Issues and campaigns: London

Stuff about the city where I (used to) live and (still occasionally) work!

Jump to:

x Close

  • Grenfell Tower fire
    • The appalling fire on 14 June 2017, in which 72 people died, victims of inequality, corner-cutting and capitalism.
  • Hackney
    • In East London. Where I used to live. Great place.

Rant at a Bicycle Thief

(Swearing appropriate to the tone of the verse) Why the fuck did you nick my bike? What have I ever done to you? Did it cross your mind how much it would upset me? Or that I might not be … Read more

Autism and Austerity

From the TUC handbook, Autism in the Workplace  “We know that LAs [local authorities] have had their budgets slashed and are making cuts which are impacting on adults with autism and families living with autism. Families are being told that they will … Read more

Understanding the PPP Arbiter’s Draft Directions

On 17 December 2009, the PPP Arbiter published an important document, which may turn out to be a staging post in the collapse of Tube Lines and – following 2007’s similar collapse of Metronet – of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) … Read more

Death Knell for London Underground PPP?

tubelinesheadlines

From ‘Solidarity’ newspaper, January 2010: A decision by the PPP Arbiter in December may prove to be a fatal punch to private infrastructure company Tube Lines and the whole ‘Public-Private Partnership’ set-up on London Underground. The New Labour government imposed … Read more

Lessons from London Underground’s History

March 2010: Both London Underground and Tube Lines – and, no doubt, many other companies – will tell us that they “have to” cut jobs because of the economic crisis. But a look at London Underground’s history shows that this … Read more

Lessons From PPP: Why All Grades Should Stick Together

April 2010: In 1998, the recently-elected New Labour government announced a ‘public-private partnership’ for London Underground. Operations would remain in the public sector, but the infrastructure would transfer to private consortia on 30-year leases. The unions fought this proposal for … Read more

Hackney – Oppose Tube Staff Cuts!

I wrote this article for my local anti-cuts campaign newsletter in Hackney in August 2010: We may not have London Underground here in Hackney (except at our very edges!), but the loss of 800 Tube staff posts would still affect … Read more

Driverless Trains: a Warning from Helsinki

September 2013 The underground railway (Metro) in Finland’s capital city Helsinki is due to go ‘driverless’ in 2016. I discussed this with Finnish trade unionists Jussi and Satu, and heard a story that has important lessons for London Underground workers … Read more

The Ballad of Gibbons Corner

collapse

Since Eighteen Ninety In all of its finery Stood Gibbons the furniture sellers London’s last such attraction With cash-only transaction Until plastic caught up with the fellas They eventually gave in To modernity’s whim With a sign saying ‘We accept … Read more

Nazis and Nailbombers: Fighting the Fascists

from the pamphlet Radical Chains: Sexuality and Class Politics, published in 1999. On 30 April 1999, a nail-bomb killed three people and injured dozens more. It exploded in the Admiral Duncan pub in Old Compton Street, the heart of gay … Read more