hard against the cuts enough.
Yesterday’s youth unemployment figures reminded me of a conversation I had during the Labour party conference on this issue.
A friend said his company had done some private polling just before the election on the state of the economy.
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Why workfare doesn’t work: a personal story
I am a grammar boy born into unimaginable poverty that would the eyes pop out of your head. My two brothers having failed the 11+ (or the 10+ as I call it, since you sit it when you are 10) were destined for the scrap heap.
The only school option open to them was St Joe’s a local comp which I wish all the very best but it done little for them. For example, my brother with a life passion for art had no art teacher for GCSE, although my other brother got pass grades in English & Maths.
They both told tales of misery, bullying, under-achievement and truancy. The best teachers went to the four local grammars.
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Confirmed: Osborne will cut benefits further
George Osborne is planning to cut benefits further in order to fund a cut in fuel duty, the Times (£) reports today.
We have pointed out a few times that Osborne was mulling over a way to cut benefits further after CPI inflation jumped to 5.2%. Normally, that meant benefits had to rise by the same per cent.
But Osborne is planning to change the rules again, after already reducing them earlier (by linking them to the lower CPI rate of inflation, than the higher RPI rate).
Instead, welfare benefits will only be raised in line with a ‘six month inflation average’ – currently at 4.5%.
That will save them just under a billion pounds.
The money will be used to cover the shortfall once the govt abandons the coming 3p rise in fuel duty.
Once again, the most vulnerable in society, including the million unemployed youth, will bear the brunt of this move.
Summary of Miliband’s five steps on economy
Labour leader Ed Miliband today set out five ways in which he thinks the British economy needs to change to become more long-term thinking, instead of focused on short-term gain.
He outlined these in his speech:
1. A new relationship between finance and the real economy
We need a more competitive banking system providing the finance businesses need. Our policy review is looking in detail at proposals for a UK Investment Bank, and at the American experience of the programs run by the SBA, like the Small Business Investment Companies.
2. Ending the short-termism of shareholder value
We need fundamental change is in the way companies have been told to think about their worth. The focus on short term share price is hampering the ability of businesses to create productive wealth.
We must look at the role of institutional investors, the voting rights of shareholders and at how the tax system can encourage and discourage short-term behaviour. That is why we will be announcing the details of our review of short-termism in the coming weeks.
3. A new commitment to skills and education of the workforce
We need to understand the inadequacies of our system of skills in the UK, particularly vocational skills. Firms need to be given a leadership role by government in setting the standards for the vocational skills they need and in exchange accepting a shared responsibility to bring on the next generation with the training that is required. That’s why we’ve said, for example, that major government procurements should only go to firms that offer apprenticeships.
4. A new commitment to responsibility at the top and fair sharing of
rewards
Those who create wealth, particularly those who take risks, should be properly rewarded. But the system isn’t working well enough when top pay seems to have become disconnected from the value created.
That’s why we are arguing for a revolution in transparency about pay for those at the top so shareholders and others can come to view about what is justified and a change in who makes the decisions about pay, and an employee on the remuneration committee of every major company.
5. Tackling vested interests
We need to recognise that large concentrations of unaccountable private power raise prices, exploit consumers, and lead to inefficiency. This includes the banking sector where high bonuses are a sign of lack of competition, the energy sector where the grip of the big six freezes out other companies with the cost being placed on the consumer, and parts of the media, where a company like News International controls too much of the market.
Government has a responsibility, on hard-headed economic grounds, to use its power to break up vested interests.
—-
It still feels a bit vague, even if the five headings are all positive and head in the right direction.
It still fees like each heading needs a key, bold, signature policy that will make it more concrete. This is by no means the final product – the Labour leader will continue adding meat to the bones in coming weeks, months and years.
PS – what would you like to see in future speeches?
Top 10 terrible Tory councils of the past 10 weeks
There are extra points for hypocrisy-while-being-evil-or-stupid, and extra style points for crass stupidity beyond human reason…. So without further do:
10. Kensington and Chelsea. K&C make it in at number 10 with the news that they’ve misused millions of pounds on consultancy contracts.
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Labour pledges to repeal Tory NHS bill
The Guardian today reports on a story the NEw Statesman also carried this week – that Labour is committing itself to reversing the Coalition’s ruinous NHS plans.
Andy Burnham is today reported as telling delegates at the Royal College of Midwives’s annual conference:
Labour will inherit a very different NHS – lots of damage will have already been done. And let me make it clear – if the bill in parliament goes through, we will repeal it.
…
We will return the NHS to a national system based on the principle of collaboration on which it was founded in 1948.
His pledge was met with loud applause.
He focused on specifics later:
While we would not leave in place a legislative framework that breaks up the NHS, nor would we lurch headlong into another NHS reorganisation.
But we would reinstate the Secretary of State’s powers [his duty to provide a comprehensive health service across England], remove the [planned] duty to promote autonomy of NHS organisations which is a red rag, a market-based system – and we would repeal all of the administrative stuff that creates the market [inside the NHS].
He also said it was vital that in future NHS groups which commissioned health services for local populations shared the same geographical boundaries as one local council, in order to promote the smoothest possible integration of health and social care services.
He added:
There are immediate things we would do to repeal stuff in the Bill but [then] work back to a one-NHS system, a collaborative system that’s self-supporting. And we would remove the duty to pit one hospital against another
This is a very welcome start.
It’s also about time Labour got more vocal in its opposition, although this is entirely related to Andy Burnham replacing John Healey as shadow health minister.
Exploring the strategy problem for #occupyLSX
I’m writing a longer piece on #occupy, but I want to expand on an issue key to this movement: their direction and strategy.
The occupiers and their supporters are frequently seen discussing, or at least calling for, a list of demands. They want to formulate an economic plan, and they send out regular press releases calling for the Corporation of London to answer their demands.
But this is like putting the cart before the horse; it’s completely the wrong way of going about it.
continue reading… »
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» The real agenda behind Telegraph’s abortion investigation
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» Why country-by-country reporting matters to our wellbeing
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» Why work “reforms” in Spain are a warning for workers across Europe
» Five things you need to know about the NHS bill
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