Hull Primary Schools By Rob Rooney

Self-proclaimed socialist councillor Daren Hale washes his hands of Hull primary schools in their looming financial crisis and even goes so far as to suggest ways of schools balancing their books i.e. making redundancies, leaving vacancies empty etc. Statements like this give socialists a bad name, Daren! It's only a few weeks since Councillor Hale was telling meetings of primary school parents and staff that closing schools was the only way to stop redundancies.

Now, no doubt emboldened by the failure to mount an effective opposition to the closure plans, he feels he can inflict this news on the city's primary schools.

There can surely be no doubt that, taken together with the plan to build a privatised, so-called city academy out of the ashes of two secondary schools, there is a full-blown crisis in Hull's education system. This is made worse by the presence of people like Councillor Hale in positions of power. There needs to be an energetic, militant campaign, involving parents, unions and communities to stop this carnage.

Such a campaign, in my opinion, should have the following demands: 1) A change to the Tory governments funding formula for schools; 2) Proper funding for schools, keeping small class sizes, keeping or improving present staff-pupil ratios and rejecting the spurious notion of surplus places. 3) No to a city academy; 4) Elected representatives who represent their communities.

Current Affairs - Why Make Poverty History By Martin Deane

	A coach from Hull to Edinburgh will be on for the Make Poverty History demonstration, Saturday July 2nd 2005. Martin Deane and Rich Mills are organising. Prices are £22 and £18 concessions, phone Martin on 471467 for a seat. Book NOW and bring your wrist bands, placards, fancy dresses and tell them - "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE". Read more...

Current Affairs - Learn Before You Burn !- or why incineration will always be a problem By Martin J Deane 26th May 2005

	Hedon, Monday night, to a 100-packed community hall, Dr Paul Connett gave a brilliant talk on the dangers of incinerators and incineration. (I advertised this via my 200-strong email list - which YOU are welcome to join!) In a passionate presentation, New York chemistry professor Paul Connett said of incineration: "We shouldn't be doing this anyway! Read more...

Current Affairs - The Election 2005 - Another One Crossed Off The List by Rich Mills with 7 page photo gallery by Mo

	The Election 2005 was a colourful and amazing spectacle, especially closer than most to the action. Not for me the putting of an X against the name of some stranger, who is then supposed to represent your interest in Parliament. No I was much more involved in our democratic process. Acting as a Polling Agent for Martin Deane of the Green Party, I spent the day at the very Read more...

Current Affairs - The Hell-ection - King Rats Common Sense Guide to The Bastards in Charge

	Hear ye, hear ye, election time is upon us again. Inspiring speeches thought provoking debates, radical policies for the good of mankind, or who the hell do I vote for? 2pence on lesbians 1pence on fags, wasn't that Dalek episode good! Yes citizens I am as bemused as you, so let's delve into the partisan tribes that inhabit Westminster Read more...

Current Affairs - Election Wars 2: Enter the Candidates by Lee Cassanell

	Starring: Diana Johnson as - The Red Baron Dennis Healy as - The Yellow Peril Martin Dean as - Captain Planet Lydia Rivlin as - The Blue Oyster Co Starring: Mo as - Jimmy Olsen Lee Cassanell as - Ronald McDonald The Chanterlands Avenue Baptist Church Mafia as - Themselves The Story so far.... Emperor Tony Blair declared war on Read more...

Current Affairs - War and Terror ... The Green Party by Martin J Deane.

	Brave hero, George W Bush, commander in chief of the world, oops, sorry, America, wants to liberate all peoples from oppression wherever they may be, and is set on bringing democracy to the Middle East. Let's see how well he has done so far - and, of course, the Republicans' "junior partner" in all this, New Labour. Read more...

Current Affairs - Green Party to fight Hull North

	The Green Party would like to announce their intention to contest the next general election in Hull. Martin Deane, 42, was selected as the party's prospective Parliamentary candidate at Wednesday's meeting of the Hull and East Riding Green Party. The group will focus on Hull North and build on the green vote Read more...

Current Affairs - Neasden PS, under threat - "Education is not a cost. It's an investment." Save Hull Schools by Martin J Deane, 21.2.05

	The proposed closure of 9 Hull primary schools (including the 2 for 'amalgamation') is causing great concern to communities across Hull. The Council plans to close Newland Ave, St Charles, St George's, Coleford, Constable, Midmere, and Read more...

Current Affairs - URGENT APPEAL- DERRINGHAM BY-ELECTION HULL CITY COUNCIL

	The BNP are standing a candidate in this by election to be held on 13th January 2005. They are hoping to capitalize on an extremely low turnout to sneak into the Guildhall. Unite Against Fascism will be organizing to stop the BNP. We are facing a very tight timescale Read more...

Current Affairs - Colin Powell - Saint or War Criminal? By Martin Deane

	After the near beatification of Ronald Reagan recently, it falls to the peace movement to do the honours once again on the occasion of Colin Powell's recent resignation. Colin Powell was the official moderate, and national security adviser, under Reagan. Let's take Africa. During the Reagan years, there was a policy called Read more...

Current Affairs - Burning Issues - Was 9/11 the greatest show on earth? By Martin Deane.

	The War on Terror is based on the premise that the 2001 9/11 attacks on New York and Washingotn, which killed nearly 3,000 people were carried out by 19 Islamic fundamentalist men. The official story has been played in such detail throughout our media that we will all know it. But the facts could be - and probably Read more...

Current Affairs - Does intelligence help us? By Robin Ramsay.

	Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit-9/11 is great propaganda but, like all propaganda, it isn't about the truth. In a section mocking the so-called "Coalition of the willing" which supported the US invasion of Iraq, Moore listed several very small countries - but omitted Australia, the UK and others. For Australia Read more...

Current Affairs - International Contradictions and Hypocrisies By Andrew Martin

	After reading the British government's pre-war dossiers on WMDs anyone with the slightest hint of intelligence would have concluded that the ability of Iraq to pose a serious threat to the world was minimal. The evidence in these documents was thin, Read more...

Current Affairs - In Reply To - A letter from Pablo Gonzales to his MP Alan Johnson, By Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP.

	Dear Mr Gonzalez, Thank you for your thoughtful and considered letter of 17th July. I have thought constantly about the decision I made to vote for this country to go to war on March 18th 2003. It was of course the first time that a decision to go to war had not been made by royal prerogative. Read more...