Pantoum: At Kindergarten in Lviv
Put on their coats and follow teacher
Away from danger from the skies
Air raids are a schoolday feature
Issues and campaigns: Europe
Europe the continuent, the European Union, and European countries.
Tourette’s, neurodiversity and class: the case of Madame Dampierre
In 1825, Paris physician Jean Marc Gaspard Itard assessed a French noblewoman in her twenties who, from the age of seven, had ‘ticked and blasphemed‘. She was one of ten people with similar symptoms described in an article by Itard. … Read More
Solidarity with Ukraine!
Artillery rounds and a barrage of shellfire It looks and it sounds like extending an empire Bombing and shooting civilians slain Expansionist Putin invading Ukraine Threatening nukes and rain hell from the skies Dismissing rebukes with chauvinist lies Conscripts uprooting … Read More
‘Unpublished Author’ Performed in Paris
Back in 2018, Janine performs ‘ Unpublished author’ in front of a shopload of books. Venue: Berkeley Books, Paris.
Black culture and resistance: the Harlem Renaissance
Published in Solidarity 569: One hundred years ago, an arts movement was forming in a mainly-black district of New York City. Later known as the Harlem Renaissance, it was primarily cultural but also inescapably political. Literature, poetry, jazz, … Read More
Breaking The Law
I’m doing a bit of cash-in-hand work in a specific and limited way I’m nicking some pens as a justified perk in a specific and limited way I’m short on cash so I won’t pay my bills in a specific … Read More
Guest post: ‘Autistic-friendly’ employers may not be what they seem
There is an increasing number of companies which explicitly employ autistic people, promising to value their work and provide suitable working conditions. This has been widely welcomed. But what are the experiences of autistic workers in these companies? On this … Read More
Speaking about the politics of autism (English and French)
Janine Booth speaking at a seminar in Paris on 24 July 2019. This opening section of the talk introduces Janine, and explains the five key principles of the Labour Party Autism and Neurodiversity Manifesto.
1919 – Throwing off the shackles of Empire
Also published on the Workers’ Liberty website here. After Britain and its Allies had won the war, proclaiming themselves champions of freedom and democracy, the people of its imperial possessions stepped up their democratic demand for some of that … Read More
Soldier F
Soldier F said he only harmed protesters who held bombs or arms Soldier F had truths to hide The soldier lied Lord Saville said none of the dead had posed a threat but that did not stop Soldier F When … Read More
Haiku: Stuffed
May has a sore throat See her Noes running the show And her Ayes dry up
Widening Roads
Widening roads parking lorries carrying loads of no-deal worries Laying Tarmac digging ditches making car parks burning bridges Office holder riding high on a hard Brexit shoulder to pull over and cry on Sailing boats away laying mines widening motorways … Read More
Spanish Lesson
Guardia Civil know the drill Drafted in from other places beating unfamiliar faces Keepers of the peace Police That’s the theory: There and here, we expect protection get subjection Saw that theory cracked in practice Dragged and kicked grabbed and … Read More
Report: ETF Women’s Conference 2017
RMT’s delegation to the European Transport workers’ Federation Women’s Conference comprised Mary Jane Herbison, Michelle Rodgers, Lorna Tooley and Janine Booth. The conference was, unfortunately, squeezed into a short time on a single day. It still managed to do its … Read More
Report to ETF Women’s Conference 2017: Violence Against Women Transport Workers – It’s Not Part of the Job!
This is the report I gave to ETF Women’s Conference about the previous four years campaigning against violence against women … The 2013 ETF Women’s Conference decided that opposing violenece against women transport workers would be one of its priorities … Read More
Little England
– after Edward Thomas’ Adlestrop Yes. I remember Little England – The name, because one squally morn Of rain, the liner drew up there Unwonted, for a port in storm The tour guide paused and pointed as The vessel neared … Read More
ETF Women’s Committee report: March 2017
Click the attached file to scroll through Janine’s report on the work of the ETF Women’s Committee. This report was presented to RMT Women’s Conference on 4 March.
Speaking Up for Abortion Rights
Janine’s speech proposing this motion on the 50th Anniversary of the Abortion Act at RMT Women’s Conference 2017. It’s worth remembering what life was like for working-class women before abortion was legalised. While rich women were always able to find a … Read More
Policy resolution: 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act
This resolution was passed unanimously by RMT Women’s Conference 2017. THIS CONFERENCE NOTES THAT: 1. this year is the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act 2. before this Act, women who did not want to continue an unwanted pregnancy … Read More
European Commission: Getting More Women to Work in Transport?
Jean-Louis Colson (on the right of the photo) from DG-MOVE – the European Commission’s Directorate General on transport – outlined the Commission’s work on women and transport, and the consultation it is currently running. For the Commission, the main ‘challenge’ is … Read More