Blog archive - July 2012

This is a free blogging space for LRC members. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the LRC.

Injustice: PC Harwood found not guilty for the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson

Louise Whittle
20th July 2012 at 15:59
0 comments
PC Harwood, by a majority verdict, was found not guilty of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson (echoes of the Rodney King case). It has been an uphill struggle for the Tomlinson family. And now Harwood, captured on video hitting Ian Tomlinson with a baton during the G20 protests in May 2009, eluded justice. Catalogue of failures by the police, IPCC and the CPS right from the start. [continue/comment...]
Tags: ian tomlinson, police violence

This is a free blogging space for LRC members. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the LRC.

Military schools have no place in Labour policy

Rhiannon Lowton
10th July 2012 at 22:30
0 comments
Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg has called for ‘Military Schools’in each region, and extensive expansion of military cadets in order to raise the aspirations of youth in poorer areas.
The policy idea is based on research by the think tank Respublica.
The report aims to raise social mobility, creating military accademies
  ‘Sponsored by the Armed Forces and   delivered with and by the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) using their practical experience and existing governance support, the schools would be located in those regions in areas with the greatest concentration of young people who are NEET (not in employment, education or training) or at risk of becoming NEET.’
This is not something that the Labour Party should be supporting, at all.
Young people who are, or who are at risk of becoming ‘NEET’, would have their prospects vastly improved by bringing back EMA, scrapping tuition fees, having propper aprenticehips and creating jobs.
Not by training working class youth to be fodder for imperial wars.
The report also claims that many young people involved in last years riots had special educational needs. If this was in any way a factor, then surely lack of help and screening by L.E.A’s are more to blame than the ‘workshy’ and ‘broken homes’ that have taken the blame thus far? I would also have to question the thinking and morality behind any proposals to propose training SEN kids specifically for war.  [continue/comment...]
Tags: class, education, imperialism, military schools, youth employment