The solidarity against injustice and the self-organisation of the Durham Teaching Assistants was, as we wrote in July, an inspiration to other workers throughout the North East and beyond (see Their refusal to allow 25% of their colleagues to be sacrificed for the sake of a sordid deal with Durham County Council has deservedly earned the TAs (or Lions of Durham as they were labelled) the...

There is much to admire in the resistance that the Teaching Assistants (TAs) of County Durham have put up over the last 20 months. Their resilience and solidarity was once again confirmed by their vote to reject the latest “offer” agreed by their unions and Durham County Council. · Background · For those who have not been following this saga, Durham TAs(1) are already amongst the lowest paid in...

Political and Economic Crisis · “You don’t know what you’re doing” is a familiar England football chant. The same refrain could be directed at the British (and global) ruling class. · For years the world capitalist system has been in economic crisis. No matter what policies various governments have tried (from increased spending, to privatisation and letting the banks speculate on anything and...

The electoral trick – over and over again · In the last few years our rulers have laid on 2 Referendums, elections for Regional Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners, elections for at least three levels of local Councils and elections for "national" Assemblies/Parliament in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.