Marxist. Trade Unionist. Socialist-feminist. Author. Poet. Speaker. Tutor. RMT ex-Exec. Workers' Liberty. Autie. Bi. PUFC fan.
Fighting against racism and the structures and institutions that perpetuate it
“When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” But when did the executing start? When did the racist recruiting start? And when will the prosecuting start? That will be when the suits will start elocuting and refuting parts, disputing and diluting … Read more
Janine Booth interviews musician Rhoda Dakar, who talks about Two-Tone, policing, the centrality of class and much much more! Read the full text of the interview here. Rhoda was in The Bodysnatchers and The Special AKA, and performed in “Free … Read more
This is the full text of the interview. A shortened version was published in Solidarity 555. Watch the video of this interview here. ***** I am Rhoda Dakar. I’ve been a professional musician for 40 years. Initially, I was in … Read more
PJ aka the Repeat Beat Poet, is a hip hop and spoken word artist, and an activist. He spoke to Janine Booth, a trade unionist, Workers’ Liberty activist, and poet about George Floyd Protest, police, fighting racism, and more. Questions … Read more
When my team lost to a goal in the last five minutes of the match from a free kick that should never have been given and got relegated and my face went down with them, you didn’t tell me that … Read more
The white power cap on the top of the head of the cop with his knee on the neck of the man on the floor by the pass- enger door Who said please I can’t breathe and who called for … Read more
It’s easier to Weaponise a weapon that’s Already loaded
Edward lived in Hoxton boxed in Stitching boots digging roots Labouring his load on the neighbouring road to new arrivals migrated for survival from Poland, from Russia to the holy crush of London Under the same sky came together, made … Read more
While workers were angry and willing to fight, too often their anger was aimed at fellow workers of a different colour rather than at the employers and authorities responsible for their exploitation and poverty. Sometimes this occurred in the absence … Read more
A Marxist and trade unionist herself, Booth makes Lansbury a hero of her time and place and of what she sees as a continuing fight for equality. Click here to read the Jewish Chronicle’s review of Minnie Lansbury: suffragette, … Read more
Racist terror thoughts and prayers Coffin bearer thoughts and prayers Crossing, drowning thoughts and prayers Solemn, frowning thoughts and prayers Thoughts and prayers and sad reactions Thoughts and prayers but rarely actions Stabbed and killed thoughts and prayers Life unfulfilled … Read more
Since autistic activist Judy Singer coined the term ‘neurodiversity’ some twenty years ago, it has facilitated a great enlightenment and a progressive new approach to the experiences and rights of autistic and other neurologically atypical people. It is now facing … Read more
Lansbury’s parents were impoverished Jews from Poland, then part of the Russian Empire, and had fled to the East End of London to escape antisemitic pogroms and persecution. Some in the labour movement welcomed the Jewish refugees, but others … Read more
Listen to Janine speaking at Momentum’s The World Transformed event at Labour Party conference on 24 September 2017. Here is a selection of how the media reported it: “On Sunday, a supportive MP, Clive Lewis, called for a “phase two” … Read more
Keep politics out of sport Black lives may matter but all that matters here is the score Keep politics out of football because standing up for the national anthem is not political but kneeling for it is Keep politics off … Read more
Text of the George Lansbury Memorial Lecture, given on 16 November 2016 at Queen Mary University, London. I’m working on the assumption that most of you know a fair bit about George Lansbury but rather less about his daughter-in-law … Read more
They’re backward, stupid, racist, sexist They voted Trump, they voted Brexit They must be mental, mad or sick They’re racist and they’re thick Good people didn’t vote this way Bad people don’t do what we say They don’t accept the … Read more
Follow the links for a shocking story of a Stalinist anti-semitic purge. London is loyal, London’s a comrade London has toiled through many a bomb raid London’s a leader, London’s a fighter London is feeling the noose closing tighter Those … Read more
Originally published on Workers’ Liberty’s website. There was a discussion at Workers’ Liberty’s ‘Ideas for Freedom’ discussion weekend in 2006 about ‘The Left and Cultural Relativism’. The two speakers were Janine Booth and Peter Tatchell. These are the notes from … Read more
This week, two reports found that the actions of Officer Timothy Loehmann in shooting dead black 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland Ohio on 22 November 2014 were “justified”. Tamir Rice Shot down twice First his life and now his name … Read more