Charters of Liberty in Black Face and White Face: Race, Slavery and the Commons

The Magna Carta is renowned as the 'Charter of Liberty' which inspired modern constitutional safeguards against the power of the State. But its smaller companion, the Charter of the Forest, enshrining the customary rights of the commoners to land and resources, has been overlooked. Cutting between the political struggles of the early 1970s and the 1720s, Peter Linebaugh shows how the struggle against enclosures in the woods of England is inextricably linked with the struggle against slavery in the Atlantic

And Still He Stays Silent

There is just one thing Geldof can now do for Africa. This is to announce that his optimism was misplaced, that the mission was not accomplished, that the struggle for justice is as urgent as ever. But while he holds his tongue, he will remain the man who betrayed the poor.

Dole Scroungers

Not Local? No rights. No charity.
Brighton and Hove Council's vicious "local connection" policy for the homeless has been getting steadily more repressive. Now the homeless aren't allowed to use First Base Day Centre to buy a cheap meal, have their post delivered or take a shower, unless they have had a tenancy in the town for 6 months out of the last 12, or 3 years of the last 5 or have had family here for 5 years!

Tenants from local authority flat complexes across Dublin meet for launch of Tenants First booklet

Around 75 community and housing activists from across the city gathered in the Macro Community Resource Centre on North King St last night, for the launching of a new Tenants First booklet, entitled "The Real Guide to Regeneration for Communities:

Legal gag on Bush-Blair war row

The attorney general last night threatened newspapers with the Official Secrets Act if they revealed the contents of a document allegedly relating to a dispute between Tony Blair and George Bush over the conduct of military operations in Iraq.