Another economy is possible with a new Lucas Plan

An idea whose time has come?

• Wednesday 17 July.
• 1.00 pm.
• Jack Jones House, Liverpool L3 8EF.
• Guest speaker: John Routley.

John is a former Lucas Aerospace shop steward who helped form the Alternative Corporate Plan in 1976 after the company announced redundancies. The plan advocated the diversification of workers' skills and expertise to make 'socially useful products' that meet people's needs and benefit society.

Joint organisers, Merseyside CND and the Merseyside Pensioners' Association, say:
"All are welcome to join us as we call for a new Lucas Plan, where the knowledge of those manufacturing nuclear weapons and other military technology is used to tackle climate change and to improve the standard of living for everyone."

More information on the New Lucas Plan website here.

UC protests in Liverpool

We have just learned from the MPA that there is a protest against Universal Credit every week in Liverpool.
The details are:

• Every Wednesday.
• 11.00am.
• Jobcentreplus, 416 Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 3HT.

At present, that is all the info we have. If we find out more, we'll publicise it here.

Top civil servants: stay out of politics!

Letter sent to the Times, the Liverpool Echo and the Southport Visiter:

Dear Editor,

It is a disturbing development that senior civil servants are briefing the press with their opinions of the Labour Party leader. All civil servants are required to be politically neutral, as it is their job to implement parliamentary decisions and government policy, not to try to influence the political process. However, like all other citizens they have the right to express their views through the ballot box.

As a former union rep for much more junior staff in the civil service than the mandarins concerned, I know that if any of my members had taken similar actions against elected politicians from any party, they would have at the very least been put on final warnings for gross misconduct, if not actually sacked outright.

Top civil servants should not be be given more favourable treatment than that which the vast majority of their colleagues in the lower grades would have received.

For the record, I am not a Labour Party member and so have no partisan axe to grind here.

Yours sincerely,

Neville Grundy
Chair

Merseyside Associate & Retired Members

Colloids Dispute, Kirkby Industrial Estate

From the Knowsley Trades Council website:

At last week’s mass demonstration/picket at the Colloids site, strikers spoke of their gratitude for the support and large turnout on the Wednesday morning. They also said it would be a great moral boost if once a week we could arrange a day whereby all who could would gather together for a few hours.

So, this Friday 28 June, several Knowsley-based community groups are asking all those available to show your solidarity with the strikers, by demonstrating outside the Colloids site from 7.00am to 9.00am. We know it will not be possible for everyone to attend, but if you can or are able to inform others who can, it would be most appreciated.

Thanking you all in advance for your continued support with this matter.

In Solidarity

Steve Murphy

Details:

• Friday 28 June 2019 
• 7.00am - 9.00am
• 10 Kirkby Bank Road, Liverpool L33 7SY
• Unite press release - here

Liverpool TV licence demo - report and pictures

PCS Merseyside ARMs members supported a well-attended march through Liverpool to a rally outside BBC Radio Merseyside on Friday 21 June. The protest was against the BBC's decision to charge for TV licences for the over 75s who currently pay nothing. The march went down Bold Street, Church Street, Whitechapel and Manestys Lane to the Radio Merseyside office - with numerous bits of musical accompaniment thrown in! The BBC closed down their reception while the protest was on.

Many speakers addressed the rally from Unite, Unison and PCS ARMs Merseyside in the person of Steve Ion, plus Labour MP Bill Esterson. All spoke of the need to oppose these attacks now as they will clearly try and go for bus passes and winter fuel allowance next. They also spoke of the divide and rule tactics of playing off the young against the old and of the need for maximum unity across generations. This message was reinforced by a youth speaker who gave full support to the campaign.

The Merseyside Pensioners Association who organised the event closed the rally by stating that this was only the start of the campaign. The National Pensioners Convention had called for these protests and similar events were held across the country.

The ARMS NW banner on the move

The MPA banner

A musical protest - Mike Hinstridge of ARMS Mersey is on the right

Leading the chants, plus a Unite flag

Bill Esterson MP with the banner of the Liverpool Labour Councillors

                Keith Hebron                                Steve Ion (L) and Ray Beeton (R)

(L-R) Jim Stanway, Ray Beeton and Keith Hebron

(L-R) Jim Stanway, Steve Ion and Ray Beeton

Outside BBC Radio Merseyside

Bill Esterson MP addresses the rally

An unambiguous message

Marchers listening to the speeches

MPA condemns charging over-75s for TV licence + details of demo

Attendees at the ARMS National Forum in Liverpool on 19 June protest against the
scrapping of the over-75 free TV licence. The posters read: "Don't switch us off".

The Merseyside Pensioners Association condemns the decision by the BBC to charge over 75s the TV licence fee. During the last ten years in excess of £50 billion has been transferred from the working class into the pockets of the Tories' already very rich friends. The neediest in society have suffered while the top 10% have seen their wealth grow year on year as shown by the Times Rich List. They should pay, not the pensioners.

This government has cynically turned over responsibility to the BBC for their own funding knowing that that organisation would claw back any expenditure they could, even it meant attacking the most vulnerable to satisfy their political masters. Of course, the BBC’s ‘star’ performers would still receive their mega-salaries.

The same generation that has survived the invasion of Normandy will be amongst those attacked. We will call for all pensioners to refuse to pay this further imposition and join us in a campaign similar to the great Militant-inspired campaign against the Poll Tax when 18 million refused to pay. That campaign ultimately led to the removal of Margaret Thatcher as prime minister.

We aim to seek the same fate for the present government, to be replaced by a Corbyn-led socialist government committed to ending all austerity.

Tony Mulhearn

MPA Media Officer

(letter to the Liverpool Echo)

Additional comment by Marie of the MPA:

Here are the final arrangements for our demo/protest tomorrow (Friday 21 June):

• Meet 11.00 am at the bombed out church (St Luke's) at the top of Bold Street.
• March down to Radio Merseyside in Hanover Street to assemble there at 12.00 pm.

Bring rattles, whistles anything you can make a racket with. Leaflets will be available for distribution, petitions, clipboards, pens, etc will be available. We will have placards as well and chants. We need a full turnout of members for this event so I am appealing to all MPA members to support this .

Cheers, Marie.

Save over-75 TV licence demo - Liverpool

Grenfell Vigil in Liverpool: 14 June

14 June 2019 marks 2 years since the Grenfell tragedy in which 72 people lost their lives and hundreds of others were injured and lost their homes. A vigil is held on 14th of the month every month at the bombed out church in Liverpool at 6.00 pm in solidarity with a vigil held at the site in London.

PCS members and activists are encouraged to support the vigils, particularly on this poignant anniversary. We remember the victims and stand in solidarity with the survivors and families in their fight for justice.

• Date: Friday 14 June.
• Time: 6.00 pm.
• Place: St Luke's Bombed Out Church, Leece Sreet, Liverpool L1 2TR.

Petition - save our NHS from Trump

Sign the petition - here.

Time to confront the vultures

Tom Watson (left) and Alastair Campbell

As we anticipated, in the wake of the Euro disaster, the vultures are moving with renewed vigour to crush Corbyn and the socialism he espouses. Jeremy must know he will never mollify the Blairite wing nor the capitalist media. He’s got to go on the offensive. The rest of the anti-socialist brigade should join arch-Blairite Campbell. Watson, and now Campbell, are blatantly working to implement 'Operation Anaconda', their instrument designed to Crush Corbyn.

There should be no more retreats or apologies. Implement trigger ballots now to rid the movement of the fifth column, or they will destroy the Corbyn project. It's time for Jeremy to organise up and down the country to mobilise the massive support that exists for his anti-austerity alternative. Those who organise JC's activities should be bombarded with demands for a mass campaign which can change the whole landscape of British politics. Secret demos should be replaced by a confident call for JC's millions of supporters to get on the streets to demand a general election now.

Tony Mulhearn
ARMS Mersey

ARMS North West - the fight continues

Attendees at the ARMS NW regional committee today (30 May) in Jack Jones House, Liverpool. The meeting was primarily to mandate our delegate on motions to the ARMS national forum in Liverpool on 19 June. The new ARMS Manchester banner is on display.

Some other issues were discussed at the meeting:

• Emergency motions were agreed on pensions overpayment/underpayment concerns and intergenerational fairness.
• An update on ARMS' successful intervention at PCS conference was also given.
• A message of support was agreed to the striking PCS members in the ongoing Universal Credit dispute in Walsall and Wolverhampton DWP.

Steve Ion

Chair
ARMS North West

Tony Mulhearn's memoirs

Dear comrades and friends,

In response to various comrades and friends who persuaded me that I have a story to tell, I have written my memoirs.

To hire the services of a publisher is very difficult as, generally, they are interested in celebrities or national political figures who are well connected in the publishing field. As I don’t fall into either of these categories, with the help of Phil Maxwell, I am launching this Crowd Funding page to raise the necessary funding for the book’s production. Thank you to comrades and friends who have already donated.

Please click on the link below for further information.

https://www.gofundme.com/help-tony-mulhearn-publish-his-memoirs

In solidarity

Tony

Save our criminal justice system

The criminal justice system is under pressure. If we don't take drastic measures now, it will break.

I joined the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) at its inception, and am one of those who has worked from the start to create a service that its staff, and the country, can be proud of. But over the last decade, the government have brought in swingeing cuts to the courts, legal aid and the entire criminal justice system. We saw budget cuts in the CPS, staff reductions and down-grading. We were asked to do more with less, and it became increasingly difficult to deliver the justice which the public should rightly demand.

That's why, with the support of my union, the FDA, I've started this petition calling for a properly funded criminal justice system. We shouldn't have to campaign for adequate funding for our legal system, but the government's left us no choice. Austerity has taken its toll on our department. Real term pay-cuts of up to 42% are pushing lawyers away from criminal law towards more financially rewarding areas of practice.

The explosion of digital evidence has put – as one FDA CPS member put it – "an almost intolerable burden on prosecutors". Yet while disclosure has become more time-consuming since 2010, the budget of the CPS has fallen by 25% in the same period. As a result, 95.7% of prosecutors surveyed by the FDA now think the department does not have enough lawyers to deal with disclosure issues.

Something must be done. Please add your name.

Thanks for your support,

Roland Zollner
Barrister

Oppose Trump's state visit - Liverpool

Donald Trump has shocked the world since he was elected president of the USA. His racism and sexism are shocking. His views on climate change, immigration, crime and equal rights have alarmed millions. And he is making the world a much more dangerous place.

With Trump there is a massive global tension and a drive to greater conflict and war. Trump is:

• developing 'usable' nuclear weapons; nuclear war is now more likely.
• pulling out of crucial international agreements on climate change and weapons controls;
• trashing the Iran nuclear deal, increasing sanctions and sounding the drums of war.

Trump is putting us all in danger: join us to protest against his state visit to the UK.

Support the alternative: a world of peace, justice and human rights. Come to St George's Hall, Liverpool at 6pm on Monday 3rd June.

This protest is organised by Stand Up to Racism - Liverpool and Liverpool Trans-Pride.

••••••••••••

Pinched (with permission) from a leaflet by Merseyside CND - tel: 07394 810 871.

Sri Lanka: solidarity and condolences

Following the horrendous terrorists bombs on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka and the subsequent reprisals against Muslims, I sent the letter below on behalf of ARMS Mersey to the Sri Lanka High Commissioner to the UK. I am confident all ARMS members will endorse the sentiment and, after New Zealand, I sincerely hope this kind of letter does not become a regular item of correspondence from our group.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

19th May 2019

His Excellency Manisha Gunasekera 

Sri Lanka High Commissioner to the UK
No.13, Hyde Park Gardens,
London W2 2LU

Dear High Commissioner,

I am writing to express the horror of the PCS ARMS Mersey committee and membership at the terrorist mass murders that were committed in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. We have also been dismayed by the recent reprisals against Muslim-owned businesses, mosques and houses as we feel the Easter Sunday attacks were intended to provoke such a response.

Terrorists cannot abide peaceful coexistence and care little when their co-religionists are killed or injured in the violent chaos they seek to provoke. In fact, that is their aim as they want Sri Lankan Muslims to respond violently to attacks against them by rising up against non-Muslims. Everywhere, we must oppose all types of fanaticism and not allow it to divide our communities – the only effective way to peace is through unity in diversity.

We in ARMS oppose all forms of bigotry and intolerance wherever they arise. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims of these horrific murders, our solidarity with the people in Sri Lanka and our sorrow that such grief has been brought to your country.

Yours sincerely,

Neville Grundy
Chair
PCS ARMS Merseyside

Standing Up To Racism in Liverpool

Date: Saturday 18 May.

Time: 10.30 to - 15.00.

Place: Jack Jones House, 2 Churchill Way, Liverpool.

Meet at the Unite office at 10.30 to join Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism for a day of mass leafleting to get the vote out against Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, alias Tommy Robinson.

This will be followed by speeches at 15.00 from Steve Rotheram (Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region), Anna Rothery (Mayoral Lead for Equality & Race Equality and Liverpool City Councillor), and Joe Anderson (Mayor of Liverpool), and others at Jack Jones House.

Opposing "Tommy Robinson" in EU elections

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, alias Tommy Robinson, is standing in the North West section of the EU elections. He only needs 8% to be elected. Merseyside dates from Tommy Robinson's website:

• 9th May - St. Helens Thatto Heath - 7:00PM - WA9 5QQ
• 12th May - Birkenhead Beechwood - 5:00PM - CH43 7ZU - local campaigners have set up a What's App group and plan to meet up at that postcode at 2pm.
• 19th May - Liverpool Bootle - 1:00PM.
• 19th May - Liverpool Stockbridge - 5:00PM - L28 1ST.

There are some WhatsApp groups organising counter-protests. We will update you if we get any firmer information.

Please note: the organisers of these protests have suggested not putting this information on Facebook or other public social media for security reasons.

Equality through shared deprivation

The triple lock - deeply begrudged
by the wealthy

The Merseyside Pensioners Association has condemned the proposals of the Lords Committee on Intergenerational Fairness and Provision, a title borrowed straight form the George Orwell library of double-speak.

This body of unelected, well-heeled Lords calls for an end to the ‘triple lock’, which guarantees the state pension rises by the highest of inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent; an end of free television licences, and bus passes and winter fuel payments to be scrapped or scaled back; and for a national insurance surcharge.

Their Lordships justify these cuts with the phoney argument to ‘tilt the balance between the generations back towards younger groups’ because, they argue, the spending power of retired people has now overtaken many workers in their 20s and 30s, and that help should be stepped up for younger people in the jobs and housing markets.

There is no mention of the massive tax cuts for the rich, the wrecking of local council’s ability to build houses for rent, the low-wage zero hours jobs young people are faced with, and all the other inequalities in a society based on capitalism.

Far from OAPs being ‘privileged’, UK state pensions are the lowest in Western Europe, and thousands of OAPs die from hypothermia each year. We agree with John McDonnell’s description of the proposed national insurance surcharge as a ‘a tax on getting old’. This is a further cynical attempt to divide the generations while they figure out how to enrich their already fabulously rich friends and it gives further urgency to the election of a Corbyn-led government committed to the implementation of socialist policies.

Tony Mulhearn,
MPA Media Officer &
ARMS activist

Stop Tommy Robinson in Euro-election

Stop fascist Robinson winning NW MEP seat

Friday 3rd May, MANCHESTER: HELP LEAFLET TRAIN STATION: 16.30-17.30, Piccadilly Approach, Manchester.

Friday 3rd May: North West Regional Meeting, organised by SUTR and UAF, 19.00, Methodist Central Hall, Manchester.

Saturday 4th May: LIVERPOOL: City Centre stall & leafleting. Meet 11.00am, by Primark, Church St., Liverpool.

Saturday 4th May: LANCASTER: Leafleting of May Day March. 11.30 - 14.30, Dalton Square. UAF speaker.

Monday 6th May: BURNLEY: Leafleting of May Day event. UAF speaker. 12.00-16.00, Towneley Park.

Monday 6th May: LIVERPOOL: Leafleting of May Day March & Rally. 12.00 noon, Bombed Out Church (St Luke's).

Monday 6th May: LANCASTER: Stand Up to Racism meeting. 19.00-20.30, Friends Meeting House. Speakers include Cat Smith MP and Paul Jenkins, North West Regional Organiser, UAF.

Wednesday 8th May: MANCHESTER: help leaflet the station: 17.00 - 18.00, Piccadilly Approach, Manchester.

ARMS NW Newsletter April 2019

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