Transforming Labour: Transforming Britain‏

'Ed Miliband was the overwhelming Compass membership choice for leader and we are delighted he has won. Ed represents the possibility of changing the party; its policies and organisation - so that we can provide the country with the change that it needs', says Compass. See the full story below...

Has government run out of money? And why does it borrow its own currency?‏

The dominant concept of money is that resources only come into existence when money is mobilised. This gives the financial elite who control money and credit enormous power over government, the economy and over all aspects of our lives. Keynes recognised this absurdity in 1928:

The Last Election by John Haines‏

Suppose there are no returns,
and the candidates, one
by one, drop off in the polls,
as the voters turn away,
each to his inner persuasion.

Tory County Council set to Suffolk-ate jobs & services‏

On Thursday Suffolk County Council, which is Conservative controlled, agreed to support the Chief Exec’s (Andrea Hill – long time resident of Private Eye’s illustrious columns) “New Strategic Direction” – total divestment of all services. Apparently what none of us had realised is that contracting out all services (to who – they have no idea) actually increases democratic participation, delivers “better outcomes” for the people of Suffolk and costs considerably less. “A new era of people power” The Leader of the County Council, Jeremy Pembroke said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/sep/22/suffolk-county-council-outsource-services

Shameless!‏

Malcom Grant, The Director of University College, paid £404,000 last year, has refused to join other University Colleges in paying their cleaners a living wage. UCL alumni might want to write and express their outrage! http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23881460-ucl-chief-paying-a-living-wage-would-cost-pound-1m-a-year-and-8201-and-8201and-i-dont-have-it.do

European Trade Union Day of Action on 29 September 2010: 100 000 workers to demonstrate in Brussels‏

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), in reaction to the austerity measures in force in a number of European countries, is sponsoring a major European mobilisation on 29 September, with support from all its member organisations. Around 100,000 people are expected to take to the streets in Brussels and protest actions will also be held in different European countries.

BMA to attack white paper as 'smokescreen for privatisation'

The BMA has voted to attack core elements of the Government’s health white paper, which 'opens the door to further privatisation of the NHS and could lead to services being provided on the basis of cost rather than quality', writes Ian Quinn in the GP's Pulse publication.

Cuts Watch - Here we go....‏

Yesterday five Whitehall departments reached spending (aka cuts) agreements with the Treasury, ahead of next month's spending review: The Treasury, Cabinet Office, Foreign Office plus the environment and communities departments have reached agreement on cutting their spending. The latter has massive implications for UNISON members working in local government. According to Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News Minister Eric Pickles confirmed that he had conceded cuts "around about halfway" between the 25 and 40% cuts which had been mooted over the summer.
Check out the BBC’s useful ‘cuts watch’ feature: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10924719

More strike action in France to defend retirement age‏

Today French unions are staging another day of mass street protests and strikes in opposition to President Sarkozy's plan to hike the retirement age to 62, a key plank of the French Government’s austerity linked reforms. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11395363
A survey carried out for the CGT union and published Tuesday in the newspaper L'Humanite said that 70 percent of French people are opposed to raising the retirement age.
http://www.europe1.fr/Politique/Retraites-70-de-Francais-contre-la-reforme-273346/

UNISON Health Service Group Exectuve agree a robust campaign strategy to defend the NHS‏

Clare Williams reports on yesterday’s meeting of the UNISON Health SGE:
The White Paper, 'Liberating the NHS' being the biggest attack on the NHS since its inception will be robustly challenged by UNISON, the leading health service union. Already a judicial review has been accepted as legitimate and we are waiting for a date for UNISON's case to be heard. It is essential we use this time to get other organisations, particularly user groups to join us in this.