Comment

MANY thousands of anti-war protesters took to the streets of London and Glasgow at the weekend as part of a global World Without War co-ordinated response to imperialism's criminal wars.

DESPITE the continued efforts by the police authorities to denigrate and underestimate the size of the anti-war movement in Britain, it has become clear that somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 people turned out at the weekend to oppose Britain's continued involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and its sabre-rattling frenzy over Iran.

SOME MPs have got a bit hot under the collar over the public reaction to the publication of the John Lewis list and, indeed, demands for greater scrutiny of parliamentary expenses.

NO-ONE should have been surprised by Bishop of Motherwell Joseph Devine's allegation that the gay community has aligned itself with Holocaust survivors to give the impression that lesbians and gays are still persecuted.

MOST people know what words such as fairness mean and they are pleased when they hear that the government will tackle climate change and help hard-working families.

THE Prime Minister's love for all things US is well-documented.

AS Gordon Brown's "mini-me" Chancellor prepares his budget speech for Wednesday, campaign groups and unions are already issuing their wish-lists, urging Alistair Darling to use his alleged control over the Treasury's purse strings to deliver social justice and sound investment in Britain's long-suffering infrastructure.

THE clamour from bosses' club the Confederation of British Industry for a "more competitive" tax system is spot on.

IF patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown must be one step away from growing a pencil moustache and donning a smoking jacket.

BRITISH trade unionists demonstrated the international solidarity that underpins the labour movement on Thursday when they turned out in support of jailed Iranian busworkers' leader Mansour Osanloo.