Funding and the third sector…just what is NL up to?!

WTF..??

Those selected included organisations working with ex-offenders, refugees, transgendered people and gypsies.

And NL doesn’t want to be seen, obviously, helping and supporting the above people. Absolute crap decision by NL.

The response from The Office of the Third Sector to the decision:

This decision was taken because of the pressing need to support the sector through the recession. It was a difficult decision, but in the current circumstances the minister believes it is right that we channel money into supporting organisations providing vital recession services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society.

I still don’t understand why that means they have to reallocate the money. Who don’t NL want to offend? And of course they made this decision without consultation.

Oh, and the money has been reallocated to a hardship fund which helps disadvantaged people.

Is that code for bankers?

Sayonara Edward Woodward

I don’t know whether I am right but I remember reading an interview with Edward Woodward some years back and he came across as a bit of a leftie.

Shame to hear then that he has died at 79 of pneumonia. There is a whole body of work that spans over 50 years including the theatre, also remembered for television work such as Callan and The Equalizer….I even started watching ‘Enders again after so many years just to see what character he was playing.

But I will always remember the powerful performance he gave as the doomed virginal iconic Sgt Howie in the cult classical The Wicker Man.

Welfare Reform Bill receives Royal Assent

I forgot to inform but the Welfare Reform Bill has received Royal Assent.

Lord Freud said he wouldn’t push the issue of the Commons overturning his amendment on benefit sanctions as it had “become a political game for the Government”.

The Bill received assent on the 12th November, the 13th would have been a more apt day to have received it!

Welcome to a world of sanctions, stigmatisation, vilification, misery, penalisation, conditionality…. and workfare.

Welcome to the workhouse.

Short review of The White Ribbon

Just back from seeing The White Ribbon. Excellent, truly excellent. Very powerful and political, beautifully shot in monochrome which emphasises the horrors and traumas. I am too tired to write a fuller review but it is an absorbing film that deserves further analysis.

It is film that intertwines social class and gender, hierarchy of power dynamics with a veneer of respectability yet scratch the surface exposes the under belly of brutality, isolation, powerlessness, abuse and violence. It highlights the strict vicious patriarchal order of the family, women knowing their place while children are seen and not heard (‘spare the rod spoil the child’). And the children are villains/victims, though it is not as simple and straightforward it is much more complex.

It is a study in early 20th century cruelty.

Eh?

Off to cinema….

Well I am off to see Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon at the BFI  later meant to see it last night but was just too knackered after the LRC AGM. Crikey…I am getting old.

So I ended up at home, brain addled (still recovering from a sinus cold) slumped on the sofa watching Four Weddings and a Funeral. I saw that film twice in one week at the cinema way back in ’94…. don’t ask! I didn’t mind it to a certain extent, well made bubble gum for the eye, though it had the stamp of the Richard Curtis annoying style of pompous dialogue…and the start of a franchise starring Hugh Grant.

Indeed…. I also remember going to the cinema around 2003 and seeing a trailer for Love Actually. Have experienced cheering, clapping and walk outs but never booing before. Once the trailer was shown there was immediate booing by the whole of the audience. I think people were suffering from Richard Curtis fatigue (and now he is writing Dr Who episodes). And  the recent The Boat That Rocked sank without a trace… again I saw a trailer sans booing and it looked….in prosaic language… sexist shite…

The film I was seeing in 2003, if you are interested, was the wonderfully bittersweet and an exercise in alienation, Nói Albínói. A great antidote to the over blown and bloated, Love Actually….

I have great expectations regarding Haneke’s The White Ribbon…..

LRC AGM

So I am putting together my overall impressions of yesterday’s LRC AGM. Tony Benn made a good speech at the start of conference. John McDonnell set the scene about what needs to be done with an election looming. He also stated (with much applause) that he would stand again if there’s a leadership contest and especially if the alternative is a Kinnock-style compromise character (I certainly agree with that political position). Also, the importance of the canvassing and supporting Labour MPs who haven’t kow-towed to warmongering NL and the ideology of neoliberalism. It was a good rousing speech which then led to the resolutions.

I don’t want to go into too much detail as wanna keep this short but the resolution that stands out for me is the one on sex work (and as a Socialist feminist and supporter of decriminalisation and unionisation was pleased to see the resolution), Mary Partington made an extremely powerful speech which argued for solidarity and self-organising of sex workers, pragmatic and integral to this is support for decriminalisation and unionisation. And as Nicky Adams (English Collective of Prostitutes) during a lunch time discussion on sex work said NL has brought in the oppressive Policing and Crime legislation which will further criminalise sex workers (it will not ‘protect’ sex workers) against the current political backdrop of welfare reform and a recession! How the hell does NL think people will financially ‘exist’ faced with limited choices?

So on this resolution the LRC passed it pretty much unanimously.

Briefly, there was resolutions on the industrial situation, economic crisis, Royal Mail and postal dispute, media, opposition to the cuts in the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, welfare benefits, transport, People’s Charter, local people’s conventions, Iraq and Afghanisation, Iran, social ownership, Labour Party democracy, the BNP, general election campaigning, LRC recruitment.

You can see the wording of these resolutions here.

In the afternoon there was an international speaker, Cristian Dominguez (United Confederation of Bolivian Campesino Workers). Christian gave an inspiring account of the Bolivian masses’ fight against their ruling classes. Their struggle involves facing tremendous hardship. It started with a fight against water privatisation. Christian stressed that these struggles are not something limited by international boundaries: they are for the whole of humanity.

The final speech of the day was by Katy Clark and it was an exceptionally rousing and impressive speech about the way forward.

 Election results: Maria Exall and Susan Press were re-elected as Vice Chairs. Commiserations to Marsha-Jane Thompson.

Two representatives selected to go forward to the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance slate are for the Labour Party NEC:

Christine Shawcroft

Susan Press

I can’t find my notes which included the names of the new LRC NC, though I am sure they will be published on the LRC website (I was re-elected btw).

Carnival of Socialism

 

Welcome comrades to the Carnival of Socialism….

It has been a fortnight of terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and  creamy middles! To sum up the past fortnight, and a fortnight is a long time in politics, it has been about drugs, postal workers, Brown and his handwriting…..and other stuff.

Was Alan Johnson correct to sack Professor Nutt, Neil Robertson thinks it reflects just how hysterical this country has become in the drugs debate while Chris is with the Home Secretary over this. While Seán thinks everything you need to know about drug policy failure was addressed in Series 3 of The Wire. And Chicken Yoghurt is waiting for Johnson to  have Galileo exhumed so he can sack him because his scientific advice does not reflect policy.

Regarding the postal strike Lenin’s Tomb and Dave Semple think the CWU were wrong to postpone industrial action. And speaking of activism, Clare on the occupation at LCC and see their blog here.

Andy highlighted how the attacks on Brown backfired regarding the handwritten letter to Jacqui Janes though let’s not forget the whole picture as RickB  emphasises with the fact that British forces may take more than the Nato limit of 96 hours’ detention to extract vital intelligence from Afghan detainees before they have to be released from UK facilities. And furthermore let’s not forget the arrest and detention of Joe Glenton.

Talking of justice, the inquest into Mikey Powell has opened.

Madam Miaow on comedy and offence. Scarleteen invites us to the 6th Feminist Carnival. Kevin writes about a former left-winger who has well and truly sold-out. Benjamin on Kevin Rudd’s racism and Tamil asylum seekers. Splintered on the fall of the house of Paisley. Feministing highlights the problems of faith based charities and homophobia. Sunny believes that Lefties should stop cutting their noses to spite their face. Penny Red shows solidarity to ‘knickers girl’. Philippa on feminism and disability.Cath Elliott talks about sex. Oh, indeed surreal week for C4 commissioning and executing Gary Glitter …. Red Baron thought the programme did ok while Liam thought it was deeply weird.

Paul writes an impressive monster of a Left action plan (5-part) while Salman thinks Labour does not deserve our unwavering loyalty. Phil gives his tuppence halfpenny on cadre and mass parties. My favourite blog title of 2009 has written a report on Socialism 2009. I kinda like Jon’s optimism about taking heart from meeting with Socialists at the LRC AGM. Raincoat Optimism gives his take on  Power2010.  Marshajane gives her reasons for standing for LRC Vice Chair (and I will be voting for her). Susan may be leaving the blogosphere (don’t do it Susan…take a break but don’t leave!).

Marxsite has items on occupying students in Austria and Mexican electricity workers. Random Pottins on the fall of the Berlin Wall. Claude remembers the Berlin Wall via the film Goodbye Lenin, and so does Janine by playing Walls Come Tumbling Down. Sara on language and thought. Dave on Melanie Phillips. Rustbelt Radical remembers James Connolly. Fit Watch on domestic extremist units and raids.

 Labour holds onto Glasgow North East, Jim supplies the stats and Dave has this to say….Just wanted to say welcome to the Socialist Way blog.

  Finally, AVPS on being sent strange email (frame it comrade, frame it!)

So over to the next person who is doing this…..Red Star Coven (and liked this post)

Reminder – Carnival of Socialism submissions

Just a quick post to remind people about the Carnival of Socialism will be up very early Saturday morning so I will be compiling it sometime tomorrow.

So any posts you want to big-up etc. please link to in the comments box below.

Ta…

 

‘Socialism isn’t about walling yourself in’…

Twenty years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall (20 years..how time flies) instead of reminiscing about that time I am including the trailer from this wonderful film, Goodbye Lenin. Reading Claude’s post reminded me of the film. I watched it when it was released in cinemas in 2003. It is a poignant, bittersweet, very funny, hopeful yet sad film.  See Claude’s post for a summary of the film. I missed watching it on television at the weekend.

And the final moments of the film, especially these lines are powerfully moving…and true: Socialism isn’t about walling yourself in. It’s about reaching out to others and living with them. It means not only dreaming about a better world, but making it happen.

Benefit sanctions don’t work!

Sir Richard Tilt, chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) has spoken regarding sanctions-based conditionality as the main tool for getting people back into the labour market:

We have seen little convincing evidence that sanctions ‘work’ in this way, and we very much hope that the development of ‘personalised’ support services … will offer an approach to compliance that offers customers empowerment and responsibility, backed by real choices and options, as they move towards the labour market.

So let’s reiterate the obvious, sanctions don’t work!

And Tilt has never been a supporter of benefit sanctions.