Wagner and how a woman saved the world

14th May 2013 Socialist Action 0

By Jude Woodward

It can hardly have escaped even the most committed Wagnerphobe that this year is a centenary celebration.

Alongside concert performances of all his major operas at the Proms, radio and TV broadcasts there are countless assessments of his life, politics, opinions and their relationship to his work.

Pro-austerity monolith starts to fracture

9th May 2013 Socialist Action 0

by Nicky Dempsey

The near-unanimous support for austerity policies in the ruling classes of the main capitalist powers is showing signs of strain. This is not because there is some recognition of the social and economic damage from the crisis, nor because of the valiant level of social resistance in some countries, or even because of the entry of populist and other unpredictable parties of the right.

UKIP and the stakes for the left

7th May 2013 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

The results of the local elections were above all a devastating blow to the Tories.

But while they confirm Labour is on course for a win at the 2015 General Election, this at present is not due to a significant turn to the left in the population.

ONS

Labour should propose a growth plan not spread austerity more widely

26th April 2013 Socialist Action 0

By Nicky Dempsey

The growing recognition that the 2015 election is Labour’s to lose has led to increasing rightwing pressures on the Labour leadership to maintain the essential thrust of ‘austerity’ policy.

The overwhelmingly Tory press focuses on the demand that Ed Miliband in particular commits to maintaining Tory spending plans.

Building the People’s Assembly Against Austerity is the key task of the left

24th April 2013 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

Recent weeks have seen a clear up-tick in the struggle against austerity in Britain.

The nationwide response to the Bedroom Tax, a number of very significant demonstrations against hospital closures, a jump in size of pickets and protests called against other local cuts and the decisions by NUT/NASUWT to call a series of one day strikes are among the evidence for this. The movement against austerity and the cuts has begun to move up a gear for the first time since the student struggles of late 2010 and the 2011/12 pensions’ actions.

Is the Book Of Mormon’s last laugh on the Black communities?

18th April 2013 Socialist Action 0

 

By Hassan Malik

The Book of Mormon opened last month having come to London on the back of nine Tony awards and rapturous New York reviews. Created by the team behind the successful South Park TV series, it features songs written by the composer from the irreverent Muppet musical Avenue Q.

It is marketed as a satire on the Mormon religion, which there is plenty of material about in the show. However, this is not the only target.