Solidarity 231, 25 January 2012

On 23 January, the House of Lords voted to exempt child benefit payments from a government proposed £26,000 annual cap on household benefits. The government squash that amendment when the Welfare Bill, which includes the cap, comes back to the House of Commons. It is important to note that everyone, on all points of the mainstream political spectrum accepts and justifies the “need” for a benefit cap, including, disgracefully, the Labour Party. John Bird, founder of the Big Issue has backed the government — even though this “reform” will make many homeless! The benefit cap, along with rising...

Protestors threw hand grenades at the entrance to the National Transitional Council (NTC) headquarters in Benghazi on Saturday 21 January and torched the Head of the NTC’s car. Under pressure from the same protests the deputy head of the NTC, Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, has resigned. Widespread hostility to the NTC leadership erupted into violence and an occupation of NTC buildings, with security forces unable to resist protestors entering the buildings. There is serious disaffection at the new regime’s inability to free itself entirely from its pro-Qaddafi past. Abdel Hafiz Ghoga was implicated as...