The GMB general secretary speaks to Ben Chacko at the union’s annual conference in Brighton
The empire that drowned in the Suez
Incredibly, 65 years after General Nasser showed Britain the door, there are MPs that seem to think we can one day have successful solo imperial adventures again. Nonsense, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
General Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal in Egypt then successfully defended it against Britain, France and Israel, forcing them to retreat; without the US, Britain could not go it alone
GUTO DAVIES commemorates the 89th anniversary of the mass clash where thousands of Rhondda locals and anti-fascist activists made sure ‘not even one Welsh sheep would hear the Mosley message’ and rioted against the BUF rally
We have finally reached the end of Labour’s claim to be the political wing of the labour movement, and the diverse left forces challenging Starmer’s pro-austerity, pro-war government deserve our open support — but what next, asks ANDREW MURRAY
Derek Thomson pays tribute to the grassroots activist who had a rare skill in finding solutions to difficult union issues, whose Fife roots and unpretentious nature made him a popular unifying figure
Following defiant messages from the activists determined to get their cargo of aid to Gaza, Israeli forces unlawfully boarded the British-flagged Madleen in international waters, leaving 12 crew members’ whereabouts unknown, reports LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
LYNN HENDERSON reflects on turning 60, tracing her path from 1980s Youth CND and Red Wedge gigs, deindustrialisation and the rise of women trade unionists, to looking at today’s young organisers in Unite Hospitality and Living Rent, who offer hope for the future
Scotland’s councils face a £647 million budget gap despite 6% increases, forcing service cuts and reserve depletion while local government workers battle for decent pay amid the continuing cost-of-living crisis, reports BRENDA AITCHISON
IN 1956 General Nasser, the ruler of the newly independent Egypt, nationalised the Suez Canal. It runs through Egypt, was dug by forced Egyptian labour and legally belonged to the Egyptian state.
Britain, France and Israel responded by sending in gunboats, warplanes, paratroopers and marines to grab the canal back and try to overthrow Nasser. Egyptian troops fought back.
The US, Russia and the United Nations opposed the imperial adventure. Britain, France and Israel were forced into a humiliating retreat, with nothing to show for a couple of hundred deaths among the invaders and over a thousand Egyptian civilians and soldiers killed.
There are two lessons from Suez: first, these imperial adventures, with Western troops trying to rule the world, are ugly, stupid failures. Second, Britain cannot do them independently — without US backing, anyway.
In the Commons debate about the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Suez debacle was mentioned five times. But not one MP drew the obvious lesson — that imperial adventures and military occupations are a bad thing.
Instead, all the MPs — Labour and Tory — only worried Afghanistan was, like Suez, a “humiliation” for British foreign policy, that showed we still played second fiddle to the US.
Many of our political leaders are unable to learn the most basic lessons of history, preferring imperial fantasies about how we can, one day, again have successful British invasions and occupations, 65 years after they were finally shown to be absolute folly.
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