Westminster Bar Bill Suggests Peers Only Leapt up from Their Seats If It Was for Another Drink This Christmas As They Spend £70,000 on Booze

£1.20 Weekend edition Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 Morning Star Incorporating the Daily Worker For peace and socialism

YEAR IN REVIEW I’D LIKE A WOOLLY MAMMOTH THE BIG CULTURAL ROUND UP The highs and lows of 2017: p10 Peter Frost’s request to Santa : p11 Best of the year: p16-19 www.morningstaronline.co.uk Westminster bar bill suggests peers only leapt up from their seats if it was for another drink this Christmas as they spend £70,000 on booze

by Steve Sweeney Scottish National Party MSP Clare members of the Lords feasted on pub- attended,” as a taxi waited outside Haughey said it was clear that the only lic cash to pay for luxury food and drink with the engine running. thing happening in the upper house last in the Peers’ Dining Room, where One life peer has described the PEERS have been accused of living year was “Lords a-leaping to the bar.” dishes included pressed game terrine chamber as “the best day-care centre it up at the taxpayer’s expense this She said: “The public will be with baby leek and dandelion salad, and for the elderly in London.” Christmas, sparking new calls for the shocked that these unelected peers slow-cooked ox cheek with Irish champ People’s Assembly national secre- House of Lords to be abolished. are picking up their £300 a day and mash, heritage carrots and salsa verde. tary Sam Fairbairn branded the bar The Lords’ 2016 winter bar bill then getting merry at the taxpayer’s And it was revealed that bars at bill a disgrace at a time when there came in at over £70,000, all paid for expense. the House of Lords had been gifted are millions of people forced to use from the public purse. “But they have very little of use to a huge £1.2 million from the public foodbanks and poverty is on the rise. November and December of last do and plenty of free time to social- coffers to cover losses for periods “Why is it that this bunch of une- year alone saw a whopping £5,000 ise at the public’s expense, so it’s no when the upper chamber does not sit. lected scroungers who get paid too blown on champagne and almost surprise that they are spending their Members receive an astonishing much in the ﬁ rst place just for attend- £50,000 spent on wine in the upper time and public money on champagne £300 a day just for turning up, with ing Parliament can claim £1 million house’s taxpayer-subsidised bars. and sherry.” many accused of using their positions of taxpayers’ money to spend on Unelected peers spent an incredible Ms Haughey said it was time for to drain the public purse. booze?” he asked. £1 million across a number of bars in “this useless and archaic institution Earlier this year, former lord “The corruption at the top of the the archaic institution, according to the to be abolished for good.” speaker Lady D’Souza claimed to Establishment never ceases to response to a freedom of information Although some of the money was have seen a peer run into Parliament, amaze.” request submitted earlier this year. spent by members of the public, the “presumably to show that he’d [email protected]

HAPPY CHRISTMAS DEC FREE SCHOOL MEALS CHRISTMAS GAMES! TO OUR READERS! Labour piles on pressure: p5 Can you beat our teasers? p14 THE STAR WILL BE BACK ON... 29 Morning Star 2 NEWS HOME Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

HEALTH Royal College of GPs gets Xmas message all wrong by Our News Desk She said: “Santa is almost while celebrating Christmas.” certainly living with multiple Ms Stokes-Lampard also morbidities which, if left joked that leaving out mince SANTA is a picture of poor untreated, can become pies for Father Christmas was health, who may well be suffer- increasingly distressing and contributing to his obesity and ing a sackful of ailments includ- debilitating. could be doing serious damage ing alcoholism and work stress, “If Mr Claus was a patient to his “elf.” according to a leading GP. at my practice, I would be Santa’s famous reindeers In a warning shot against encouraging him to adopt a Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, unhealthy lifestyles, Royal Col- vastly healthier diet and take Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, lege of GPs head Professor more exercise in the new year. Donner and Blitzen could also Helen Stokes-Lampard pointed “I’d also be keen to address be carrying ticks infected with out that Lyme disease, gout and his binge-drinking, something the bacteria that causes Lyme sleep deprivation are among which many people — perhaps disease, she suggested. those plaguing Saint Nick. even unknowingly — tend to do “He may have gout, he may have alcoholism — there’s a real bit of binge-drinking going on. “There are also issues with sleep deprivation, work stress, his mental health.” The doctor also offered advice on how Father Christ- mas could shed pounds by running between houses rather than taking a ride on his sleigh. But Worcestershire GP Edward Conquest slammed the comments as “sanctimonious tripe. “I’m glad I wasn’t invited to [the Royal College of GPs’] Christmas do — kale smooth- ies all round,” he told the Star. HO HO NO: A nibble of carrot can’t save this snack, say GPs [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL JUNCKET Woodcock ‘lines up with Turkish fascists’ Labour MP gives glowing report on Erdogan by Steve Sweeney checking“ propaganda for of his way to line up with Turkey’s AKP party govern- Erdogan and his AKP fascists ment, with attacks on the oppo- and everything they represent KURDISH solidarity cam- sition People’s Democratic — from the military destruction paigners accused Labour MP Party (HDP) and denials that of Kurdish towns and cities [and] John Woodcock yesterday of press freedom is severely com- the funding and sustaining of lining up with “fascists” and promised in a country where jihadists in Syria to the mass supporting a regime which has a third of the world’s jailed imprisonment of journalists, jailed the leaders of his party’s journalists are incarcerated. public-sector workers, academ- political allies. One article praises Mr ics and activists in Turkey. They condemned the Bar- Erdogan as “the liberator of the “British Labour politicians row MP for comments he made oppressed,” while another should be speaking out in in the pro-government Turkish claims that Turkish security defence of their PES/Socialist newspaper the Daily Sabah in forces did not fl atten the city of International allies in the which he linked the People’s Sirnak in March last year but HDP, nine of whose elected Protection Units (YPG), which established a “safety corridor” parliamentarians are cur- have been fi ghting Isis in allowing civilians to escape from rently in Turkish jails. Syria, to terrorism. Kurdish separatist terrorists. “Why does the MP for Bar- Mr Woodcock was hosted in Last month, Britain’s row see fi t to provide propa- Turkey by the Bosphorus Centre Kurdistan Solidarity Cam- ganda and solidarity to a for Global Affairs, a pro-govern- paign (KSC) launched a Free regime which persecutes and ment propaganda shell company the HDP campaign in Parlia- imprisons our democratic run by President Recep Tayyip ment which has the backing of socialist brothers and sisters?“ Erdogan’s son-in-law, and met Labour MPs including Chris His “absurd” claims about with a number of government Williamson, who wrote on terrorism sound like “textbook fi gures during his visit. Twitter that it was time to tell Turkish state propaganda,” she The Bosphorus Centre claims the truth about the Turkish said, insisting that the legacy to be an independent NGO that state. of seven British citizens killed organises events and challenges KSC co-secretary Rosa Gil- fi ghting Isis would long outlive “fake news” about Turkey. bert said: “It’s remarkable that Mr Woodcock’s political career. However, its provides “fact- John Woodcock MP has gone out [email protected] Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 HOME NEWS 3

INDUSTRIAL Rail safety strikes hit busy train lines ‘Rock solid’ action across England in defence of critical guards by Steve Sweeney “RMT’s fight for a safe, guards following an incident secure and accessible rail on a MerseyRail train when service for all continues, and smoke filled a carriage while STRIKE action over the our members involved in that it was in a tunnel in central removal of safety-critical battle are a credit to the entire Liverpool. guards along with staff short- trade union movement.” Yesterday staff shortages on ages disrupted trains on some The dispute centres on the South Western Railway led to of Britain’s busiest routes yes- expansion of the MerseyRail cancellations and an amended terday. service and the introduction service on its service. Members of the Rail, Mari- of new trains that will replace RMT and the Transport and time and Transport union Mick Cash said: “Once again the current fleet in 2020. Salaried Staff Association (RMT) walked out in a 24-hour our members on Merseyrail MerseyRail bosses claim (TSSA) called off strike action stoppage in the long-running are standing rock solid in the the new trains will have some on Virgin Trains West Coast dispute. More strikes are fight for rail safety and against of the most advanced safety after after a deal was reached expected across the country’s the plans to throw the guards features in Britain and can in a pay dispute. rail network over the festive off our trains. operate without guards on RMT is due to strike over period. “It’s about time that the sen- board, something which the the axing of guards on Mer- The union reported solid ior Labour politicians on Mer- union dismisses as unsafe. seyrail, Arriva Trains North, support for the industrial seyside took a lesson out of the Earlier this month the union Greater Anglia, South West- action and called for Labour book of the elected represent- wrote to Liverpool Mayor ern Railways and the Isle of politicians in the region to atives in Wales and Scotland Steve Rotheram and other Wight’s Island Line on Janu- backtrack on plans to extend who have been instrumental municipal authority leaders ary 8, 10 and 12 and on belea- driver-only operation (DOO) in securing agreements to reminding them of Labour’s guered Southern Rail on across the network. guarantee a guard on their rail position on DOO and the January 8. RMT general secretary services. removal of safety-critical [email protected] A MITE UNHENGED: Yesterday’s scene at Stonehenge, where enthusiasts celebrated SAFETY the winter solstice, witnessing the sunrise after the longest night May rejects of the year Grenfell fire survivors call for new panel

THERESA MAY has rejected calls from survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire for a diverse panel to form part of the official public inquiry. Bereaved family members had delivered a 22,000-strong petition to Downing Street calling for FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE an independent panel due to concerns over chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick. But Ms May said no Johnson accuses Russia of more panel members would be appointed so that the first stage of the inquiry could be com- cyber attacks on the West pleted “as quickly as reasonably possible.” by Steve Sweeney first to Russia by a British for- Moscow was “planting fake Only the PM can make eign secretary in past five years. stories” to “sow discord in the such a change under the He and Mr Lavrov acknowl- West” as she urged Russian 2005 Inquiries Act. BORIS JOHNSON engaged in edged that relations between President Vladimir Putin to Kensington MP Emma a public spat with his Russian London and Moscow were at “choose another path.” Dent Coad said she will do counterpart Sergey Lavrov their worst for many years. However, after Mr Johnson all she can to ensure the yesterday over alleged cyber The Russian minister told rejected Mr Lavrov’s denial panel is formed. attacks on the West. the Foreign Secretary: “It is that Moscow had attempted to The Labour MP said: The Foreign Secretary no secret that right now our sabotage British polls, the lat- “This inquiry will suffer a insisted during a meeting in relations are at a low point. ter said there had been no evi- crisis of confidence if Moscow that there was “abun- “You prefer to talk about dence produced so far other those in power refuse to dant evidence” of Russian inter- these reasons publicly, than the spending of “a few engage with the wishes of ference in elections in the US, whereas we would prefer to kopecks” on social media survivors and the Germany, Denmark and France. talk about our mutual con- adverts. bereaved. And he intimated that Mos- cerns not before a mic and at “I think you have made all “I’m calling on the cow had attempted to influence a tribune, but directly.” this up in your Western com- Prime Minister to reverse the EU referendum and this Last month, Theresa May munity and, unfortunately, this decision.” year’s general election in Brit- accused Russia of using cyber right now you are hostage to The next preliminary ain, warning that this coun- espionage to “undermine free this subject,” he said. “It is hearings for the inquiry try’s authorities were “pre- societies.” very difficult for you to climb will be held on January 30 pared and able” to respond in The Prime Minister was down from the fence you have and 31. kind to any cyber attacks. speaking at the Lord Mayor’s climbed.” Mr Johnson’s visit was the Banquet when she claimed that [email protected] Morning Star 4 NEWS HOME Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

BDS MOVEMENT CRIME: Floral tributes have been accumulat- Lorde may cancel Tel Aviv ing outside Aldi in Skipton, North Yorkshire, following the stabbing of gig after fans raise concerns worker Jodie Willsher, 30, in by Will Stone “Noted! Been speaking with The United Nations general the supermarket many people about this and assembly voted overwhelm- on Thursday. A considering all options. Thank ingly against the move on 44-year-old local BRIT award winner Lorde is you for educating me. I am Thursday. man was being considering axing a gig in learning all the time too.” Palestine Solidarity Cam- questioned on Israel following a backlash The fans quoted British paign director Ben Jamal suspicion of from fans over the country’s songwriter Elvis told the Star: “We wel- murder yesterday occupation of Palestine. Costello, who come Lorde’s willing- morning. The 21-year-old New Zea- p r e v i o u s l y ness to engage with One man, who lander responded on Thursday cancelled an the fans who have did not want to be night to fans who had sent her Israeli show in protest asked her to respect named, laid down an open letter demanding she over the treatment of Pal- the cultural boycott fl owers describing cancel the show in June. estinians. and cancel her con- the mother-of-one They argued that to perform Following his decision, cert in Tel Aviv. as an “absolutely the concert in Tel Aviv would Mr Costello said: “There “We hope she will lovely person.” amount to condoning Israel’s are occasions when now join with the grow- “There’s occupation of Palestine. merely having your ing band of artists who probably 20,000 The letter, which was posted name added to a con- have listened to the call people in Skipton on website The Spinoff, was cert schedule may be made by Palestinians for and around 5,000 penned by two fans in New interpreted as a politi- boycott until Israel ends its will know her, Zealand: Justine Sachs, who is cal act that resonates denial of Palestinian rights. through school Jewish, and Palestinian Nadia more than anything “Those artists understand and working at Abu-Shanab. “A performance that might be sung, and the words of Desmond Tutu the shop, it’s that in Israel sends the wrong mes- it may be assumed that when he said that ‘in a situa- kind of small sage,” they wrote. one has no mind for the suf- tion of justice and injustice to town. “Playing in Tel Aviv will be fering of the innocent.” be neutral is to be on the side “She idolised seen as giving support to the The furore comes after doz- of the oppressor’.” her daughter. She policies of the Israeli govern- ens of artists, including direc- [email protected] put a snap on ment, even if you make no tor Ken Loach and actors Tilda Facebook comment on the political situ- Swinton and Mark Ruffalo, yesterday of her ation. Such an effect cannot be condemned US President Don- with her daughter undone by even the best inten- ald Trump’s decision earlier cuddling in bed tions and the best music.” this month to recognise Jeru- STRIKING A CHORD: before she went to Responding, Lorde said: salem as Israel’s capital. Lorde work. “Nobody should ever go to work and not come IMMIGRATION COURTS home.” Tories block Abbott visit to Yarl’s Wood Charity head DIANE ABBOTT has written detained and to listen to any where foreign nationals, to Home Secretary Amber of those wishing to share their including asylum-seekers, are Rudd after being refused per- experiences with me.” detained before being jailed for ROBB JOHNSON mission to visit Yarl’s Wood Ms Abbott said that she deported, is a necessary part immigration detention cen- had made requests to of her job. fraud worth tre despite repeated visit “some of the In a separate statement, she requests over more most vulnerable highlighted previous allega- £640,000 Political folkster than a year. women in your tions of “appalling treatment, In the letter, pub- care and con- abuse and a lack of legal A CROOKED animal lished by Labour, trol,” pointing advice and medical support in charity boss has been the shadow home out that it is her this centre.” jailed for fi ve years after has two shots at secretary says “constitutional A recent report by chief defrauding the trust and she is seeking and ethical inspector of prisons Peter blowing £640,000 on to “see for responsibility.” Clarke found that increasing gambling. myself the She argued numbers of women are being Simon Price, 53 and his Christmas No 1 general condi- that visiting detained there despite evi- wife Alayna, 39, admitted tions in which access to the pri- dence that they are victims of cheating Birmingham by Felicity Collier attacking a small school that people are vately run cen- torture, rape and traffi cking, Dogs Home out of meets the needs of a signifi - tre in Bed- to the detriment of their men- £894,754 over four years cant number of vulnerable fordshire, tal wellbeing. from 2012. SINGER-SONGWRITER Robb children and families is par- The pair funnelled cash Johnson has released two ticularly, jaw-droppingly, abso- into their personal Christmas singles as part of a lutely unacceptable.” accounts, leaving the campaign against school cuts The school serves families well-established and and to raise money for a home- who live in nearby social hous- trusted charity “weak- less charity. ing and it has the highest per- ened,” the judge sitting at The songs are titled That’s centage of children eligible for Birmingham crown court Not Fair and Merry Christmas free school meals in the area. FBU North West said. One and All and follow last Parents asked Mr Johnson Gambling addict Price, year’s Robb Johnson and The to write a song for their cam- in his role as the charity’s Corbynistas release JC 4 PM paign and both they and chil- wishes all Morning Star chief executive, diverted 4 Me in support of Labour dren added their vocals to cash from legacies left to Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. That’s Not Fair. the dogs’ home to fund his This year’s effort comes in Mr Johnson said: “We took it readers a very addiction, including the response to Brighton & Hove to lobby a council meeting at the sale of a house worth Council’s plans to make cuts same time as a lobby on behalf almost £400,000. to Hertford Infants School. of the homeless, as a young He himself calculated to The school, which has an “out- homeless man had just died.” Merry Christmas police that he had spent standing” Ofsted rating, would Merry Christmas One and NORTH £700,000 through his go down from an entry size of All, released alongside it, fea- account on the Betfair two classes to just one. tures the band Sparrow, and Regional Secretary EC Member WEST online gambling website Mr Johnson, who used to homeless people have contrib- Mark Rowe Les Skarratts REGION from 2009. work at the school and works uted with spoken word. Judge Patrick Thomas with the National Education Both songs are available for Regional Treasurer Regional Chair QC spared his wife jail, Union, told the Star: “Person- download from the usual out- 5 imposing a two-year ally, I think any cuts to our lets, with monies raised going Steve Shelton Gary Keary suspended sentence. services need to be resisted. to local homeless charities. But the council’s choice in [email protected] Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 HOME NEWS 5

HEALTH SERVICE NHS boss thanks staﬀ for working over Christmas

by Our News Desk

NHS England boss Simon Ste- vens has thanked health workers for giving up time with their families to look after the most vulnerable over the festive period amid massive funding cuts. On Christmas Day, an esti- of massive funding cuts that mated 97,000 nurses and have left an NHS in crisis, 53,000 nursing assistants will with a lack of staff and consist- be working in hospitals, while ently rising A&E waiting 12,000 midwives are expected times. to welcome about 1,400 babies, Mr Stevens’s warm words he said. to midwives also ignore ﬁ nd- Some 12,000 ambulance ings by the Royal College of staff, including paramedics, Midwives this week that will be on duty, as will about almost half of Britain’s mid- 176,000 care workers and wiferies have had to close their home carers. maternity units at some point Caterers will produce about in the last year because they 400,000 Christmas dinners for could not cope with demand. patients in hospital. Union GMB is asking people In a video message, Mr Ste- to sign a thank-you card to car- vens (pictured) gave a “huge ers working over Christmas. thank-you” to NHS staff work- Some 1.8 million people ing over the festive period, requested social care assist- despite a recent TUC study ance last year at a time when showing health staff being paid funding is being cut. You can up to £1,000 less to work over hear care workers’ stories and Christmas than a decade ago. sign the card here: www.gmb- And his thanks will ring hol- wecare.org. low to those bearing the brunt [email protected]

SCOTTISH MORNING EDUCATION STAR CONFERENCE CLAIMING DATE Don’t let schoolkids Sunday March 4 An Industrial Strategy for People, Jobs, Communities and Workers Rights Lead speaker: Richard Leonard go hungry – Labour Chair Denise Christie One million children could go through school day without meal 11-4 p.m. STUC Glasgow by Felicity Collier hold income of between ernment wants to do the right eligibility changes, during the £18,000 and £24,000 with ben- thing for our children and extension of UC. efi ts taken into account. make work pay for their par- The same earnings thresh- COMMUNITY LABOUR is calling on the gov- The Children’s Society has ents, they will follow Labour’s old would also be used to deter- ernment to ensure no child warned that this would leave call to make free school meals mine eligibility for the early- LISTINGS — SMALL ADS — goes hungry at school after a a million children potentially available for all children in years pupil premium, although (020) 8510-0815 | [email protected] charity warned that plans for going through the school day families receiving UC.” this will not happen until the universal credit (UC) could without a meal. Free school meals is one of end of the introduction of UC BRISTOL: Bristol, Bath & Gloucester CP Branch. Meets second see a million of the poorest Shadow education minister the key factors in defi ning nationally. The plans may also Wednesday of the month. For details ring Mike on (0117) 9633-164 or children missing out on a free Angela Rayner branded it a whether a pupil is disadvan- affect the number of email [email protected]. school meal. “national scandal,” and both taged. children who are eli- EDINBURGH: Edinburgh Branch CP. Monthly branch meeting fi rst Under the current pilot she and shadow work & pen- A consultation on the gible for free home- Wednesday of each month. 6-8pm in the VCR Room, Central Library, 7-9 scheme, all children whose sions secretary Debbie Abra- Department for Education to-school transport. George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG. families receive UC are eligi- hams are calling for the gov- plans runs until January 11, felicitycollier@ LEEDS: CP West Yorkshire Branch. Meeting third Saturday of every month at 11am at the Swarthmore Centre, Woodhouse Square, Leeds. All ble for free school meals, but ernment to make free school with the aim of implement- peoples-press.com welcome. Contact 07866 479-489. the Tories are proposing to meals available to every child ing them from April. Star comment: LEICESTER: CP branch. Contact: [email protected], (01780) 238-463. introduce an earnings thresh- whose parents receive the new Under the proposals p12 LONDON: South East London CP. Meets monthly. www.selcp.org — old of £7,400 on households. benefi t. every pupil who is eli- [email protected] The government claims in Ms Rayner (pictured) said: gible for free school MERSEYSIDE: Merseyside Branch CP. Meeting on the fi rst Thursday of its consultation on proposals “It cannot possibly be fair or meals when they the month. Contact branch secretary Thomas Butler for details of venue that an extra 50,000 children justifi ed that so many children come into force — on [email protected]. stand to benefi t from free should lose out and be made to and any new claim- NOTTINGHAM: Notts and North Lincs CP Branch. For a Workers’ school meals. struggle through the school ants under the Brexit. Public meeting, 7pm, January 17. International Community Centre, Mansfi eld Road, Nottingham. Speaker: Rob Griffi ths, CPB general But the earnings threshold day without a meal — which, threshold — should secretary. Hear what workers must fi ght for as Britian leaves the EU. does not include income from for many children in poverty, be protected OXFORD: CP branch. Meets monthly — all welcome. For details: 07769 benefi ts, and a typical family could be the only meal they get against losing 557-664 or [email protected]. earning about £7,400 per that day. their meals, SHEFFIELD: South Yorkshire CP Branch. Meets second Monday of the annum may have a total house- “If this Conservative gov- even if their month. Ring Carrie on 07531 079-268 or Bryan on (0114) 2334-758. Morning Star 6 NEWS WORLD Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

SPAIN IN BRIEF Ryanair pilots’ Egg-on-face PM puts back 4-hour walkout GERMANY: Pilots’ union Cockpit held a four-hour talks with indy fi gurehead strike against Ryanair yesterday, causing delays by Our Foreign Desk autonomy that existed under but no fl ight cancellations. the Spanish republic in the The pilots walked out 1930s. from 4 to 8am, accusing DISCREDITED conservative “The republic has won again the airline of staging a Spanish Prime Minister Mari- in elections,” leading ERC “publicity stunt” last week ano Rajoy delayed speaking to member Marta Rovira when it offered to negoti- Catalan independence leader declared yesterday in Barce- ate on pay and working Carles Puigdemont yesterday, lona. conditions. insisting that he would fi rst seek She demanded that Mr Cockpit spokesman a meeting with Ciutadans (Cit- Rajoy “needs to accept dia- Markus Wahl said that the izens) leader Ines Arrimadas. logue with [ousted Catalan] union was satisfi ed with While the pro-unionist President Puigdemont and pilots’ participation, saying Ciutadans won most votes in Vice-President Junqueras.” that Ryanair had replaced the snap regional election Ms Rovira added, in respect contract pilots with called by Mr Rajoy (pictured), of the government’s repression non-permanent employees Mr Puigdemont’s Together for of pro-independence politi- or foreign pilots. Catalonia captured 34 seats in cians that he also “needs to put the 135-seat regional assem- an end to this unjust exile and bly, making it the most popular Mr Rajoy was the architect pants in the referendum into imprisonment.” independence party. of his and his party’s own mis- submission and followed this In his Belgian bolthole, Mr Sochi venue for It makes up the dominant fortune, not only triggering the by locking up regional govern- Puigdemont said that he wants bloc along with two other pro- election after Mr Puigdemont ment and party offi cials, guarantees to return to Cata- Syria peace talks independence parties — the and his followers declared charging them with sedition lonia and be reinstated as the SYRIA: Kazakh diplomat left-republican ERC, which Catalonia’s independence in and other crimes. region’s leader, insisting that Aidarbek Tumanov collected 32 seats, and the October following a referen- Mr Puigdemont’s party and Thursday’s election has announced yesterday that radical, anti-capitalist CUP, dum deemed illegal by Spanish other pro-independents were opened “a new era” for the Russia, Turkey and Iran which has four seats. authorities but also for the level able to draw historical paral- region. have agreed to host Syria The prime minister’s own of violence directed against lels between Mr Rajoy’s gov- He signifi ed his readiness peace talks in Russia’s Popular Party proved not so independence supporters. ernment and party, which has to meet Mr Rajoy in any Euro- Black Sea resort Sochi on popular after all, slumping to The Madrid government its roots in late dictator Fran- pean Union location but Spain, January 29 and 30. bottom of the poll with just sent paramilitary police to co’s Falange party, and the where he still faces arrest. He added that the three three seats. Catalonia to batter partici- fascists’ abolition of Catalan [email protected] countries have also decided to set up a working group to deal with prisoner exchanges and agreed on CUBA PERU the need to clear Syrian territory of mines. Russian envoy Alexan- Scandal-hit Kuczynski der Lavrentyev confi rmed Castro to remain that the parties haven’t survives bid to oust him agreed on the list of participants yet. PERUVIAN President Pedro In a 2016 US Justice Depart- in power until Pablo Kuczynski has con- ment hearing, Odebrecht admit- founded his critics by wriggling ted paying nearly $800 million through a parliamentary ses- (£600m) in kickbacks to politi- Minister calls sion to impeach him for links to cians, their campaigns and assembly elected the corruption-ridden Brazilian political parties to secure lucra- halt to air strikes construction giant Odebrecht. tive public works contracts. AUSTRALIA: Defence by Our Foreign Desk measures that greatly In a late-night congress sit- Mr Kuczynski came under Minister Marise Payne affect ties between the two ting, his opponents fell eight fi re after an opposition-led announced an end to aerial countries” as evidence of votes short in their impeach- investigative committee bombing operations PRESIDENT Raul Castro’s increased US hostility ment motion following a half- revealed documents last week against Isis in Iraq and retirement from offi ce has towards his small country day of impassioned debate, showing that Odebrecht had Syria yesterday. been put back until late of 11.5 million people. during which the former Wall made $782,000 (£585,000) in The country’s six Super April as elections have been Nevertheless, he recalled Street banker spoke forcefully payments to his private con- Hornet fi ghter jets will postponed due to Hurricane that the Cuban revolution in his own defence. sulting fi rm more than a dec- head home soon in a major Irma, meaning a new has “withstood the “Tomorrow a new chapter ade ago. reduction to Australia’s national assembly will not onslaught of 11 administra- in our history begins — the Some payments overlapped involvement in the region. be in place until then. tions and here we are. We reconciliation and reconstruc- with years that he spent as a Ms Payne said that the “When the national shall remain free, sover- tion of our country,” the pres- high-ranking government min- decision followed discus- assembly is constituted, my eign and independent.” ident tweeted afterwards. ister. sions with the Iraqi second and last term as Vice-President Marino government. Canberra has head of state and the Murillo, who is responsible never engaged with government will be for the socialist island’s Damascus, rendering its concluded, and Cuba will economy, announced some AFGHANISTAN air raids illegal. have a new president,” he new controls and regula- said, closing the parliamen- tions. tary session on Thursday. He said there will be no Visiting Pence claims victory The 31-member council new approvals for the time Meeting focuses on of state, selected by the being for non-agricultural over Taliban ‘closer than ever’ 600-member national co-operatives, while their border fl ashpoint assembly, is charged with maximum and minimum US VICE-PRESIDENT Mike and a partnership with the INDIA: India and China choosing Mr Castro’s earnings will be limited to Pence claimed to discern ini- Afghan military that has “put held border talks in New successor. avoid the existence of de tial progress yesterday for the Taliban on the defensive.” Delhi yesterday to focus on He criticised US Presi- facto private businesses. President Donald Trump’s He added that the adminis- how to prevent a repeat of dent Donald Trump’s Some private-sector Afghanistan policy at a secret tration was pouring resources this summer’s armed administration, calling its licence categories will be meeting with Afghan leaders into the military to help pre- confrontation at a Hima- policies a “serious and merged, as in the case of and US troops during a brief vent terror attacks on US soil. layan plateau where China, irrational regression in manicurists, barbers and unannounced visit. “The road before you is India and Bhutan meet. Cuba-US relations.” hairdressers all falling under “I believe victory is closer promising but it’s perilous. The talks followed a The Cuban president a “beauty” designation. than ever before,” Mr Pence And this commander-in-chief July meeting in Beijing cited “intensifi cation of the Bars currently operating told hundreds of US troops at is clear-eyed about the threats between delegations led by blockade, return of under restaurant licences Bagram airbase. you face and the challenges India’s national security aggressive and disrespect- will fall under a separate He said that the new strategy that lie ahead,” Mr Pence said. adviser Ajit Doval and ful rhetoric and arbitrary regulatory category. was “already bearing fruit” “But today, let me assure China’s special represent- application of unjust [email protected] across the country, citing dra- you, President Trump has ative Yang Jiechi. matic increases in US air strikes your back.” Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 WORLD NEWS 7

SOUTH AFRICA

AGONY: Palestinian protesters carry an injured man as clashes continued with Israeli troops Red heads new on the border with Gaza. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that two Palestinians were killed coalition to run Metsimaholo

by Our Foreign Desk able municipality. We equally call on our communities to be active participants and contributors in COMMUNISTS in South Afri- building a Metsimaholo we want. ca’s Free State province wel- “The municipal leadership comed the election of SACP should strengthen and deepen member Lindiwe Shongwe as the ties with the community new executive mayor of Metsi- through ongoing democratic maholo municipality yesterday. consensus-seeking consulta- Ms Shongwe will head a coa- tion and delivery of services. lition government with the “We wish the elected leader- ANC and three smaller parties, ship collective all the best in in which Thabo Mabala of the their new responsibility and call ANC will be speaker and Met- on them to respond selfl essly and simaholo Community Associa- with humility to the responsibil- tion (MCA) member Victor ity entrusted on them.” Nyembe chief whip. The municipality had been The party welcomed a “his- governed by a coalition of the toric fi rst under the emblem Democratic Alliance, Eco- of the SACP in South Africa.” nomic Freedom Fighters It expressed pleasure that (EFF), Freedom Front Plus “following rigorous consensus- and MCA, but elections were seeking consultation and dis- called when the council was cussions, there was conver- dissolved. This followed the gence in the best interest of parties’ inability to agree on the working class and commu- its annual budget for 2017-18. nity to build a stable and func- Julius Malema’s EFF, which tional municipality. had hoped to lead its fi rst coun- “We call on the new leadership cil, fi elded candidates for all of the municipality to build a three key positions but lost. responsive, effi cient and account- [email protected]

JAPAN Abe’s cabinet approves colossal military budget

PALESTINE PRIME Minister Shinzo Abe’s missile combat systems Aegis cabinet approved Japan’s big- Ashore and other equipment. gest ever military budget yes- The budget plans still need terday, pledging 5.2 trillion parliamentary approval. yen (£34.3 billion) to bolster The cabinet announced its ballistic-missile capability. decision just days ago to deploy Europeans urged to Japan’s 2018 military budget a set of the costly land-based rises 1.3 per cent from the cur- Aegis Ashore system to rent year, marking the sixth increase Japan’s defence annual increase under Mr Abe. against the possibility of incom- The cabinet approved an ing missiles from North Korea. additional 23.5bn yen (£155 Mr Abe backs US President step into peace role million) for defence spending Donald Trump’s pressure cam- up to March for next-genera- paign against North Korea and tion missile interceptors as the has pledged to beef up Japan’s US ‘no longer an honest mediator’ says Palestinian leader Abbas initial cost of advanced US defences with US weapons. by Our Foreign Desk stronger role in Middle East aid for countries that voted to angrily to Israeli ambassador peace efforts. back the UN resolution. Danny Dannon’s description Mr Abbas insisted that he “We call upon countries that of the resolution as “nothing PALESTINIAN Pres- will no longer accept any US did not recognise Palestine yet more than a distraction. I have In loving memory of ident Mahmoud plans because of the Trump to do so, to preserve the two- no doubt that today’s resolu- WILLIAM GALLACHER Abbas urged administration’s recognition state solution before it’s too tion will end up in the trash France and the rest of Jerusalem as Israel’s capi- late,” he said. bin of history.” 25.12.1881-12.8.1965 of Europe yester- tal. Mr Macron reaffi rmed his Mr Mansour said that Mr day to play a He met French President disapproval of the decision to Trump’s recognition of Jeru- MP West Fife 1935-1950 Emmanuel Macron in Paris recognise Jerusalem as Isra- salem “will not impact the following the UN general el’s capital, recalling that he status and position of the Holy Remembered with love and admiration. PLEA: assembly resolution denounc- met Israeli Prime Minister City whatsoever, but it will Mahmoud ing President Donald Trump’s Benjamin Netanyahu earlier impact the status of the United Gloria Findlay Abbas in decision. this month in Paris. States as a mediator of peace. France President Macron was care- He had urged him then to “We cannot help but ask yesterday ful not to criticise Mr Trump, make “courageous gestures” to what does this decision serves. confi ning himself to saying: help revive peace talks, includ- It serves the Israeli govern- “The American mistake was ing freezing construction of ment in implementing its colo- to want to unilaterally manage illegal West Bank settlements. nial plans.” In memory of from afar a situation whose The UN general assembly Mr Mansour added that Pal- solution is in the hands of the voted 128-9, with 35 abstentions, estinians “will not accept a Israelis and Palestinians.” in favour of the resolution religious excuse to justify an KATH REVELL President Abbas, who moved by Turkey and Yemen annexation of land. [The UN] declared that Washington is “no countering US recognition of is now undergoing an unprec- longer an honest mediator in the Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. edented test, with Palestine peace process,” also denounced Palestinian observer dele- being its headline.” From the Family the US threat to cut fi nancial gate Riyad Mansour reacted [email protected] Morning Star 8 FEATURES Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

ABOVE: A Palestinian protester prepared for clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah prompted by the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel LEFT: A demonstrator in Vienna alludes to Austria’s nazi past prior to the swearing-in of a new coalition government that includes the far-right Freedom Party Struggle on the streets The best photos from the week’s protests around the world ABOVE: Susan Bro before a ceremony in the US city of Charlottesville, Virginia, in memory of her daughter, Heather Heyer, killed in August while protesting against neonazi marchers LEFT: Trade union members in Brussels call for fair pensions. The Belgian government is planning ‘reforms’ including a nebulous points-based scheme and a raised retirement age BELOW: Demonstrators in Asuncion, Paraguay, focus on violence against women. There have been 48 femicides in the country this year according to Women’s Minister Ana Maria Baiardi Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 FEATURES 9 FIGHTING BACK Heart and street politics keep privatisation at bay in Stroud

TANDING proudly at the heart of the far-from- SKEENA RATHOR, RICHARD HOUSE and DAVID LAMBERT explain sleepy Cotswold town of Stroud in Gloucestershire is a very beautiful building how street activism saved an iconic building from privateers with an auspicious history Sreaching right back to the 1830s, a decided to recommend the sale of the building in which people have collec- Subs Rooms to local power company tively danced, sung, laughed and Ecotricity. cried, where concerts have moved The privatisation solution was about people to tears, where actors have to be railroaded through — a classic come alive to their skills, where some illustration of what happens to the of the nations’s most iconic bands have imagination when the logic of neolib- performed, where Stroudies have met eralism is uncritically embraced. As the love of their lives and where oth- psychologist Abe Maslow so beauti- ers have nursed a broken heart. It’s a fully put it: “When your only tool is a building which very much belongs hammer, the world becomes a nail.” (both literally and emotionally) to the Within 24 hours of this fateful leak, people of Stroud — our Subscription the PK crew were on the High Street, Rooms, or Subs Rooms. with huge blow-ups of the for sale Sadly in this age of austere suffer- particulars emblazoned with a “No ing, it was deemed “too expensive” to Sale” logo in red and green, a table keep in community hands earlier this with flyers and a “No Sale” petition. year. Soon afterwards we had several In an age of the new Dickensian thousand custom-made badges and poverty for so many in our society, it stickers, regular printed campaign is apparently unnecessary for a coun- updates and some striking home-made cil to fund a centre of merriment, placards making the case for pausing entertainment and education. the process and keeping our Subs The Politics Kitchen (or PK) is Rooms public. another place in Stroud which, for Before long, Stroudies had risen up some 22 months now, has sat on the in their thousands against what was High Street, right around the corner happening, and within just four weeks from the Subs Rooms. It’s a street stall over 4,000 Stroud citizens had signed which strives to listen for, learn and our petition. create a new heart-led politics. The outrage and incredulity on the The PK was inspired in part by the High Street was palpable — and as advent of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour’s PEOPLE POWER: Activists Richard House and Andy Treacher take to the streets we said at the time, if they’d held a phenomenal new leader, and the with their fight to save the Subscription Rooms (above) from private hands referendum on this sale, the “pro- kinder approach to politics that Jer- sale” side would have been lucky to emy has always championed, and get nil, such was the unanimity of which so inspires us here in Stroud. feeling on this issue. So when, earlier this year, Stroud A dramatic council meeting fol- District council (SDC) recommended lowed, which voted by a very narrow that our Subs Rooms might be sold to majority not to sell the Subs Rooms. a private company for far less than As we write, a wonderful new its market value, we PK “cooks” had group of highly creative Stroudies is other ideas — believing that, faced working with the town council to with this apparently unquestionable come up with a genuinely community- neoliberal logic, a whole heap of com- centred future for the Subs Rooms, munity listening and imagining were which will strive to include the whole urgently needed. community — not least the many What we have learnt here is that disadvantaged local people suffering when local governments hang their under the Tories’ heartless austerity weary hats, cowed and defeated, at agenda. corporate doors, colluding with the Very much in the tradition of Anto- defeatist view that the free market ine de Saint-Exupery’s Little Prince, has all the answers, this actually regular Star correspondent Marilyn affords a wonderful opportunity for Warbis recently spoke of the impor- compassionate and creative commu- tance of the heart as well as the head nities to pioneer another way. in politics (letters, December 16), And most emphatically not Tony writing that “a belief is only of the Blair’s infamous “third way,” but a head; it is the heart which matters.” way that enables us as citizens and We think that our famous victory members of the plural sector to here over the Subs Rooms issue become the heroines and heroes of amply demonstrates this truth; for our own story. with head and heart working in cre- The PK is committed to confronting Human beings are also supreme for a change of government to invest Subs Rooms were a drain on local ative, collaborative unison, and with the crisis of empathy in our political co-operators. Our preference for coin a dynamic participatory culture, government finance, and this “liabil- ego and personal ambition laid aside world. And thanks to Corbyn’s deter- operation and our deep need for altru- or to realise a politics of ethics, col- ity” therefore needed to be jettisoned for the sake of our common commu- mination to cultivate a new kind of istic behaviour has seen us evolve into laboration and kindness. quickly. Enter (stage right) a secre- nity good, in Robert Wyatt’s immor- politics, we are convinced that we’ve riches; and what seems to be con- The Subs Rooms issue in Stroud has tive, decidedly uncreative “competi- tal words, “nothing can stop us.” caught a strong wind with this initia- founding us Star readers is just why been a perfect example of why this is tive bidding process” conjured up and tive. so many people have bought the story true. What we have witnessed here is imposed by the council, which gener- n Skeena Rathor is district council- Just a few months ago, the journal of why, instead, we should just be a sadly familiar story: a punch-drunk ated enormous amounts of low trust, lor for Stroud Central (Lab) and Frontiers in Psychology published an grateful for rags. local council reeling from savage and suspicion and divisiveness in the founder of the Politics Kitchen (PK) article saying “human beings are spec- The PK also holds the unequivocal relentless cuts and unwittingly finding Stroud community. initiative, Stroud. Richard House and tacularly unusual when compared to belief in the power of communities to solace in the neoliberal dogmatic In the autumn, a hero from the SDC David Lambert are PK activists who, other animals” not because our favour- find and fund answers to political and belief in the free market. leaked to the media that the council’s with Terry Kevans, ran the success- ite food is curry but because of our market failures. In a nutshell, what happened was specially appointed Task and Finish ful Keep Our Subs Public street cam- “astonishing degree of altruism.” We emphatically don’t need to wait this: SDC began to believe that the group had already pre-emptively paign. Morning Star 10 FEATURES Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

YEAR IN REVIEW

BEGAN writing this column while London was grinding to a halt under a Siberian 0.5cm of snow. I didn’t think it worth complaining too much. It’s another 2017 – a year of excuse to stay in and drink more and,I with terror attacks literally more frequent than snowfall, it’s under- standable that gritting has slipped down the council’s priority list. In any case, Gritney Spears and Brad Grit (the actual names for two elections, new northern town hall gritters) may be running low on salt but are probably more prepared for Brexit than David Davis. There is a distinct challenge in fill- UNLIKELY WINNER: Arlene Foster of ing a light-hearted Year in Review the DUP and (below) a sausage roll column when 1) you’re not that funny, brooms and 2) you know next to nothing about pop culture because you spend too much time swearing at the Guardi- an’s comment section and 3) virtually nothing light-hearted has happened this year. The first at least is manageable — sausage rolls no-one is funny any more. All satire is dead, an emu called Farage got lost in the snow in Maldon the other day. This is not funny, it is just weird, like NATHAN AKEHURST casts an every headline these days. The second challenge can be handled as well. Who need soaps when eye back at the year just gone you have 20,000 people watching the Commons / Creative Hanmisra Pic: flight tracker for Priti Patel’s plane back from Africa before she was sacked for being a possible foreign intelligence asset? And culture and politics have fused anyway, whether it’s Jeremy Corbyn rapping “man’s not hot” under a smoke machine in Brighton/having an official opinion on Love Island or ex-Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dug- dale retiring from a nest of publicity- hungry Z-listers and snakes to go on I’m A Celebrity. But the third, the crushing joyless- ness and vague sense of dread that has pervaded most of 2017 ever since it opened with a fascist grapefruit getting his hands on the world’s larg- est nuclear arsenal is harder to deal with. At least, on that note, there’s been lots of change, especially in the com- position of our leaders. As just mentioned, we’ve gone from US politics being its regular level of unhinged to a president who tries to start World War III on Twitter. Across Britain, the US and France we’ve had your knitwear-sporting dad (Corbyn), your eccentric granddad (Sanders) and your slightly racist uncle (Melenchon) shaking up politics from the left. In France, an actual nazi was beaten by Emmanuel Macron, a man who exists with no compelling reason why. This event was precipitated by the EVENTFUL YEAR: Jeremy Corbyn during Labour conference in Brighton, (right) Stephen Kinnock and his wife Helle collapse of nice well-adjusted social Thorning-Schmidt at the general election vote count and (right, top) new French President Emmanuel Macron democrat Francois Hollande, who likes to declare eternal war on people from graveyards, and the collapse of land that is effectively a Labour- dicted it two weeks in advance with remaining ambulances outside Lon- bunch of Harp lager-addled country his right-wing opponent Francois Fil- Green-Ukip coalition (nationalise no-one listening. don were taking them to hospitals bumpkins who thought Oliver lon owing to a financial history dodg- trees but in a racist way?) Lebanese The night before that poll happened with no bed and they were paying two Cromwell was still the prime minis- ier than Damian Green’s browsing premier Saad Hariri may have been I was in a bar with several Conserv- internal organs a month to rent a ter but in fact some of the most dev- history. taken hostage in Saudi Arabia and atives, a Green and a Kipper in New- windowless mouldy broom cupboard astatingly effective operators in UK In Spain, the Catalan Republic forced to deliver a resignation speech castle — no, this isn’t the start of a in Leatherhead. politics. briefly came into being after the or maybe his delivery is just that sul- joke. All these things are political and It’s almost as if a paramilitary Spanish state concluded that sending len and scared usually. A young Tory insisted boisterously all these things made people angry splinter cell provides a slightly riot cops to beat up grannies trying Robert Mugabe has been deposed, to me that they would gain a dozen — the election campaign simply tougher political baptism of fire than to vote in a referendum made them in what a fatigues-clad general seats in north-east England alone and directed that political anger into two the Oxford Union Society and the look like the reasonable ones and got replaced the usual morning news- he’d bet anything I wanted on it. million new votes for the Labour playing fields of Harrow. both Remainers and Leavers think- reader to tell us was definitely not a Mate, if you’re for some reason Party. Nigel Farage packed his bag and ing: “Why didn’t we do that?” coup. New brooms everywhere. reading this, please send me that bot- Even more disappointed than a became an economic migrant seeking Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont Britain narrowly avoided quite the tle of Talisker, lightly flavoured with crestfallen Tory front bench on the his fortune in the United States, the decided that, having led his people into same level of upheaval. The Zimba- right-wing tears. night of June 8 were those Labour Greens held their single MP and Tim direct confrontation with the state and bwean military is, as it turns out, It’s often said that the general elec- activists who had been promised jobs Farron resigned but no-one really potentially the European Union, he more effective than Owen Smith at tion campaign got millions involved on the post-election leadership cam- noticed. would bravely bugger off to Brussels organising a not-coup, but we did at in politics, but they already were paigns of certain “moderate” MPs. The Tories spent some time to sit the show out, a bit like a reverse least manage to deliver a general involved. Their libraries had been Meanwhile the real winners of the scratching their heads trying to work Lenin (more on him later). election result that nobody saw com- sold to Richard Branson, their trains night were the DUP — dismissed by out what had happened. A situation now exists in New Zea- ing apart from the pollsters who pre- were three hours late, the three their Tory would-be handlers as a Solutions subsequently generated Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 FEATURES 11

REMEMBER HIM? NATURAL HISTORY Tim Farron All I want for Christmas is a baby woolly mammoth PETER FROST shares his note to Santa. He says he’s been a very good boy and tells St Nicholas what he wants for Christmas HE woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) were enormous tusked beasts, the last of a whole range of species of mammoths which roamed the EarthT between 4,000 and 400,000 years ago. Isolated populations survived on St Paul Island, Alaska, until about included winning back young voters for replacing Jesus with a sausage 6,400 years ago and in Russia until by giving them tax-free plane tickets roll in its Christmas advert. just 4,000 years ago. The Ice Age to Ibiza — someone in the team pre- This became a cause celebre from trapped at least 150 million mam- sumably watched The Inbetweeners some Tory MPs who, in the complete moths in the many glaciers left by Movie by way of research — and set- absence of a domestic policy agenda, that period. ting up a youth organisation run by decided that this was going to be their Over many years a few really well a man who genuinely used the line in footnote in the history books. preserved skeletons would emerge HAIRY a local election. “I fought for you in Sutton United got the chance to go from the glaciers. Russian traders ENCOUNTER: Afghanistan, now let me fight for you up against Arsenal, and goalie Wayne sold the ivory tusks and teeth all over Lyuba, the in County Hall.” Shaw made the most of the opportunity the world. baby After said youth organisation got it by noshing a sausage roll on TV, or In the 1850s a huge Ivory House mammoth “down with the kids” by having some should we say a Jesus roll, and a bagel was built in St Katherine’s Dock, Pic: Ruth HartnupPic: Commons / Creative “banter” about “gassing chavs,” the being placed on a man’s head on a London, and almost all of one large project was quickly disowned. Great Northern train resulted in an floor was given over to mammoth mammoths, are being revealed. This Christmas it is on show in Syd- epic battle that has subsequently ivory, much of which would end up Now that capitalism is the name ney Australia. Lyuba (the name means nough on the general elec- become an English cultural watershed. being used to make the white keys of of the game in Russia, mammoth Love) measures 33 inches (85cm) tall tion and back to the politics. Google Bagelgate if you have no the cheap pianos made in Camden ivory is being uncovered and sold by and 51 inches (130cm) long. It was a year of historical idea what I’m on about. There you go. Town and other London factories. private enterprise companies. With some of the dead mammoth anniversaries as well, 20 In a year marked by war, terrorism, A contemporary report in 1858 Prices have rocketed and recently bodies thawing from the Siberian years since Tony Blair sexual predators, natural disasters described St Katherine’s like this: when a unique huge really well-pre- permafrost being in such a well- racked up an unprece- and the rise of fascism, bread is still “Laid on the floor among the circles served mammoth with hair, tendons preserved condition, scientists have dentedE Labour majority and subse- a source of wholesome entertainment. of elephant tusks is a heap of larger and a good set of teeth came on to the been asking the question: “Could we quently decided the Middle East was You may think normal service will and browner tusks than the rest. Western market, the auctioneers and use the DNA in them to clone a live the hill he would die on — well, not resume in 2018. You are wrong. As “Brown they well may be, for these the popular media were predicting a mammoth?” him personally but plenty of other of November, a man with a pet taran- are the tusks of mammoths that have selling price approaching a quarter One body in particular was so well people. tula called Cronus is in charge of lain frozen in Siberian ice for 50,000 of a million pounds. preserved that the contents of its A hundred years on from the US Britain’s nuclear deterrent. years; but 50,000 years are suspect This was believed to be the first digestive tract perfectly revealed its entry into the first world war where A Conservative MP has been accus- in the eyes of the ivory expert. ever complete woolly mammoth sold last meal. The animal had gorged the German military promptly ing the Labour left of controlling both “Mammoth ivory tends to warp; privately in either Britain or Europe. itself on a rich harvest of buttercups dropped leaflets on black soldiers ITV and primary schools in a shad- you cannot extract billiard balls from Named Monty, this male six-ton and other meadow flowers. reminding them they were in segre- owy conspiracy to spread fake news mammoths, but only umbrella han- beast was 18ft (5.5 metres) long and This young and healthy mammoth gated regiments. Kaiser Wilhelm II about child poverty. A former senior dles and the backs of the cheaper kind nearly 12ft (3.5 metres) tall. Experts was speedily named Buttercup. It had holding the moral high ground on police officer has tried to change his of hand-glass. had expected the rare specimen to eaten its last meal around 40,000 years race then shows that politics being surname to “UKRemainEU.” Things “Thus if you buy an umbrella or a sell for up to £250,000, although some ago. Buttercup is now in South Korea weird isn’t unique to 2017. can only get weirder. looking-glass not of the finest quality, of the popular media put the price as where scientists are working on ana- And of course I couldn’t write a Anyway, it’s nearly Christmas. it is likely that you are buying the tusk high as a million dollars. In fact it lysing the genome from Buttercup’s column for the Morning Star without Santa will bring us all lots of nice of a brute that roamed through Asian was sold in a West Sussex auction specimen. Buttercup and her attend- referencing the 1917 Russian Revolu- gifts over the break, including incre- forests before England was an island.” house for £150,000. ant scientists have been the subject tion, where hundreds of thousands mentally rising weight gain and grow- Mammoth remains were known in The trade in mammoth ivory, if not of a Channel 4 TV documentary. of workers, soldiers and peasants ing concerns about alcoholism. Asia long before they were known to in complete animals, is huge. It is South Korean geneticists are working were inspired to sacrifice everything This column will be repurposed as Europeans. In the 17th century, mam- estimated that about 60 tons of mam- on bringing Buttercup the mammoth so that, a century on, we could live wrapping paper for the relative you moth bones were unearthed by Euro- moth ivory are exported from Russia, back to life. But should we? One major in a world where members of the Brit- forgot existed until the last minute. pean explorers in the northern mostly to China, every year. objection is that cloning will almost ish left could freely exchange various That relative will drone on for three regions of America. Mammoth ivory is legal to sell, certainly need a threatened Asian historically illiterate hot takes in hours about how Polish people are The origins of the remains became unlike elephant ivory, which is elephant to act as the surrogate mother. pubs after meetings and so that the taking all the jobs. a matter of long debate and were banned under international law Surely it would be better to use right of the Labour Party could refer Bear in mind I don’t have a large identified as belonging to legendary unless it was made into an art object time, money and rare resources to to everyone they didn’t like as a Trot. family and am imagining what I think creatures that lived before the Bibli- or artefact prior to 1946. preserve existing species than reviv- Actually, talking of the right of the Christmas dinner must be like for cal flood of Noah. There are of course A well-preserved baby mammoth ing one that has been extinct for mil- Labour Party, one light-hearted thing those who do. I will be studiously millions of people in the US who still is apparently the present of choice lennia? did happen this year in the form of avoiding the rigmarole of half-baked believe that today. for money-no-object multimillionaire Cloning, if it goes ahead, will cer- Stephen Kinnock being told live on opinions about Brexit over half-baked In 1796 French zoologist Georges rock stars or internet entrepreneurs. tainly be a long and extremely com- air by his wife and former Danish damp turkey. Cuvier discovered that mammoths Bigger mammoths take up a lot more plicated process that is unlikely to prime minister: “You don’t know any- Then a few days later it’ll be time were, to all but the creationists, an room to display properly so are more be successful. thing,” as he stared on crestfallen at to make resolutions we know are as extinct species of elephant. likely to end up in a museum or deco- However, with increasing exper- the surge in the Labour vote. likely to happen as Lib Dem election Now times have changed. First rating a really posh office block atrium. tise in digital TV techniques we can But most other vaguely amusing pledges, vainly hope for a bit that climate change is thawing the gla- One perfectly preserved baby all watch whole herds of realistic events in 2017 involved bread prod- 2018 will be an improvement and ciers at a terrifying rate and the only mammoth owned by the She- giant woolly mammoth grazing on ucts. Greggs, the subject of a pro- head forward into the abyss. Bring tiny silver lining to that particular manovskiy Museum in Salekhard, the tundra and living the mammoth nationalisation motion at Young it on. Merry Christmas and a happy dark cloud is that more and more Russia, was lent to the London Natu- family life in amazing detail. Perhaps Labour conference, got in hot water new year. preserved ancient beasts, including ral History Museum in 2014. we should be content with that. Morning Star 12 FEATURES Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 Star HUMAN RIGHTS Comment Refugees still Here’s to a radical Xmas LABOUR is right to demand a free school meal for trapped in a every child whose family receives universal credit. Hunger at school is a significant problem, one that is only getting worse as government policies are due to push another million children into poverty by 2022. Hungry children cannot concentrate and the links between poverty and poor educational achievement are well known, with teaching unions having to flag desperate up the effect of hunger on concentration and alertness on a regular basis. Undernourishment also causes serious health problems. Figures released at the end of last year show that the number of British residents hospitalised with mal- nutrition has trebled in a decade (from 65,048 in 2006- 7 to 184,528 in 2015-16). state of limbo We’ve grown so used to living in a land of foodbanks that these statistics hardly shock us, but they should. There is a risk that a land stalked by hunger and BETHANY RIELLY talks to volunteers supporting refugees want becomes the new normal. Comedian Mark Steel once noted that, before the 1980s, it was unthinkable in Ventimiglia on the Franco-Italian border where the vile that there could be a million unemployed. It was the sort of thing you read about in history books, but it strategies of exhaustion and harassment wreak havoc was assumed nobody would ever let it happen again. HIH among the already traumatised migrants Then came Margaret Thatcher’s government and HE French authorities des- where many fall to their deaths. closed down by the Italian authorities mass unemployment became standard. Now we are perately fear the re-estab- The “pass of death” is now the only earlier this year. No-one has heard used to counting the unemployed in the millions and lishment of another Jungle. way refugees can make the crossing from these families since. the idea of full employment — once something we They fear it so much that after France declared a state of emer- And around the same time, the expected a responsible government to provide — is military police are ordered gency in 2015 and closed its border authorities carried out a number of seen as an unrealistic fantasy. to patrol the fields where the with Italy. raids near the bridge, clearing shel- A decade ago, the idea that somebody might starve sprawlingT Calais camp once stood and Since then, Ventimiglia, also known ters, vegetation and a tap providing to death in one of the richest countries in the world tear gas refugees in their sleep. as “mini-Calais,” has become another running water in an attempt to dis- was unthinkable too, but after cases such as those of They slash tents, steal belongings place of limbo for refugees and one of courage people setting up camp there. Mark Wood and David Clapson, who died after being and disrupt volunteers giving aid, pre- the most desperate places along the “There used to be lots of bushes and sanctioned in line with Iain Duncan Smith’s “reform” venting refugees settling for even a trail to northern Europe. trees in which people would camp out, of the benefits system, starvation is again a real risk few days in the same place. Over the summer, the number of but those were all bulldozed and tents for people who find themselves out of work. Over in Italy, the same methods of refugees in Ventimiglia was far higher were taken away and they made a large Work is not a panacea either, with a Cardiff Univer- intimidation are used as France with 700 people living in and around stretch unliveable,” Marta Welander, sity study this year finding that 60 per cent of families presses its neighbour to stop refugees the town. a refugee rights activist, tells me. in poverty had a member in employment. The govern- crossing the border. Apart from a Red Cross camp, “It’s constantly this idea of moving ment’s pay cap for public-sector workers has meant Just four miles from France, around where many refugees are unwilling people from where they are trying to misery for millions and private-sector workers too have 200 refugees are stuck in the Italian to go because entry requires them to set up shelter or from where they are suffered the longest squeeze on pay for well over 100 town of Ventimiglia. They sleep rough give their fingerprints, the town has trying to set up some sort of sanctuary.” under a bridge next to the River Roya no facilities to support refugees and Welander collects data on the refu- years. in unsanitary conditions, waiting for actively disrupts organisations trying gee crisis in Europe with the organisa- Right across the developed world, wages have de- days, weeks or even months for the to help them. tion she founded — Refugee Rights clined and children are finding things their parents right moment to make the perilous A local church that had been hous- Data Project (RRDP). took for granted — access to work, housing and a so- journey over the mountains into France ing refugee women and children was She visited Ventimiglia during the cial security safety net — are no longer within reach. Pics: Kesha Niya

HIH UNDER PRESSURE: Britain is, however, uniquely placed to lead the way Kesha Niya volunteers provide food and in solving these problems. (above) rudimentary Unlike in most of Europe, the crisis of capitalism in medical attention this country has not led to the rise of fascist parties blam- ing immigrants for our problems although, with a Con- servative government whose ministers suggest that businesses publish lists of their foreign employees or that women should have to show their passports before being allowed to give birth in a hospital, perhaps there’s been no need for a separate party of the far right. What we do have is an opposition of the left — a socialist-led Labour Party that understands the sys- temic nature of the crisis in living standards and is prepared to take on the power of big business and “the market” to find solutions. The potential of that message to resonate with millions of people was shown by Labour’s impressive performance in June’s general election, where it made gains despite wall-to-wall media hostility, a years-long campaign to vilify its leader and a marked lack of dis- cipline among its own MPs. Labour’s win was a step forward for our movement — one we must build on by fighting for a new deal for all working people, building the industrial militancy that gives workers the confidence not to wait on politicians to solve their problems but to make demands and fight for them in the workplace. Here’s to a radical Christmas and a socialist new year. Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 FEATURES 13

OPINION We must let Donald Trump know he isn’t welcome here Any visit to Britain, early next year, by the US president will be opposed by the majority of Britons, writes KEN LIVINGSTONE

EPORTS have said in recent The truth is that there will never internationally Is undoubtedly legiti- weeks that President Don- be a good time for a Trump visit so mising intolerant and discriminatory ald Trump is likely to visit long as he, in the words of Jeremy views and as such can lead to hate Britain early next year and Corbyn, “continues to propagate his crime and division here as well as in this seems to have been anti-women, anti-Muslim and anti- the US — his retweet of opinions by a confirmed by comments Mexican policies.” leading figure in Britain First gave fromR the US ambassador in London. From his disgraceful equating of that group a prominence they could Any such visit is likely to see wide- the far-right with anti-fascist cam- never have otherwise hoped for. summer, saying it was one of the most told me that “many times they [the spread opposition to Trump’s divisive paigners in Charlottesville to his with- Like his “Muslim ban,” these difficult places she’s researched — which police] try to find the objects or and reactionary agenda and protests drawal from the Paris climate agree- retweets gave oxygen to Islamophobes is saying something considering RRDP excuses to use against us. are alreadybeing planned. ment, he has again and again provided across the globe. has produced reports from squalid “One morning the police went to the Since becoming president at the begin- endless reasons for being denied any But we also need to be clear that camps in Calais, Dunkirk and Greece. ‘free spot,’ a meeting point for activ- ning of this year, Trump has scapegoated kind of warm welcome. there is an alternative. Opposition to “Ventimiglia was a horrendous ists, which has now been closed by migrants, Muslims and refugees at home It’s also important to see how his Trump is growing in the US and around place because you had people who had police, found knives we used for cook- — providing a distraction from his Wall stances negatively impact on the peo- the world, including here in Britain, just arrived from Libya and many of ing, and tried to use these tools against Street-dominated economic policies that ple of Britain. on a range of issues on a daily basis. them recounted stories of abuse and us by saying we owned illegal weap- are failing millions in the US — while To give one example, ripping up In contrast to the reactionary Trump torture or witnessing others who had ons,” she said. pursuing an aggressive and provocative international agreements on the need administration, Britain needs to be been tortured or shot dead so all of Hamssaoui described Ventimiglia foreign policy. for co-operation to tackle climate working for peace and co-operation in these experiences were completely as a “militarised city,” that’s “covered Trump originally accepted the invi- change puts the very future of our the world and I believe a Corbyn-led fresh,” she tells me. in police cars.” Refugees are often tation to travel to Britain on a state planet at risk and will have a devastat- government in Westminster could be According to the RRDP report 80 arrested, she says, and forced to sign visit when Theresa May visited Wash- ing impact here in the decades to come. a beacon for international justice. per cent of refugees in Ventimiglia documents they don’t understand with- ington in January. Despite overwhelming scientific As Corbyn said during the general are from Sudan and have travelled out any translation. Since then, the Tory government evidence that the world’s climate is election campaign, we “deserve better through Libya just days before reach- has refused to listen to the multitude changing, Trump has long been on the than simply outsourcing our country’s ing the Italian town. Welander tells hat makes matters of voices that have expressed opposi- side of the deniers and he announced security and prosperity to the whims me that many of the refugees she worse is that the tion to him being given such an honour, in June that the US will be withdraw- of the Trump White House” and, in spoke to were highly traumatised and authorities con- although the date of any such visit has ing from the historic Paris agreement practice, this means “no more hand- still had open wounds from the abuse stantly round up not been confirmed their end at the on climate change which over 190 holding with Trump” but instead work- they suffered in the lawless north refugees and deport time of writing. countries signed up to in 2016. ing collaboratively with the interna- African country. them back to the The likely (un)popularity level of The impact of this will be disas- tional community. The RRDP team spoke to a man who Wsouth of Italy where they had their such a visit was illustrated in the trous. US is the second-leading emit- A Corbyn-led Labour government witnessed a baby being shot by Liby- fingerprints taken. autumn by a YouGov poll showing that ter of greenhouse gases and having it can set the opposite course to Trump ans while in its mother’s arms. And a These deportations can be violent. only one in three Brits would accept an on board is essential to meeting the — action on climate change, working 24-year-old man from Chad said he Hamssaoui tells me that young refu- offer to meet Trump at the White House. goal of keeping future increase in for equality for all, against racism, suffered from back and internal prob- gees are woken up at the train station A further poll following his dis- global temperatures below 2°C. sexism and all forms of discrimination lems after he was beaten on the spine in Ventimiglia “with kicks” by police graceful re-tweeting of Britain First The difference between 1.5 degrees and promoting peace and co-operation. with a Kalashnikov in a Libyan camp. before they are sent to the city of posts showed a clear majority of Brit- and 2 degrees warming, for example, As well as having the biggest pos- Welander stressed that the preva- Taranto. The forced removals are ons opposed the state visit. is the difference between life and sible protests, should Trump come in lence of mental health issues among futile because they don’t deter refu- And of course earlier in the year, death for millions of people, mostly the new year, we must also use the refugees in Ventimiglia makes it even gees returning as soon as they can. prior to the general election, over in developing countries. opportunity to keep arguing for a more important for the European Once a man, woman or child has 1.8million people from across Britain To give another example, ripping positive alternative. We need to get authorities to set up adequate services trekked across the Sahara, been signed a petition against a state visit up international treaties and commit- the Tories out and win a Labour gov- to support them. But instead they use detained and abused in Libya and sur- for arguably the most reactionary ments concerning nuclear prolifera- ernment for the many not the few. force and intimidation tactics to make vived the Mediterranean crossing, president in US history. tion make us all less safe. the city as inhospitable as possible. nothing will stop them from reaching If he comes, the labour movement, This is all the more dangerous when n Follow Ken Livingstone at www. Volunteers are also on the tail end the place where they want to start a women’s and community groups, peace considered in the context of the growing twitter.com/Ken4London and www. of police intimidation. In fact the new life — and nor should it. campaigners, anti-racist organisations evidence that Trump will be a president facebook.com/KenLivingstoneOfficial. police seem to be on a mission to “It becomes a very strange process and others will need to be united in for war and US-imposed “regime To pledge to join the demonstration incriminate volunteer groups in an of push backs and people being deter- expressing as loudly as possible the huge changes” and that May will most likely against any Trump visit and for more attempt to disrupt their aid efforts. mined to make their way back. It’s opposition to his divisive agenda and go along with such adventurism. news visit www.facebook.com/Stan- Kesha Niya is one of just a few nonsensical and exhausting for all saying that any visit is not in our name. Furthermore, the “Trump factor” dUp2TrumpUk. organisations giving out meals and parties involved,” Welander says. supplies to refugees in the area, and The situation in Ventimiglia is des- as a result has had a lot of problems perate. Without adequate services with the police. available, refugees are struggling with Marcel Horstmann, who has been open wounds, dermatological condi- volunteering in Ventimiglia since tions and the traumas of their jour- April, was arrested last month while neys. “We need a professional team of distributing food. He was accused of doctors,” Hostmann tells me. “We are being a “danger to the public peace” searching but at the moment but no- and banned from Ventimiglia for three one is really interested.” years. Horstmann claims that the “Mini-Calais” is an apt name for police had no grounds to arrest him Ventimiglia. In both places you see a and tried to force him to sign a docu- severe lack of facilities and the same ment written in Italian which he strategies of exhaustion and harass- doesn’t speak. Although the police ment used to prevent refugees from have always kept tabs on volunteers, settling in one place. he says that the situation has got worse It’s a depressing thought that those over the past few months. refugees currently sleeping under the “They are always there and always bridge in Ventimiglia will experience trying to treat us like idiots,” he says. the same if not worse treatment all “But what’s worse now is that they are over again in northern France. trying to react with anything that they As Welander says, “it’s very difficult can find. The lawyer saw the papers to find sanctuary in Europe these and he saw my case and he said it was days.” ridiculous, like there was no translation at all. Everything was in Italian.” n Bethany Rielly is part of the Out of Volunteers from other organisations Limbo group which is organising a in the area are also disrupted for arbi- fundraiser for organisations working trary reasons by police. Sara Ham- with refugees in France on January ssaoui from Progetto20k, an Italian 13 at the Stour Space in London, E3. group that provides legal information, See mstar.link/BoogieforBashas. Morning Star 14 FEATURES Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

COMMIE CHEF It was an eventful year – how much do you recall? Veggie gravy ANY of you will These days this is quite have the pleasure easy. There is a host of prod- M — but to some it ucts on general sale which CHRISTMAS will seem a prob- have a similar consistency to lem — of feeding a vegetarian poultry, the best of them in QUIZ friend or family member this my view being Quorn, though Christmas. Speaking as some- it’s also the most expensive. one who doesn’t eat meat, I What I don’t ﬁ nd satisfac- HOME NEWS 11 What did former leader of am very happy to indulge in tory are the current commer- Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe a traditional Christmas din- cial meat-free gravies. 1 2017 marked the 40th suggest unemployed youths ner “with all the trimmings” So if you’re cooking a tra- anniversary of which march should grow this summer (why is it always trimmings?), ditional Christmas dinner against racism? instead of complaining of a provided the poor old bird or and have to include some lack of jobs? beast in the centre of it is vegetarians, here’s a gravy 2 Which snooker champ came out in support for Jeremy 12 The United Nations voted to replaced by something I am of my own invention. Merry declare Donald Trump’s willing to eat. Christmas! Corbyn and backed Labour’s campaign to unseat Iain decision to move the US Duncan Smith? embassy to Jerusalem “null and void”. Can you name the 3 Who is the new shadow 8 countries that voted equalities minister? against the motion? 4 Which relative of Che Guevara 13 10,000 have been killed in visited Britain in November? Yemen since the March 2015 Can you name her? bombing campaign began

Pic: Didriks/Creative Commons leaving 8 million on the 5 Which right-winger was let brink of famine and a go by entirely mutual cholera outbreak that has Ingredients decision from both the Daily hit one million people. What Mail and LBC? is the total in British arms ■ 1 large onion, peeled (white for ‘poultry’, red 6 Home Secretary Amber sales to the Saudi regime and fi nely chopped for ‘red meat’) Rudd clung onto her since the confl ict began. ■ 2 ozs/55g button ■ tbsp soy sauce (light for Hastings and Rye seat by mushrooms, cut in half ‘poultry’, dark for ‘red how many votes? CULTURE and thinly sliced meat’) The Tories made proposals ■ 1 clove garlic (or more, to ■ tsp black treacle or 7 14 Who returned to Britain in to allow who to compete for the Spring to take over the taste), crushed or grated molasses (leave this out senior police constable jobs? ■ tsp mixed dried herbs for ‘poultry’) music directorship of the London Symphony ■ ■ ½ level tsp paprika Councils were controver- 50 cls/9 fl .ozs stock (light 8 Orchestra? for poultry-style veg ■ tbsp cornfl our sially found to be buying product, dark for red ■ tbsp butter + tbsp olive, what for homeless people? 15 In the wake of the sex abuse ‘meat’) sunfl ower or rapeseed allegations in the arts world, ■ 10cls/scant 2 fl .ozs wine oil INTERNATIONAL which play was banned by 18 A great black US comedian 21 Robin Campillo’s fi lm about London’s Royal Court and civil rights activist died the 1990s Aids epidemic in 9 The Morning Star was the Theatre, a decision it later in August. Who was he? France won the Grand Prix only British newspaper to overturned? prize at the Cannes fi lm What to do 19 What album won south festival. What’s its title? cover the trials of which two Which artist became the fi rst London singer-songwriter Fry the onion in the butter cornfl our and stir until all 16 opposition political leaders? over the age of 50 to win the Sampha the Mercury Prize? 22 Who won this year’s Nobel and oil until light brown. the lumps have gone, then Turner Prize? Prize for Literature? Add the garlic and mush- add to the gravy. 10 What is the name of the new 20 This year’s Serpentine rooms and, on a lower light Let it simmer gently for at left political movement in 17 Which Western band Pavilion in London was 23 Where has ex-Pink Floyd Italy which is set to contest became the fi rst ever to play designed by Francis Kere. musician Roger Waters’s to avoid burning the least ten minutes, and add elections next spring? onions, cook 2 minutes. pepper to taste right at the a gig in North Korea? Where is he from? concerts been banned from Now add the paprika and end. It can stay on a very herbs and cook a further low light until you’re ready minute before pouring in all to use it. Or you can even the liquids and the molasses make it the day before and or treacle (if using). Mix a reheat it after Santa has little of the liquid into the been.

THE two grids are identical and clues for the corresponding Sudoku Hard solutions in each grid have been run together, the clue for grid A preceding the clue for grid B. In each across clue, one of the solutions is part of a list whose members share a common theme and is not further deﬁ ned. The themed solutions are pairs of words or phrases, with one of each pair appearing in each grid. ACROSS knowledge of most of musical 1. Is America part of setter’s church Edward sent back (9; 9) ill-treatment of company of pages 13. Head of niblick or club for to the Queen? (6; 6) soldier reporting animosity (7; 7) 4. Brilliant reading by writer that’s 15. Bow rejected tax on neckwear sharp to take the French in the for knight holding meal ticket for afternoon (7; 7) one at last (6; 6) 9. Travel in clothes on Sunday, have 17. Missing in action, intend to confectionery with praline on return to hut, one robust and order (9; 9) keeping out rain (3-3; 1,5) 10. We’re told Pascal was 19. Chamber produces horse collar attractive, good man in river (5; 5) for Scottish Bob, perhaps (7; 7) 11. No head of brotherhood 22. Scent rail crash cooking on this provided for return of safe cracker when kisser gets nothing back maintaining novice is wrong (5;5) from mischievous fairy (2,7; 9) 12. One caring terribly about lack 24. No energy for colouring, cleans of what is pink, even summer tops (5; 5) 26. Conscious that “Eureka!” was returned partly in another place A with slight internal disruption (5; 5) 27. Left-winger took charge of Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 FEATURES 15

8 days FIGHTING left WITH IVAN

answers FUND BEAVIS

42. Glasgow 42.

41. Merseyside 41.

40. Cultural, music and poetry and music Cultural, 40. YOU’VE RAISED

39. Durham Miners’ Gala Miners’ Durham 39. WE STILL NEED

38. Sheﬃ eld/South Yorks eld/South Sheﬃ 38.

POOR SHOW: Ireland 37.

Amber Rudd at the India 36. £13,951 £4,049

over Hastings recount in 46 35.

the this year’s elections Barcelona 34.

longer- 10 33. HO, HO, HO! I was already in also performed by a Dorset

term if 4-1 Birmingham 32. 31. Garbine Muguruza Garbine 31. ﬁ ne festive spirits yesterday reader with her £25 prize. elected. How Taylor Jodie 30. — no, not that sort of spirits; Another donation of par-

How many teams will play in much will it be annually? 33 Lyon 29. I couldn’t possibly drink at ticular note came from the

the top-ﬂ ight of the work — but when I had ﬁ n- Communist Party in Wales,

26 The portraits by a French Women’s Super League next Lear) (King Jackson Glenda 28. ished counting up yesterday’s where comrades raised £80

artist who rewrote the season? festival fringe Edinburgh The 27. sackful of donations, I felt for the Fighting Fund at their

principles of 20th-century Cezanne Paul 26. even jollier. annual gathering in Taﬀ ’s Well Toni Duggan joined which million £160 25.

painting went on display at The sum of £725.70 consti- in memory of Bob “the Red”

34 Germany 24.

the National Portrait Gallery. Spanish team in July? 23. Hull 23. tutes a very respectable total Jones.

Who was he?

Kelly Smith retired earlier Ishiguro Kazuo 22. indeed, considering all the From Newcastle came 35 BPM 21.

“I’m not a fan of the new for England this year, how ﬁ nancial and other pressures £54.70, along with a new year

27 pound coin. But then again, many times did she score for Faso Burkina 20. that Christmas brings, not to wish for the Star to achieve

her country? Process 19. mention the distraction of higher circulation, and Kent I hate all change.” Ken Gregory Dick 18.

festive celebrations with col- CPB joined in with £20. Eight Cheng’s gag won the Laibach 17.

Who did England beat in the leagues, etc, so I extend my more donations of £5 and £10 funniest joke award at Hamid Lubaina 16.

36 Women’s Cricket World Cup heartfelt gratitude to all who each took us up to the day’s

which festival? ﬁ nal? Dunbar Andrea 15. Rita, Sue and Bob Too by by Too Bob and Sue Rita, 15. contributed. total. Once again, many Which former MP took the Rattle Simon 14. The greatest generosity thanks to all of you. 28 Where was the 2017 was shown by the two donors, Provided our loyal readers

title role in a Shakespeare 37 Women’s Rugby World Cup

tragedy about “ﬁ lial gures ﬁ government to according one from Warrington and the and supporters don’t slacken held? 2015 March in began Yemen

ingratitude” and went on to other from Cardiﬀ , who gave the pace too much before the

win the Evening Standard of bombing the since increase the nice round sum of £100. end of the month, we’re in

STAR READERS cent per 457 a — billion £4.6 13. While the former hoped that with a good change of ending Theatre Award for best States United Togo, Palau,

we’ll reach our target this 2017 on target. That would

SPECTACULAR: The actress? Which R & S Group raises Nauru, Micronesia, Islands, Marshall 12. Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Israel, Honduras, Guatemala, 12. month, the latter’s gift was the really get my new year oﬀ to

London Symphony 38 funds by selling artisan they should herd cattle herd should they return of her 501 Club win- a great start. Come on, com-

Orchestra at this SPORT bowls and knitwear? he would laugh at them and say say and them at laugh would he nings, a highly laudable act rades, you can do it!

year’s Proms

At which annual event does suggested also He Mushrooms. 11. What French team did Popolo al Potere 10.

29 39 the Newcastle group England’s Lucy Bronze join? Party Democratic

distribute 3,000 copies of Give by post… phone… or online the airwaves next year People’s Turkish the of Demirtas because of his support for Who scored a hat-trick in the Morning Star? Selahattin and Yuksekdag Figen 9. Payable to PPFF to: From 10am-5pm By Paypal at the cultural boycott of Israel 30 England’s 6-0 win over

What events have the Fighting Fund on (020) morningstaronline.

(BDS)? Scotland at the Women’s 40 borough 8. One-way tickets to leave the the leave to tickets One-way 8. 52 Beachy Rd co.uk/support

European Championship? London group been holding 8510-0815

Where was the City of at the Constitution pub? Civilians 7. London E3 2NS

24 Culture this year? Who did Venus Williams lose 346 6. 31 Which group have been Hopkins Katie 5.

to in the Wimbledon ﬁ nal? 41

Labour has pledged an arts pedaling for progress? daughter Aleida, 4. 25 Butler Dawn 3.

pupil premium to every Manchester City beat which WEEKEND’S WEATHER

primary school in England 32 team in the Women’s FA Cup Which group still holds an O’Sullivan Ronnie 2. 42 Lewisham of Battle 1. to support cultural activities fi nal and by what score? annual Christmas Bazaar? ABERDEEN Sat Cloudy max 12°C Sun Light rain max 10°C BIRMINGHAM Sat Cloudy max 10°C Sun Overcast max 10°C CARDIFF Sat Overcast max 10°C PLUS the CHRISTMAS double CROSSWORD! Sun Cloudy max 11°C EDINBURGH Sat Cloudy max 12°C Sun Light rain max 10°C large oases, missing a bargain PM on edge of confusion (6; 6) GLASGOW Sat Overcast max 11°C hunter (3-6; 9) 8. Nudge for a short time owing to Sun Heavy rain max 10°C 28. Worker misses end of game fond proposal (6; 6) LIVERPOOL Sat Cloudy max 11°C and 40% of rodeo, stony broke in 14.Put back check on country rye Cloudy max 11°C Hertfordshire town (7; 7) – Barnes cultivated fruit (9; 9) Sun 29. Try hard to make way for bad 16. Change the last word on LONDON Sat Overcast max 10°C weather, the French complaint (6; maiden in depression to face up to Sun Overcast max 11°C 6) a stew badly destroyed (9; 4,5) DOWN 18. Draws everything on river for MANCHESTER Sat Overcast max 11°C 1. Huge admirer of alluvial deposit Sweden’s old president with Sun Cloudy max 11°C and tree nice for cultivating (7; 7) money holding hit list (7; 7) NEWCASTLE Sat Cloudy max 12°C 2. Wrong about rising artist using 19. Happen to speculate on fi sh gas on part of triptych depicting and pastry led astray by pack (6; 6) Sun Overcast max 11°C god over half of inferno (5; 5) 20. Drug makes dog moan about NORWICH Sat Overcast max 10°C 3. Liquor store, yet there’s space book substitute (7; 7) Sun Overcast max 10°C for footballer’s cry of surprise 21. Sounds like transport to bar about cooler agreement with has broken down. Cure for PLYMOUTH Sat Overcast max 10°C United (5-4; 4,5) indigestion and purer little bit of Sun Overcast max 11°C 4. Element of a line not given to beer taken regularly (6; 6) SHEFFIELD Sat Cloudy max 11°C magazine in charge of prefect’s 23. Drink at pub as letter fi nished physical jerks (7; 7) on time, it’s clear (5; 5) Sun Cloudy max 11°C 5. Something glowing at the end 25. Home help went up country SOUTHAMPTON Sat Overcast max 10°C of three months: in the work with Spike and Penny speaking of Sun Overcast max 10°C quoted the second part raised crime (5; 5) Outlook: Cloudy. drinks dispenser (5; 5) 6. Reason for going without under- wear? Indoctrinate sleuth, aid for dissipating passion of old (9; 9) B What’s your view? Send an email 7. Smart Conservative to force out to: [email protected] Morning Star 16 CULTURE Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

country, gigging with the Lovely Eggs OPINION and Porky the Poet in Scotland was a pleasure. The Lovely Eggs have warmth, charm, wit and power. Their latest single I Shouldn’t Have Said That is what I’m sending both Boris Johnson and Diane Abbott for Xmas. It’s also been a delight to see some The capital new poets gigging. In particular, Ania Placzkiewicz has been a joy to both see read and to gig with. She’s a styl- ish turn who is as funny as she is poignant. Phoebe Stuckes has also been throwing some moves. Her first pamphlet Gin & Tonic came out this year. offences of The TLS called it “superb” and they’re not wrong. What it is to be a young person, or at least try to be, is deftly handled in H 2017 ROUND-UP her well-written, and read, poems. Her SPOKEN WORD TIM WELLS pamphlet is a fiver and with Smith Doorstop. The independent presses have had Boris Johnson Y FIRST December gig this a good year. Particular praise to Influx year was to see the Press, who’ve not only had some qual- ORIS JOHNSON’S lovable ond-hand water cannon — Wasserw- stormin’ Salena ity books, such as Attrib. and Other As the maverick schtick has been erfer 9000s — which Johnson, evi- MGodden at the rambunc- Stories by Eley Williams, but who have to dissemble himself dently in Mayor Daley mood and too tious Bang Said the Gun. also stood on many an anti-fascist line. excellent book beneath a mantle of suet, indolent to check their legality, It was a late night gig, and packed. Real things in the real world, I hope to pretend to inarticulacy, bought from some spiv on a back lot Bang has moved to Soho Theatre this catches on. Nincompoopolis to oik about as the People’s in Chemnitz, have been sold on. They and we had a good time despite, not A poet I always love is Hull’s ever- BPrimate, to wear a 10-year-old’s weren’t legal. The then Home Secre- because of, the venue. loving Dean Wilson. One bright spot hairdo, to laugh it off — no matter tary Theresa May said so. It was its usual loud, lively good time from the shambles that was National demonstrates, what it is, no matter how grave it may Johnson’s was not normal auto- and the poets were as sparky as ever. Poetry Day this year — Wot! we’re be — and to display charm learnt at cratic behaviour. In 1977, Jacques Some poets — I’m one of them — NOT getting pissed at the Sarf Bank? the ex-London a charm school with duff tutors. Chirac was elected the first Mayor jab, jab, jab, and hook. Godden is a — was the report back that, during a This construct is going on thread- of Paris in a century. Chirac used his flurry of body shots and then an upper- mid-afternoon reading to Arts Coun- mayor should bare. If one devotes such energy to position to undermine the president, cut that gives an exhilarating lift and cillors in this year’s Hull beano, he a simulacrum of oafishness one the amusingly pompous Valery Gis- then drops you on your arse mentioned fisting in a poem. They becomes an oaf. The creature that card d’Estaing from whose cabinet The venue, though, has everyone don’t like it up ’em. be brought to his panto act was intended to occlude he had resigned. So Chirac sacked on the clock. It’s spontaneity that I finally got to see young working- is evident in photographs of over 30 Ricardo Bofill, whom Giscard had makes both Bang and Godden kick, class poet Jamie Thrasivoulou read. account for years ago when he still had cheek- chosen by means of a rigged compe- something that the regimented Soho He told me that he toned down his set bones. In those days, the young tition to rebuild Les Halles — which did their best to restrain. as there was a baby in the audience. his corrupt apprentice liar was only a rapier scar ought not to have been demolished in Some of us old hands want to stand I told him he needn’t have bothered short of the full Heydrich. The super- the first place. at the bar with a beer rather than be as it was my mates’ baby Frida. despoliation cilious confidence, the hubris, the Chirac denigrated Bofill’s design ushered to a numbered seat. My favourite poem of the year was arrogance of the entitled and the lan- as “Greco-Egyptian with Buddhist Salena only had time for two poems, Suffer from Clare Pollard in her col- guid bully’s hardly suppressed cru- tendencies” and after that mouthful both of them winners, and she had so lection Incarnation. of the city, says elty are deafeningly manifest. declared: “L’architecte...c’est moi.” much more to say. It deals with pregnancy and birth George Orwell was perhaps wrong. And — preposterous as it may sound Poets are more than heads on a and opened up the whole experience writer Johnson is now a spectacularly imma- — he was, insofar that he meddled theatre poster, there are thoughts in to me. I had to put the book down ture 53-year-old who doesn’t have the and “advised” and censored the those heads. for a few days as the poem gestated. JONATHAN face he deserves. Rather, he has the designs of Jean Willerval, whom he Poetry gigs are about ideas not As a new year is nascent, I’ll end face he has struggled to create, a brought in to replace Bofill. being hustled out the door by T-shirted with the last lines as they’re also a mask to gull the gullible Little Inger- Willerval was an accomplished staff checking their watches to make beginning. MEADES landers whose xenophobic legions brutalist who was ill at ease with the sure you’re being hustled quickly “You might lie awake at 3am listen- — think, if you can bear to, of a mil- tepid postmodernism that Chirac enough. Bang, get back to the pubs, ing for her breath,/Or not love her lion Andrea Leadsoms mated with a prescribed. His “umbrellas” would the first one’s on me. enough or love her so much it’s a sick- million beer-bellied fans — are as last less than three decades. Mean-

This year I’ve seen a fair bit of the ness, it’s sick./You might go mad.” Pic: jonathanmeades.co.uk ever-swelling as their idol. while Giscard d’Estaing was promot- They feel no shame at belonging ing the Gare d’Orsay as a counter to to the same species as the creature, the Beaubourg, a project which he no embarrassment. He doesn’t make had wished to cancel when he was them wince. They applaud his bluster- elected president. But once it was ing idiocies, his boorishness, his anti- renamed the Pompidou Centre his nomian exceptionalism, his careless- hands were tied in enforced respect ness, his borderline criminality, his for his dead predecessor. incontinent mendacity — a habit These were certainly proxy polit- which, decades on, he has yet to stem. ical skirmishes, but they were also And his despoliation of London dur- about surfaces — taste, design, style ing eight years of insouciant irre- and the appearance of a city. Two sponsibility has, until lately, provoked decades previously, Nikita Khrush- astonishingly little concerted antip- chov’s denunciation of Stalin had athy outside the milieu of urbanism begun with a vilification of his conference delegates, infrastructural kitschy historicist fun-fair architec- consultants, public-space gurus, ture. The subsequent khrushchovkas despised planners who know their job were grimly functional, prefabri- and megalopolitan studies majors. cated, standardised, low cost, spartan These people, no matter how dis- and based on immediately post-war tinguished and how clued up, were French models. impotent in the face of an elected No doubt Putin’s zealous erasure absolutist who listened to no-one and of them is partly founded in their not would be in chokey for life were pig being specifically Russian. Like Sta- ignorance a crime. lin, Putin understands the Russian It’s all very well spitefully damag- sweet tooth for gaudiness. Further, ing restaurants with your fellow saw- the khrushchovkas do not accord with dust caesars of the Bullingdon for the look that Moscow should present loutish self-gratification. Spitefully to the world. damaging one of the great cities of In comparison with these politi- the world, rendering it formerly cians who, whatever their bent, rec-

Cartoon: Citizen Chicane Citizen Cartoon: great, for loutish self-gratiﬁcation is ognised the importance of aesthetics a rather different matter. and the politicisation of design, John- This was the mayor who shat lais- son is stylistically agnostic, artisti- sez-faire on London, who marked his cally indiscriminate and not much territory with heavy loads of foetid concerned about a building’s purpose. bling, whose faecal legacy it will take His campaign manifesto for the decades to clear. Unhappily the sec- 2008 mayoral election includes a pre- Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 CULTURE 17

CRONIES: Anish Leave aside Thomas Heatherwick’s petual struggle to parse a sentence. Kapoor (far left) at mediocre design. The evasion of nor- These institutionalised champions the ArcelorMittal mal procurement processes, the dis- of the ancient avant-garde are noth- Orbit and (below) appearance of millions of pounds, the ing if not predictable. They arrived London Mayor Boris creepily cosy relationship of Trans- at a shortlist of three of their cronies. Johnson and port for London with the engineering This time they chose crony Anish Lakshmi Mittal at its behemoth Arup, the emergence of Kapoor and his collaborator, crony opening Joanna Lumley as an urban theorist Cecil Balmond, the engineer whose and the “casual disregard for the job is to make sure dummkopf visions boundaries of public and private,” don’t collapse. This is a man who these call for criminal investigation. never lacks for commissions. Johnson’s mayoralty was a consist- It might be argued that the Arce- ently splendid demonstration of what lorMittal Orbit is in the tradition of used to be called the OPA (Old Pals eye-catchers built in the form of Act) in its full, grubby pomp. Heath- ruins. That would be to exonerate erwick, for instance, evidently the those culpable for the mess. It court designer, was also responsible appears to be the site of a major roll- for the disastrous new buses. He ercoaster disaster, a multimillion- appointed as “a senior adviser” the pound structural failure. This, pre- far from distinguished former editor sumably, is not what was intended. of the Evening Standard Veronica But it does stand as an apt and unwit- Wadley, whose support of his elec- ting summation of Johnson’s London toral campaign had been as laughably — an ugly man’s ugly legacy of chaos parti pris as her denigration of Ken concentrated in a single ugly object. Livingstone’s. Throughout the years of Johnson’s Subsequently, he bent every con- reign, Douglas Murphy was making ceivable rule of public job selection or trying to make a career as an to secure her appointment to the architect. He lived a life of gas-meter chair of Arts Council London, a post fiction and Gissing-like penury. He for which she had absolutely no expe- casually contrasts his lot, the lot of rience. Johnson’s perplexing anxiety the many, with that of the few, of to please Wadley was such that he Johnson and his privileged milieu, re-ran the selection process once the his privileged background. Tories had returned to power in 2010 Murphy is not sparing in his use and obliging Jeremy Hunt was on of “‘elite” and “elitism.” So what? hand to approve the appointment, There is something terribly wrong which his predecessor Ben Bradshaw about a society which allows atten- had declined to do. tion-seeking freaks like Johnson to Was this quid pro quo? A big drink? rise and rise. This is a man who’ll do Was it down to friendship? To a belief anything for a photo opportunity. Bite in Wadley’s previously untried abili- off a live European chicken’s head? ties? No. More likely by far it was a Why not? Dance in Union Jack-pat- self-interested ruse to deter Wadley’s terned Pampers? Of course. husband, the biographical attack-dog Tom Bower, from writing about him. ton is obviously partly to In all likelihood, it will turn out blame. Its very existence that Johnson has miscalculated and depends on bolstering the Bower will slip his leash, teeth bared. inequality and exclusivity As Murphy, a rather more nuanced Ewhich endow its charges writer, repeatedly shows, Johnson has with an unmerited sense of an unerring aptitude for misreading superiority no matter how crass the situations. He is a hostage to his own little tossers may be. dictable boast about improving “the be reciprocated. He does not then wishfulness. He wants a new toy, a There are exceptions. Orwell, of aesthetic quality of new develop- consider the possibility that Johnson, toy he will share with the little peo- course, and Neal Ascherson who ments.” How, given that all evidence in his overwhelming eagerness to ple. A £60 million cable car kind of recently observed that, when he was points to his aesthetic blindness, was leave a mark which would live on toy. In his access of solipsism he has there, his fellow pupils treated their this to be achieved? By the market, beyond his mayoral term, was often assumed that the world would want teachers as servants. They very likely of course. The market possesses had. to play with the toy that he has so still do. OEs such as Robin Cook — 20-20 vision, it is always right. Apart Far from being the big chief, he generously offered them. But the aka Derek Raymond — Jeremy Sand- from the grand destiny which awaits was a readily biddable patsy, a soft wretched ingrates are indifferent to ford and Heathcote Williams also saw him, it is the only thing that he touch for sly operators like Heather- his gift. through the contaminatory place and believes in, though that could change wick. What then about an aggressive despised it. They belong to an honour- if it suits him to change. Developers, vandals in all but name, lump of soi-disant sculpture to John- able tradition of treachery towards The market absolved Johnson of circumvented planning procedure by Their explosive status is disputed. son-up the Olympics, on whose pris- the old school. having to make choices. He waved going straight to him and his chummy That of Grain is not. A beguiling wil- tine site he had yet to evacuate him- Johnson, like the wretched Cam- through virtually every planning rubber stamp, safe in the knowledge derness, its value is increased by its self? The supersalesman connects eron — a poltroon who, extraordinar- application that came before him. He that he would not have considered the proximity to London. It requires pro- well. He is lanyarding around the ily, inflicted even greater harm — is “called in” a number of applications ramifications of their latest offering. tection from chancers’ duff wheezes. World Economic Forum in Davos, not an aristocrat. Were he an aristo- that had been rejected. He overruled He had a scattergun approach to his One might say that London itself also when who should he run into but Lak- crat he might have some conception councils and local objections and wretched “legacy.” If you permit requires that protection, though that shmi Mittal, then the richest man in of noblesse oblige. He is a paltry, sanctioned developments of which he everything, something is bound to would have precluded John Nash, a Britain. No foreplay, straight to the utterly conventional, upwardly had only the feeblest knowledge. stick. He refused only seven of the chancer of genius and thus an excep- point. “Lakshmi, old son, I have a mobile, morally squalid parvenu who Plans and proposals demand a con- 130 applications that came before him. tion. vision...” yearns to be taken for what he isn’t. centrated attention to detail that Johnson is not even in the premier The consummation was immediate. There is a parliamentary history Johnson, by his own admission, lacks. ne of these was for an league of chancers. His estuarial Mr Steel (Murphy’s epithet) coughs of such creatures who believe them- He consequently created a city fit extension to London airport was partly recycled from the up. But for what? Johnson is a highly selves to be characterful cards — only for hedge-fund bastards, south- City Airport which had Heath-era scheme on the Essex shore unoriginal thinker. His vision was, Gerald Nabarro, Norman St John east Asian investors, oligarchs on the been approved by the at Maplin Sands, which excited deri- typically, pre-loved: it was for the Stevas, Leo Abse, the rapists Nicho- run and their amazonian prostitutes Olocal authority. Murphy sion at the time. Much of north Kent kind of structure that endured long las Fairbairn and Cyril Smith. But known as “Russian fur-trees.” surmises, not unreason- is a valuable reminder of England after the forgotten expos, the world no party leader was ever daft enough Through sloth and indifference, he ably, that Johnson’s refusal to endorse before it was Thatcherised. Johnson, fairs and the previous Olympics they to appoint any of them to an impor- exacerbated inequality and the hous- the scheme was on spurious grounds like Thatcher, is not, pace Murphy, had originally embellished. Compul- tant post. ing crisis. — noise, pollution — because he was really a Tory, let alone a shires Tory sorily vertical, like the Eiffel Tower Until recently I had hoped that Having claimed that he would not entertaining a half-witted dream of — do those beasts still exist? If he or the Seattle Space Needle or the Johnson would, in homage to his dop- create Dubai-on-Thames he did an airport on an artificial extension must be classified, it is as a mutant Olimpiaturm in Munich. pelgänger Herman Goering, crack worse, he created Houston-on- to the Isle of Grain at the foggy con- Manchester Liberal. Paul Fryer’s fine Transmission, open a cyanide capsule in his cell Thames, Minneapolis-on-Thames. He fluence of the Thames and the Med- Like Thatcher and like Trump, somewhere between totem pole and while awaiting trial for gross abuse turned London into a building site, a way. with whom he is twinned and whom Cross of Lorraine was the first work of public funds — where are they? I catwalk of urban regenerators’ bums. The creature’s amour propre and he embarrassingly calls “a great glo- associated with this scheme. But must apologise. We should humanely There is nothing less “sustainable” faith in his own judgment is so pow- bal brand,” he displays, as Murphy Johnson, au fond an off-the-peg, encourage him to hang himself with than the process of construction. erful that he quite overlooks or dis- observes, “a vocal contempt for the immeasurably vain politician, craved a towel attached to a toilet pipe like Throughout his excellent and often misses the project’s environmentally state but a consistent eagerness to a “landmark” — his drearily hack- another characterful card, Robert shocking book Nincompoopolis, catastrophic effects, not to mention use it as a source of funds and protec- neyed word — and a big name. Ley, director of the nazis’ Strength Douglas Murphy is level-headed and that construction would involve dis- tion.” He convened a jury the far side Through Joy organisation. generally reluctant to attack Johnson turbing the liberty ship Richard Funds, for instance, to promote his of parody. The curatocratic nomen- ad hominem. This might be regarded Montgomery which famously sank follies which give follies a bad name. klatura — Nicholas Serota, Julia n Nincompoopolis: The Follies of as self-censorship or simply an act off Sheerness in 1944 with 1,400 tons They are crude whims and coarse Peyton-Jones and the ineffable Hans Boris Johnson by Douglas Murphy is of courtesy which would improbably of ordnance aboard. caprices such as the garden bridge. Ulbrich Obrist engaged in his per- published by Repeater, price £8.99. Morning Star 18 CULTURE BEST OF 2017 Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 ★ ALBUMS ★ EXHIBITIONS ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER CHRISTINE LINDEY Cartoon: Rob Amos O START with the obvious — Birdbath Records) is a beautifully HE centenary of the Russian the mighty Rancid’s Trouble crafted piece of orchestral-punk Revolution provided cultural T Maker (Epitaph) is one of their whimsy with a hard lyrical edge, espe- T institutions with a theme which strongest for years, with their cially on Three Bridges — it’s a place was interpreted in questionable catchily diverse punky/ska melodies near Crawley and, no, there aren’t — ways. well to the fore, with Telegraph Avenue and The Architects, which totally nails By far the worst was the Royal and Farewell Lola Blue absolute the wealthy DFLs (Down From Lon- Academy’s exhibition Revolution: anthems. Just a shame they hardly don) whose money is pricing us Russian Art 1917-1932. Favoured by every play in this country. rancidran- Brighton residents out of our own an enviably generous budget and cid.com town. pogband.bandcamp.com excellent connections with post-Soviet The King Blues have come up with By a country mile, though, my Russian institutions, it gathered an an absolute cracker in The Gospel album of 2017 is Volcano by Gecko impressive body of art and design, Truth (Cooking Vinyl), in which singer/ (pictured) . I put it on for the fi rst time some being virtually unknown in rapper/wordsmith Itch pours out his stuck in a traffi c jam on the M60 on Britain. heart and tries to make amends for, my way to a gig, played it through But rather than explaining the as he confesses quite candidly, com- twice (well over an hour) while travel- Soviet artists’ socially committed pletely fucking things up in the past ling about four miles and arrived motivations, a vindictive curatorial few years for himself and, more impor- supremely happy and relaxed. Which, approach shamefully contextualised tantly, those he claimed to care about. anyone who knows me and the M60 the works in didactic attacks on the I’ve known him for 13 years — his will confi rm, takes some doing. revolution’s ideals and achievements, talent is enormous and deserves more It’s a sumptuous feast of lovely reminiscent of liverish 1920s Russian than being pissed up the wall melodies and cascades of emigres fretting over their and lost in welters of accusa- sweet and clever words, lost fortunes. tion and abuse. I really hope superfi cially often seemingly The British Library’s he can fi nd the redemption he inconsequential but with Russian Revolution: craves. kingbluesoffi cial.com serious undertones. It’s a mix Hope, Tragedy, — to present a “balanced” view its well organised and focused sec- Getting less obvious, apart of rap, folk and, well, some- Myths was less well resulted in an over-lengthy tions successfully conveyed how from for those few of us who thing akin to talkover, though resourced, but focus on the pre-revolutionary inventive but practical buildings and have adored their work for 40 Gecko has got to be far too more scholarly and period and this diminished designs improved the people’s lives. years, the retrospective Doc- young to remember reggae less hostile. Based the impact of the revolution’s The reasonably priced entrance fee tors of Madness compilation Perfect DJs like U-Roy. on its own collec- excitement and importance. and excellent ecologically conscious Past (RPM) is a lovingly packaged Favourites are iPhone, Therefore I tions, it presented The best exhibition catalogue echoed the social respon- homage to one of the most original Am (“If you’re alone and out in public f a s c i n a t i n g marking the revolution was sibility which informed the exhibi- bands who ever walked the Earth. for longer than you’ve planned/Take objects and facts. the Design Centre’s Imag- tion’s subject. Too early for punk and too scarily your phone out of your pocket and just We saw Lenin’s ine Moscow: Architec- Tate Modern’s Soul of a Nation : clever for everything else, they’ve an stare into your hand”), Library (about application for ture, Propaganda, Revo- Art in the Age of Black Power was addled visionary stick-insect genius going to the library, sounds naff, is his reader’s pass lution. also a joy. A true revolutionary fer- as leader and a genre-defi ning hard- spectacular), End of the World (sung under a pseudo- Posters, architectural vour spurred African-American art- core violinist as his sidekick. If you by an insect, the only survivor after nym and learned drawings, photographs ists of the 1960s and 1970s to combat like the Velvets and the Clash, and we’ve destroyed the planet, sounds that far from storm- and well-written wall texts social injustice through socially com- you’ve never heard of them, just do it. grim, is totally beautiful) and the title ing the Winter Pal- imparted the sheer visionary mitted art and this was a true eye- richardstrange.com/music/doctors-of- track, in which a bear waking from ace, as dramatised excitement, imagination and opener, rectifying decades of racially madness hibernation is compared to a man wak- by Eisenstein, the audacity with which early Soviet prejudiced critical and curatorial My two favourite albums of the year ing from a coma. Bolsheviks just designers and architects exclusion. will surprise a few people because both It’s a lovely record. In the panoply walked in through embraced modernity to symbol- Jae Jarrell’s superbly tailored are by refl ective, non-shouty, self- of rap, it’s the exact polar opposite of the open gates. But ise and shape the new worker Revolutionary Suit wittily subverted effacing folk half my age. Home Invasion by Ice-T. Buy it! geck- the curator’s state. its bourgeois connotations by her Pog’s Little Trophies (Beside the ooffi cial.com desire — or need Devoid of anti-Soviet carping, addition of a military-style bandolier

★ PERFORMANCES ★ LIVE MUSIC DAVID NICHOLSON BOB ORAM

HE ARTISTIC scene in Wales The Soviet composer’s work cele- HEN you think you’ve seen exploded into glorious life in brates the Bolshevik-led revolution everything, a few weeks T 2017, with four productions and marked Lenin’s unique contribu- W ago Dan Bejar ambles which will live long in the tion to it. But it was Alexander onto the stage at the Scala memory of those fortunate to have Mosolov’s little-known work from in London and within minutes I’m seen them. 1927, The Iron Foundry, which really aghast at his brilliance. Inspired by the Russian Revolution captivated the audience. His unique voice, so essential to and performed as part of the cente- Mosolov’s work celebrated the the feel of his songs on record, is nary celebrations in Wales, they revolution’s 10th anniversary and was perfectly matched by the huge cin- included a jewel of a production of originally intended to be part of a ematic soundscapes created by the the Cherry Orchard at the Sherman complete ballet called Steel. incredibly talented musicians of his Theatre. This reimagination by Gary The BBC players had a ball as they band Destroyer. Owen of Anton Chekhov’s play is conveyed the heat and noise of an Like the Citizens in football, likely to become a classic in its own industrial foundry, right down to the they’ve shaken live music out of its right. percussion section hammering a piece inertia and prove that not only is new The action, revolving around sell- of drainpipe and a large iron sheet. LP Ken a masterpiece but that ing off the eponymous orchard and The National Dance Company of Destroyer are the greatest “unknown” having it redeveloped into homes that Wales’s stunning production of band in the world. can be fl ogged off to make a Thatch- P.A.R.A.D.E. (below) was the real star That adjective might be applied erite fast buck, was transplanted from of the Welsh celebration of the revo- also to suave curmudgeon Dunstan early 20th century Russia to 1980s lution. Bruce, whose bands The Existential Wales and the direction and acting An updated reimagining of this Angst of Dunstan Bruce and Inter- and white, raised fi sts and waved fl ags fi llings and an ashtray full of broken were superlative. revolutionary dance-theatre combo robang?! have been equally amazing, while collectively pouring out emo- dreams,” this was a glorious return Welsh National Opera’s production was brilliant and really does deserve whether performing in Suffolk fi elds tions in memory of Grenfell and for to form. of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Eugene to be seen by a wider audience. or intimate venues. hope of a better future. But in what was an amazing year, Onegin was sublime. Welsh artist Marc Rees and chore- Loud Women went from strength At 75, the mighty U-Roy had the nothing surpassed British and US The opera, a mannered study in ographer Caroline Finn pulled off a to strength, with Jelly Cleaver an calm, wise air of a sprightly ancient legends The Mekons at their Mekon- unrequited love, is memorable for production of dance magic, theatre astonishing new talent, Lilith Ai tri- kung-fu master at the Jazz Cafe in ville festival in rural Suffolk last its acting, fine singing, wonderful and comedy, fused into a package of umphant with her band on May Day the capital. Mixed live by the Mad summer. Seeing the original 1977 costumes, dancing, fabulous staging pure joy. in Barnsley, Guttfull, the brilliant Professor, the godfather of toasting line-up and their various other guises and a simple tale told in a gripping dirty-sax feminist punk band blister- gave an impressive performance with up to the present day was fantastic. way. ing in their intensity, Dream Nails the Robotics and his dulcet tones will Over three days, they showcased Performances like this typify the (above right) an effervescent tonic linger long in my memory. their unique country, punk, rock, folk many fi rst-rate WNO productions this for life and love and Argonaut never In London again, The Charle- and blues and their ability to blend year. ceasing to amaze live. magnes blew off the cobwebs from genres and infl uences, depending on The BBC National Orchestra of The incredible lyrical dexterity of an illustrious career at the St Moritz mood and time, made for a legendary Wales captivated with a masterful ren- that voice for the voiceless Lowkey in June, with an intensity befi tting a weekend. dition of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Sym- was an absolute joy at the Coronet in clash between the E Street Band and Laced with humour, there was a phony no. 12, The Year 1917, otherwise London but it was the audience who the Sonics. Describing themselves as glorious vibe and energy, driven known as the Lenin Symphony. stole the show as young and old, black “A belly full of fi re, a mouth full of along by Man of Gwent Jon Langford. Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 CULTURE BEST OF 2017 19

STAND-OUTS: (Above) Jamaican Village, John Minton, 1950; (above left) cartoon ridiculing the Royal Academy’s biased curation of Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 exhibition and (left) Jae Jarrell’s superbly tailored Revolutionary Suit with bullets replaced by coloured nally pasted throughout Oakland, tation was eclipsed by the cold war homosexuals like himself in that energy and irreverence. Evolved from crayons while Carole Lawrence’s California to educate, agitate and promotion of abstraction. intolerant era. his early New York graffiti, Jean- paintings, widely published as post- organise its dominant African-Amer- Full marks, too, for incorporating Minton’s Jamaican paintings, espe- Michel Basquiat’s paintings burst with ers, celebrated her people’s African ican residents to resist racial oppres- his illustration work alongside his cially, express a blend of joyful thirst cheeky, subversive social comment and cultural heritage and inspired them sion. paintings. Both have weathered for sensual pleasure, laced with knowing digs at art world pretensions. by incorporating decoratively Chichester’s Pallant House Gallery well. Often including a solitary, anxiety and sadness, whose complex- A social outsider, he had something painted, life-affirming slogans. reassessed the work of John Minton melancholic male figure, the high ity and emotional depth show he well worthwhile to say and did so with Equally memorable were Emory (1917-1957) in the centenary of his horizons and intense colours convey deserves this critical rehabilitation. visual intelligence and fun. One of Douglas’s visually powerful Black birth. A leading British artist in the claustrophobic ambiences suggest- The Barbican Gallery’s exhibition the best exhibitions of the year, it Panther posters, which were origi- late 1940s and early 1950s, his repu- ing the emotional pain inflicted on Basquiat: Boom for Real fizzes with closes in late January. Go if you can.

H THEATRE H VIDEO GAMES LYNNE WALSH BEN COWLES

N EVENTFUL year, with HE past 12 months have been be deleted and they’ll have to restart murders, kidnapped children, some of the best for video game the game, so combat in the latter parts A suicidal depression, lost souls T nerds such as myself. Yet, look- of the game, when the darkness has and found loves. ing back on all those I’ve reached the base of Senua’s neck, is Conor McPherson’s Girl from the played this year, I realise I’ve barely bum-clenchingly tense. North Country won standing ovations scratched the surface. Here are the I suspect you’re wondering how any at the Old Vic, with its magical use of three video games that had the most of this is enjoyable to anyone but the Bob Dylan’s finest songs. impact on me. most unhinged masochists, but it is. This took many, including critics, I’ve never played a game quite like In most video games, no matter how by sweet surprise. There are always Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s poorly you play, you’re going to win cynics claiming McPherson’s work Sacrifice. On the surface, the game as long as you stick with them. And lacks teeth and the hopeless flounder- looks like any another action-adven- this ease can render a video game as ing of hapless drifters in the liminal ture game, but its fascinating pro- nothing more than a meaningless time space of a flophouse or bar may not tagonist, acted with such intensity by sink. be to everyone’s taste, but this carried Melina Juergens, and unsettling yet Yes, video games are entertainment an emotional charge reminiscent of undoubtedly beautiful level and sound and you don’t always want a gruelling a Steinbeck or Miller. design, fully immerse players into challenge each time you play, but a It transfers to the West End soon. Helheim, the hideous Norse realm of game should make you feel something, Go if only to hear Shelia Atim sing the dead. even if that is uncomfortable, and Tight Connection to My Heart. Senua is not like most characters. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice certainly The Rose Theatre’s My Brilliant She suffers from a psychosis which plays with the emotions. Friend was an adaptation of Elena Pic: Helen Murray causes her to hear voices and experi- Including this next game gives me Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels in two which the protagonist took the idiocy Steve Marriott of the Small Faces, who ence intense and often horrific hal- a twinge of guilt, but I can’t deny how plays encompassing a quartet of of mindfulness to extremes, announc- lived fast and died young. lucinations and delusions. Hellblade much fun I’ve had with Ubisoft’s books. ing with gusto all the brilliant things This has toured for a while and will allows players to empathise with what action-adventure game Assassin’s The lives of two friends in post-war which kept him from dark thoughts. continue while audiences turn up, cry, this condition must be like as, through- Creed Origins this year. Italy through to contemporary times This was another evening, though, sigh, giggle and gyrate. We were on out the game, she’s bombarded by a The ninth game in the series take are the focus and while the writer where I questioned the protocol of our feet for a 20-minute encore. host of disembodied voices that place in ancient Egypt during the claims not to be political — and it’s having a press night, which often My theatre event of the year, how- berate, mock, confuse, distract and Ptolemaic dynasty and the rise of true that her depiction of the Red Bri- includes critics, VIPs, plus drama ever, was These Trees Are Made of scare her. Cleopatra. Gamers are cast as Bayek, gade is cartoon-like — sexual politics students. As an old-school reporter- Blood at the Arcola (above). When battling with Helheim’s mon- a medjay (sheriff) of the kingdom and permeates the piece, dictating the cum-critic, I want to monitor the It’s a powerful juxtaposition of the sters, these voices that scream at and founder of a secret order of Assassins, possibilities of both women’s lives. responses of honest-to-goodness audi- seamy Coup Coup Club in Argentina insult her, laugh when she’s hit and a faction opposed to the Templars and We learn that the only way to con- ence members who’ve paid for a during the dirty war with the white- tell her that she’ll never defeat them their machinations bent on world trol a strong woman’s identity is to ticket! scarved Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, caused my palms to sweat and my domination. steal it. No such problem back at the Rose, determined to discover the fate of heart to race. The story doesn’t make much sense, The consistently brave Orange Tree for All or Nothing, the “Mod” musical, their “disappeared” children. Each time Senua dies and is revived, but, praise be to the king of the gods in Richmond-upon-Thames managed in which Chris Simmonds, formerly It was superbly directed and per- a darkness grows up her sword arm. Amun, the ridiculous sci-fi meta nar- Brechtian alienation and immersive The Bill’s DC Mickey Webb, was performed and a reminder that such sto- The game tells players that, if this rative of the Assassin’s Creed games theatre in Every Brilliant Thing, in fectly narcissistic and adorable as rytelling is devastating and necessary. reaches her head, their progress will can be almost completely ignored. Morning Star 20 LETTERS Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 CHRISTMAS TV MEDIA BIAS Bedazzled (10pm Talking Radio 4 allowed US Saturday 23 Pictures) Film Talking Pictures serves up another general to keep on neglected gem, Peter Cook and Dudley Bill (6pm BBC2) Moore’s meandering 1967 comedy. CBBC’s multi-tasking Horrible Histories Swinging London at its swingingest. team skit their way through Shakespeare’s Entertainment fi ghting cold war early life. Capers and gags aplenty. Proms 2017: Oklahoma! What Ever Happened to Baby ON TUESDAY morning, the master Donald Trump’s com- Jane? (10.35pm BBC2) (1.40pm BBC2) Today programme on BBC mand about putting “America A rerun of this summer’s romp through Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as faded Radio 4 included an interview First” in all aspects of US for- the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein fi lm-star sisters battle it out in their creepy with a US general who might eign policy and of the dangers Broadway musical at the Albert Hall. Hollywood mansion in Robert Aldrich’s have come out of the movie Dr of Russia, China and North 1962 gothic psycho-drama. The perfect Chas & Dave’s Xmas Knees-up Strangelove. Korea, throwing in Cuba for follow-on to the preceding episodes of (Yesterday 10pm) The general (whose name I good measure, which he A SLOW ODYSSEY: have thankfully forgotten but claimed was an “authoritarian eight-part drama Feud: Bette and Joan Rockney delights from 1982. Alongside Green turtle (9pm BBC2) with Jessica Lange and Susan Charles and David and cheroot-smoking could easily have been the state” that America wanted to Sarandon in the lead roles. drummer Mick, Eric Clapton and Albert fi lm’s character Brigadier “free.” Lee step up for a bit of a twiddle. With any BBC2) General Jack D Ripper) All this fi ctitious froth went The Big Lebowski (1.35am uttered the same old cold unchallenged by the BBC’s luck, they’ve edited out scumbag Jim Luxuriant Powell & Pressburger ballet Film4) war rhetoric of former US obliging interviewer. Thus, Davidson from the full show. drama from 1948, with Moira Shearer. One of the Coen brothers’ best. Jeff administrations. listeners were given a one- Bridges plays slacker supreme the Dude in Entertainment It appears that he and the sided negative impression of the 1998 crime comedy, which tips its Boxing Day Alan Partridge: Why, When, BBC have forgotten that the the countries mentioned. fedora to the thrillers of Raymond Where, How and Whom? so-called cold war ended dec- The BBC colludes in this Chandler. A cult classic. Film A celebration of Steve Coogan’s brittle ades ago. Yet, it seems they dissemination of US propa- Documentary A Hard Day’s Night (11.55am comic creation. wish it had not and want it to ganda; no contradictory or Stuff ed: the Great British BBC2) Documentary continue. alternative opinion is broad- A Beatles fi lm on Boxing Day? A good Therefore, they exaggerate cast. The corporation seems Christmas Dinner (7pm BBC4) Turtle, Eagle, Cheetah: a Slow and invent non-existent unwilling or unable to release habit, BBC. The moptops’ fi rst and best. threats in order to justify itself from the cobwebs of cold The fi rst chord crashes in and they’re away Odyssey (9pm BBC4) aggressive foreign policies, war fatuity, which has — with teenie fans in hot pursuit. Ninety minutes sharing the lives of three creatures carrying little cameras for US hegemony and tattered remained unchanged since the Documentary research purposes. “Immersive” TV. remnants of defunct British 1940s. Reindeer Family and Me (8pm colonialism. RICHARD MAUNDERS BBC2) The general barked to his Axminster Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan Thursday 28 heads deep inside the Arctic Circle to meet Film the Sami people and the animals they hold so dear: reindeer. Ray Harryhausen: Special FRIEND OF THE TOP OF THE POPS PALESTINIANS: Drama Eff ects Titan (7.45am BBC2) 1973: Slade A fi lm about the maker of distinctive John McLaughlin The Miniaturist (9pm BBC1) stop-motion fi lms such as The 7th Voyage The BBC’s choice for blowing the drama of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts and Why, in the season of goodwill to all, do budget, an adaptation of Jessie Burton’s Clash of the Titans. we end up gorging ourselves senseless? popular novel set in opulent 1680s Amsterdam. Final part tomorrow at 9pm. Documentary This cheery Timeshift Crimbo special Francis Bacon: a Brush with ponders the customs and rituals of Christmas dinner and their relevance now. Violence (9pm BBC4) Wednesday 27 Friends of the painter speak freely, Film some for the first time, to reveal the Christmas Eve many mysteries of Britain’s most The Red Shoes (12.10pm sought-after 20th-century artist. Film Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (4.30pm 5Spike) Top pick Paul Newman and Robert Redford are the OUR BROAD CHURCH outlaws on the run in George Roy Hill’s light-hearted 1969 western. An Oscar winner, and our fi rst Burt Bacharach There’s space on the soundtrack of the day. Casino Royale (12.45am ITV) left for spiritual views No, not the 2006 feast of violence, this is the 1967 spy spoof with David Niven, I’VE BEEN delighted to see lent Chris Searle’s jazz column Peter Sellers and a galaxy of stars the Star give some prominence (M Star, December 12). wandering way off piste from the Ian recently to more spiritual John shows us all that it’s Fleming novel. A truly bonkers piece of themes and “matters of the perfectly coherent to hold a psychedelic 1960s nonsense with a heart,” as Marilyn Warbis strong spiritual worldview and vibrantly parpy Bacharach soundtrack. calls them in her recent letter at the same time to adhere to Entertainment (“Belief is only in the head, it left-progressive politics. is the heart that matters,” M The wonderful work that Top of the Pops 1973 (7.30pm Star December 16). John and his wife Ina have BBC4) MESSAGE: There’s no better example been doing in bringing music The art of mime, as purveyed by Suzi Grenfell kids than virtuoso jazz guitarist therapy and healing to trau- Quatro, Sweet, 10cc, Peters & Lee, John McLaughlin, so bril- matised Palestinian children Wizzard, Dawn, David Cassidy — and a Christmas Day liantly featured in the excel- is a great case in point. double dose of Slade. Wondrous. It might even be that Marx Whatever Happened to the Alternative Christmas Message 2017 (2.30pm Channel 4) got it wrong (for once) in rela- Five kids who narrowly escaped June’s Grenfell Tower fi re with their parents will be Yesterday’s tion to an exclusively material- Likely Lads? (8.15pm BBC4) dishing up their antidote to Elizabeth Windsor’s usual feast of smuggery and Sudoku solution The late Rodney Bewes in tip-top form ist cosmology. crocodile tears on Christmas afternoon. There are many of us on the alongside James Bolam as the sad sexists, While their council sat on a reserve of hundreds of millions of pounds, 71 people, left who hold a spiritual world- Bridget Forsyth as the upwardly mobile including 18 children, died in the blaze in a neglected west London tower block. view, however that controver- Thelma in this 1974 Christmas special from Ten-year-old Hayam and her parents now live in a small hotel a long way from sial term might be defi ned, the ever-frutiful pens of Dick Clement and her school. Luana, 12, and her sister Megan, 10, spent fi ve months in a hotel but and it’s vital that we can all Ian La Frenais. were recently moved to a temporary fl at. Amiel, 10, and his brother Daniel, 7, are be embraced and work luckier: they are looking forward to spending Christmas in a new fl at, having together in unity, from a Christmas Day recently been rehoused. class perspective, in the Let’s not forget Tory promises that the victims would be well looked after. The ongoing global struggle for Film evidence, six months later, tells another story. Less than a quarter of the block’s peace, truth and social Scrooge (4pm Talking Pictures) households have been permanently resettled and many of those aff ected by the justice. Alastair Sim, 1951, unmissable. disaster are not getting proper care to get over their mental trauma. RICHARD HOUSE Stroud Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 LETTERS 21

GRAHAM STEVENSON explores our online archive 80 YEARS years AGO ago… TODAY... GRAHAM STEVENSON explores our online archiveExposing of the the Morning nonsense Star’s early of ‘sedition’ years ACOMMUNIST STRIKE of 500 MP sentences and it was not ■ “boysWillie andGallacher girls” was his prerogative to make a agedreported between in the 14 Daily and 21, review. Disagreeing with atWorker the factory of December of William 23 Gallacher’s defi nition, he Lusty1937 to and have Sons, defi Ltd.ned in said he believed sedition Poplar,sedition resulted as “merely in 100 an to be “another name for perexpression cent unionisation of opinion and incitement to violence” awhich pay rise the ofruling half classesa penny and ruled out any fordo notmany like” of duringthe workers, representations. reportedquestion timethe Daily in Parlia- Gallacher pointed out Workerment. This of July was 23received 1936. that two of the men had withDue cheers to the by success the of not been charged with theLabour strike opposition. it was decided incitement to violence betweenGallacher RW hadLister, asked of the and, legally, “they are Transportndthe colonial secretary has become not the same,” but the increasinglywhether he was collectable aware speaker intervened designthat sentences classics. totalling before an answer could ■20 Dailyyears’ Worker imprisonment (1930- be given. Nonetheless, 14 45)had and been Morning imposed Star on Barbadians had been (2000-present),three black workers as they in killed and 47 injured by appearedBarbados infound print, guilty at of police. http://tinyurl.com/sedition. He argued for a Sedition — criticism of DWMSarchive.review of the sentences. Ten days’ the monarch or the accessWilliam costs Ormsby-Gore, just £5.99 government — was a andlater a to whole be styled year theis £72. charge widely used fourth Baron Harlech, against radical speakers replied that he had “no before the latter part of information” about the the 20th century. The last prosecution was in 1972, when three people received suspended sentences over state- Skelf ments connected with the politics of North- ern Ireland. Only in 2009 were sedition NORTH KOREA CRISIS and seditious libel abolished in England Have your say – send a letter and Wales as offences (of up to 300 words) to against the crown, [email protected] after a very long Pyongyang’s nuclear or by post to 52 Beachy campaign by free- Road, London speech organisations, E3 2NS some lawyers and politicians. LABOUR ■MPs cheered on the programme is justifi ed CommunistCouncil’s MP attack for West on free speech fails Fife, Willie Gallacher PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s were “45 minutes from attack.” about his illegal missile strike rent was the only way to guar- duringVOTERS his “great in Black- meetings.” But the public warlike rhetoric against North In September 2016, against Syria on April 6. antee their country’s safety. speech,”■burn the “won Daily their fi ght meeting took a show of Korea is deeply worrying, but Pyongyang’s cyber-defence Pyongyang is well aware of Pyongyang has not forgotten Workerfor free ofspeech July 24in 1936and hands, which resulted in so is that of British Defence forces hacked into South the horrifi c fates of Iraq and the mass destruction that US- headlined.near the Market Place” “considerable booing and Secretary Gavin Williamson. Korean military computers Libya after those countries gave led forces infl icted on the afterDuring the local a 24-hour council a call for a recount”, Williamson tells us that the and found, as the BBC has up their unconventional weap- North in the fi rst Korean War, debatehad proposed Mr Gallacher that it seek when the mayor tried to North is “on the pathway to reported, detailed US plans to ons. As even US Director of when the US air force dropped attackedparliamentary “government powers to call it for banning, only have ballistic missiles that assassinate the North’s leader National Intelligence Dan Coats oceans of napalm, left barely misers”prohibit andmeetings, called them to then announce 131 in could strike London.” This Kim Jong Un and to launch an has observed: “If you have a building standing, destroyed “hreported the Daily favour of continued free reminds us of Tony Blair’s lies all-out war on his country. nukes, never give them up — if the country’s dams and killed Worker of December 24 speech and 112 against. about Iraq having missiles that On September 19 this year, you don’t have them, get them.” a quarter of the population. 1937. The leaders of the three could be launched against Lon- President Donald Trump went So when the North discov- The threat of war is real, The local branch of the political parties on the don in 45 minutes, lies to the United Nations and ered this US plan for a second and it is the US government National Unemployed council immediately repeated in the London openly threatened to attack Korean war, its leaders quite that is endangering peace. Workers’ Movement, agreed to withdraw the Evening Standard headline of North Korea — along with Iran rationally concluded that devel- WILL PODMORE assisted by the National plan. September 24 2002 that we and Venezuela — and boasted oping a viable nuclear deter- London E12 Council for Civil Many towns and cities Liberties, had launched a saw something similar as campaign. At an indoor local authority bylaws, RELIGION MEDIA BIAS public meeting to discuss the application of the the matter, a councillor highways Acts and the defended the plan, use of licensing powers In defence Still no explanation of BBC’s Star claiming it was restricted places for “designed to prevent debate. While some rowdyism and to stop the places allowed a special of disbelief boycott, but I’m not giving up selling of quack medi- area for free speech, cines in the market on campaigners elsewhere I HAVE to take issue with MY LETTER about the BBC that the Morning Star is never I have no doubt that many Sunday.” But members of had to resort to standing Marilyn Warbis’s asser- and the Morning Star (M Star mentioned. I believe the people in the BBC hierarchy, the public opposed the on a box on a street tion that “both belief in December 6) ended with the review of the press should tell like the prosecuting counsel idea because it was “an corner and disappearing God and disbelief” words “watch this space.” I the BBC’s viewing audience asking the jury in the Lady attack on free speech” when police appeared. constitute ideologies have now received a reply what the nation’s papers think Chatterley’s Lover trial and on Blackburn market ■ You can read digitised (Letters December 16). from Anna Sweeney of the is the big issue of that day. whether it was “a book you itself, which had “often pages from the Daily I don’t believe in fairies. BBC complaints team about To some extent, this point would even wish your wife or been described as ‘the Worker (1930-45) and Does that make me an my complaint following BBC’s has now been addressed, and your servants to read,” would world’s pulpit’.” Morning Star ideologue? reply to my original complaint there has been a noticeable prefer viewers not to know As to the existing (2000-present), as they But Ken Keable is still of November 27. improvement, in as much as about the Morning Star. suffi cient powers of the appeared in print, at right about not excluding I had complained originally some front-page headlines are However, it seems they are police, the chief consta- mstar.link/DWMSar- those of faith from “the about the inadequacy and now being regularly shown. also afraid to discuss their ble recalled the “trouble chive. Ten days’ access fi ght.” unsatisfactory nature of BBC But, unbelievably, my latest policy. I’ll be lodging my third when two religious costs just £5.99 and a CAROL WILCOX 1’s daily review of the news- reply from the BBC again complaint shortly. bodies held simultaneous whole year is £72. Christchurch papers on its Breakfast pro- totally ignores my second point CHRIS BIRCH gramme, including the fact that the Star is never mentioned. London SW6 Morning Star 22 SPORT Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017

FOOTBALL COMMENT ACCUSATION: Bochum victory a Christmas Justin Pipe present for St Pauli faithful JAMES NALTON reviews the club’s fortunes at the winter break OLLOWING a run of to give the fans something to fi nancially and desperately club when their tour passed DARTS fi xtures which produced cheer going into the festive fi ghting to stay afl oat, they sold through Hamburg. an eight-game winless period. “We wanted to give the 90 per cent of the rights to The band’s frontman Tim run and resulted in the fans a Christmas present,” he their skull and crossbones logo McIlrath believes music and sackingF of coach Olaf Janssen, said. to a marketing company. sport can be vehicles for change. Pipe denies trying St Pauli ended the season on a The club also provide fans They hope that, now they “We’ve taken music and high with a win in their last with a variety of actual Christ- have reclaimed this source of ideas of change and awareness match before the winter break. mas gifts, tailored to fi t the St income, they can put this and put them together,” he Just over 29,000 fans assem- Pauli ethos. Julia Witte from money back into the club and said. “And I think that in the to distract Smith bled at the Millerntor to wit- the club’s fan shop on the Reep- eventually return to the top sports world — harnessed in ness a 2-1 victory over VfL erbahn told the local Ham- fl ight. the right way — you can reach by Our Sports Desk to myself: ‘How desperate are Bochum, and each of them will burger Abendblatt: “We want It’s an ideal way for the fans a lot of people with a lot of you?’” have made their way out of the to be more than just a business to make a donation, and there really good ideas. Sport Mardle went on to say it was stadium with a renewed sense here. St Pauli has something to are numerous initiatives and doesn’t need to be apolitical.” JUSTIN PIPE denied yester- “disgusting” but world No 27 of hope going into the new year. do with a sense of life.” unique items which make shop- Rise Against T-shirts are day that he tried to put his Pipe has defended himself, say- Lasse Sobiech and Jan-Marc The club rely heavily on ping at St Pauli stores a more available to buy in the club opponent off by coughing on ing Smith had no issue and that Schneider scored the goals their inventive merchandising rewarding experience. shop, but any last-minute shop- stage at the Darts World his only focus is facing Taylor. which gave the club its fi rst and only won back the rights This includes a partnership pers looking for a Christmas Championship. “I’m bitterly disappointed victory since the beginning of to keep the bulk of profi t from with US punk band Rise skull and crossbones made of Pipe saw off Bernie Smith with the comments … it’s not October, and new manager this in 2016. During 2004, Against, who share a similar chocolate will be disappointed, in his fi rst-round clash, setting nice for me and my family to Markus Kauczinski was keen when they were struggling ethos and recently visited the as these have now sold out. up a prestigious second-round hear,” he said. meeting with the retiring Phil “I would never do something Taylor in the process. to put another player off and However, footage of him Bernie didn’t say anything to CRICKET: coughing on stage as Smith me on the night. As far as I’m India’s cap- threw his darts has since aware there is no issue from tain Rohit emerged and prompted Sky his side and this has been Sharma raises Sports pundit and former blown out of proportion. his bat to cel- World Championship semi- “My focus is on preparing for ebrate scoring fi nalist Wayne Mardle to say: my second-round game against a century dur- “It looks absolutely despicable Phil Taylor on Saturday. It’s an ing their sec- behaviour by a professional honour to be playing him in his ond Twenty20 darts player. fi nal tournament and I want to international “Every time I see it, I think concentrate on that match.” cricket match against Sri Lanka in Indore, India, yesterday. And (inset) MS Dhoni plays a shot.

CYCLING: DOPING Tour boss wants quick Froome probe by Our Sports Desk “We want the situation to be repeat of the scenario that saw Anti-Doping Agency allows it cleared up, to get out of the Alberto Contador race and win to be taken through inhalation darkness and ambiguity,” the Giro in 2011 despite a pos- only, in limited amounts. TOUR DE FRANCE director Prudhomme told reporters. itive test for clenbuterol. Sky said Froome had to take Christian Prudhomme said “We obviously want an His title was later stripped an increased dosage of the yesterday that he wants investigation to be conducted, and given to Michele Scarponi drug without exceeding the cycling authorities to act and we don’t want it to last for after the Court of Arbitration permissible dose after he quickly in their investigation months and months, so we can for Sport gave the Spaniard a “experienced acute asthma of four-time champion Chris have an answer from the UCI two-year ban. symptoms” during the ﬁ nal Froome. as soon as possible next sea- Froome won his fourth Tour week of the Vuelta. Froome has been ordered to son.” title this year and followed it “Salbutamol is not a banned explain to the International If found guilty of doping, with a victory at the Vuelta. substance,” Prudhomme said. Cycling Union (UCI) why a 32-year-old Froome could lose Salbutamol helps expand “What matters is the urine sample he provided at the his Vuelta title and be sus- lung capacity and can be used amount taken, that’s why an Spanish Vuelta in September pended for a long period. as a performance-enhancing expert battle will take place, showed a concentration of the Froome had planned to ride drug to increase endurance. although it looks like the dose asthma drug salbutamol that in the Tour next year and Salbutamol is classiﬁ ed as a found was twice the permitted NOT KNOWN FOR DIVING: West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini is was twice the permitted level. Prudhomme wants to avoid a beta-2 agonist and the World level.” tackled by Chelsea’s Ngolo Kante Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 SPORT 23

RACING: YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION Go west, young man, for the best festive racing Our Star tipster FARRINGDON casts his eye over the holiday horses HERE is some cracking despite being out of the hand- as low as 16/1, but his race was racing this afternoon as icap. The weight he receives as good as over when he belted a warm-up to the big could be crucial and he will be the second fence and dropped Christmas races, which a pretty big price to boot and to the rear of the ﬁeld. IT will give my view on later on, is worth an each-way play. That day he raced off a but at Ascot the Long Walk Hur- Of course the big race on mark of 145, but can now race dle may be won for the second Boxing Day is the King George off 134. His opening run successive year by the admira- VI Chase at Kempton Park and behind Wild West Wind at the ble Unowhatimeanharry. Might Bite looks very solid track 18 days ago was an abso- Harry Fry’s charge has despite being short enough in lute cracker and I reckon he been a revelation in the last 18 the betting. is the forgotten horse in the months and returned to action Whisper is respected, but he line-up. this year with a workmanlike had a very hard race at New- display at Aintree from Value bury. He would have to be a At Risk (winner since) before very hardy horse to even chal- Farringdon’s a shock defeat at the hands of Gold Present look sure to go weight away to some smart lenge and a bigger danger doubles (Sat) the 40/1 shot Beer Goggles at well for Nicky Henderson in and progressive young horses, RACING could be last year’s winner Newbury. this, but slight preference is the best of which could be Ver- Thistlecrack ahead of Bristol GO WEST YOUNG MAN A horse that seems to thrive for Singlefarmpayment (nb), dana Blue. TIPS De Mai. The latter is a much Haydock 2:45 (nap) on racing, he can once again a faller in the closing stages Nicky Henderson’s charge with better horse going left-handed SINGLEFARMPAYMENT account for last year’s runner- of the Ladbrokes Trophy (Hen- was an impressive winner over on much deeper ground. Ascot 3:00 up Lil Rockerfeller and the nessy at Newbury) when in course and distance and an Farringdon The following day, the Coral progressive Sam Spinner. with a chance of being placed. 8lbs penalty may not stop him. Welsh National looks a really The big handicap chase of Later on, the big two-mile Ubaltique is looking dan- good renewal and I have man- Houseman’s the day sees another winner handicap hurdle looks ultra- gerously well-handicapped for The Tommy Whittle Chase aged to get it down to three choice defending his crown in the competitive and Greatwood the in-form Don McCain team (2.45) is sure to be a real war against the ﬁeld, namely Rock form of Regal Encore in the winner Elgin is bidding for a and looks a really solid each- of attrition in the deep ground The Kasbah, Beware The Bear VERDANA BLUE Lavazza Silver Cup Handicap hat-trick of big races wins. way play in the two-mile hand- and that is the perfect set-up and my selection Milansbar. Ascot 3:35 Chase at 3.00. But he has to give plenty of icap chase (1.35) at Haydock. for Go West Young Man (nap), He started last year’s race

FOOTBALL COMMENT

HERE has been much debate recently about diving to try to get an advantage in football matches. Is the whole West Ham’s Manuel Lan- Tzini was deemed to have dived to get a penalty when challenged by a Stoke defender at the end of a 70-yard run. The referee in the game awarded a penalty but the panel that oversees game of football such matters ruled later that Lanzini had dived. The decision seems to have under- mined the authority of the referee. West Ham manager David Moyes made the point well when he said that taking a dive? the ref was only 10 yards from the incident. West Ham are now without their PAUL DONOVAN warns that failing to stem the influential midfielder for two games due to this retrospective action. Don’t get me wrong — diving to tide of cheating — or reacting too strongly SANCTIONED: Watford’s Tom Cleverley is shown a red get an advantage, such as a penalty, card by referee Lee Mason during the Premier League is wrong. Certain players are well — could wreck football as we know it match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park known for easily going to ground under challenge; Lanzini is not one us prefer to call it, cheating. The ning down the clock at the end of a intent to cause harm. The number of ing for penalties and play-acting to of them. However, the approach of effort to fool the officials has reached game. But some will start time-wast- times that a player simply mistimes fool officials generally — none of banning players after the fact such epidemic level that a player who ing antics in the first half of a match. a tackle or is simply a bit too physi- these practices should have a place appears to run against natural justice stays on his feet under challenge can Goalkeepers are particularly good cal, yet immediately the referee is in the entertainment world of foot- and undermines referees. now be seen to be at a disadvantage. at devising ways to waste time. brandishing a card in the air, is ball. Diving is but one unsavoury ele- Football seems to be heading toward What has happened is that many absurd. The referees have a difficult line ment of the game that has become the status of a non-contact sport. of these nefarious ways of going on The punishment benchmark has to tread between asserting authority prevalent in recent times. It would be wrong to say these have combined to a ridiculous level, been altered to the extent that play- and not becoming the centre of atten- Importing skills that really belong developments are new, though a few to the extent that the idea that the ers are now booked for things they tion themselves. Many fail to do that in the acting profession has been years ago when the game was much players are there to entertain the would previously just be warned for, but are not being helped by some going on for some years. There is a more about physical contact, a player public seems to be getting lost. while misdemeanours that would recent developments in the game. prevalence of players who literally left writhing on the ground after a The reaction of the authorities to previously have attracted a booking Failure to stem the tide of cheating only have to be touched before they tackle from Chelsea’s Ron “Chopper” these misdemeanours creeping into now merit a sending-off. and the win-at-all-costs mentality go down rolling around as if shot. Harris or Leeds United’s Norman the game always seems to go over This over-penalising of players could in the end destroy football as They then, usually, make an amazing “bites your legs” Hunter was unlikely the top. stops the flow of the game and an entertainment that people want recovery once they’ve got the deci- to be feigning injury. One way of seeking to outlaw some thereby detracts from the entertain- to come to watch. It won’t necessar- sion or it is clear they are not going Another development of recent of these practices over recent years ment value. ily take a lot of change to put things to get it. years to the cost of the spectator is has been the liberal use of yellow and What is needed is a serious look at right but certainly the writing is on These antics come under the head- time-wasting. Most clubs seek to fill red cards. A player should only be the winner-take-all culture that has the wall if the problems are ignored ing of gamesmanship or, as some of time at some point, usually when run- booked if a foul is malicious with engulfed football. Time-wasting, div- or dealt with in the wrong way. 24 Morning Star Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 Sport MEN’S FOOTBALL: PREMIER LEAGUE Weekend football Premier League Everton Chelsea, 12.30pm Brighton and Hove Albion Watford Manchester City Bournemouth HOWE HOPING FOR Southampton Huddersfield Town Stoke City West Bromwich Albion Swansea City Crystal Palace West Ham United Newcastle United Burnley Tottenham, 5.30pm Leicester Manchester Utd, 7.45pm Championship Bolton Wanderers Cardiff City Derby County Millwall EASTLANDS UPSET Fulham Barnsley Bournemouth manager thinks he can spring a surprise on Manchester City Leeds United Hull City Preston NE Nottingham Forest by Our Sports Desk tories began with a narrow 2-1 QPR Bristol City UNFAZED: Reading Burton Albion success over Bournemouth at Stoke Dean Court on August 26. Sheffield Weds Middlesbrough manager Sunderland Birmingham City BOURNEMOUTH boss Eddie They needed an injury-time Mark Hughes said yesterday that he hopes winner from winger Raheem Wolverhampton W Ipswich Town gets animated Aston Villa Sheffield Utd, 5.30pm to spring a surprise at runa- Sterling in that game and Howe during his way leaders Manchester City. feels his side can take belief side’s 3-0 League One The out-of-form Cherries from the display they produced. home defeat Northampton T Blackburn R, 2pm travel to Eastlands without a “The home game here this at the hands AFC Wimbledon Bradford City win in six Premier League season was the closest we’ve of West Ham Bristol Rovers Doncaster Rovers games and having been got to them - maybe we’ll need last Saturday Charlton Athletic Blackpool knocked out of the League Cup something like that again, but Oxford United Wigan Athletic in midweek. we take confidence from that Peterborough United Bury Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten performance,” Howe added. Plymouth Argyle Oldham Athletic City, by contrast, scraped “They’re playing with Rochdale Walsall through to the semi-finals of extreme confidence at the Rotherham United Milton Keynes the cup competition on Tues- moment and all credit to them MEN’S FOOTBALL: PREMIER LEAGUE Scunthorpe Utd Southend Utd day and are on a record-break- for the way they are doing. Shrewsbury Town Portsmouth ing 16-game winning streak in “You need to work out a defen- the league, which has seen sive strategy to nullify their League Two them build an 11-point lead threats but one which also leaves Hughes denies job hangs Accrington Stanley Crawley Town over second-placed rivals you with an attacking plan. We’ll Barnet Cheltenham Town Manchester United. think long and hard before we Colchester United Port Vale Despite the odds of success finalise our game plan.” Crewe Alexandra Swindon Town on win over West Brom Forest Green Rovers Carlisle United on Saturday being heavily Bournemouth’s return of stacked against his team, Howe three points from their last six by Our Sports Desk that is where we are at to be recent comments, he was Luton Town Grimsby Town insists his players must approach games has left them just a perfectly honest. quoted by The Sentinel this Mansfield Town Morecambe the game with optimism. point above the bottom three. “We are not where we week as saying of the match Newport County AFC Lincoln City “We’ve always looked at the Howe admitted they were in STOKE boss Mark Hughes expected to be … But I against West Brom, who are Notts County Cambridge United bigger challenges as being bet- a relegation scrap following hit back yesterday at the would be more concerned if two points worse off than Stevenage Chesterfield ter for us, and the underdog tag last weekend’s 4-0 hammering suggestion he is on the I felt the side didn’t have the Stoke in 19th: “It’s a huge Yeovil Town Exeter City I think suits us,” he said at his by Liverpool and he remains brink of losing his job. capability of getting points game, there’s no getting Scottish Premiership pre-match press conference. worried about their current The Potters are 17th in on the board from this point away from that. It is one we Kilmarnock Rangers, 12.30pm “We don’t have too much predicament. the Premier League, a point on.” need to win.” Celtic Aberdeen pressure on us and we can go “We are concerned, when above the relegation zone, Chants of “Hughes out” Regarding the club’s Hibernian Ross County and be ourselves without the you’re in the Premier League having lost five of their last and “Sacked in the morn- hierarchy, Hughes said Motherwell Dundee burden of the expectancy in and not getting points it’s a six games. ing” were heard from home yesterday: “The owners Partick Thistle Hamilton Ac terms of getting a result. tough and brutal league, there’s And it has been reported supporters at last weekend’s have been in the game a St Johnstone Hearts “Some teams have run them no breather from it,” he said. Hughes faces the sack if 3-0 loss to West Ham at long time and understand very close and Man City have “The key is that we stay they lose today’s home clash Stanley Matthews Way. it’s not an easy role in terms Scottish Championship had to dig deep at times. That’s united and focused, this run will with West Brom. While chairman Peter of the managerial position, Dumbarton Falkirk what gives us belief that we change and once it does we have Asked about that yester- Coates has appeared and that football isn’t a Dundee United Livingston can go there and get a result.” confidence that we have a really day, he said: “I don’t think supportive of Hughes with straight line.” Dunfermline Athletic Brechin City City’s impressive run of vic- good team and can push on.” Morton Inverness CT Queen Of The South St Mirren Scottish League One Airdrieonians Ayr United Albion Rovers East Fife MEN’S RUGBY UNION Alloa Athletic Stranraer Arbroath Raith Rovers by Our Sports Desk Forfar Athletic Queen’s Park Glasgow ‘not unbeatable’ Scottish League Two EDINBURGH captain Stuart Annan Athletic Edinburgh City McInally said yesterday that Clyde Berwick Rangers Glasgow “are not unbeatable,” Peterhead Cowdenbeath but has urged his teammates to in 1872 Cup opening tie Stenhousemuir Elgin City concentrate on their own game Stirling Albion Montrose ahead of the 1872 Cup opener. last side to beat Glasgow was good team, but certainly not dogs going into the game despite Welsh Premier League The two Scottish sides in the Edinburgh in the final game unbeatable. being on a run of eight wins in Barry T Prestatyn T, 2.30pm Pro14 meet at Murrayfield on of last season, when they tri- “In that last game of the nine themselves, and McInally, Carmarthen T Bangor City, 2.30pm Saturday in the first instal- umphed 29-18 at Scotstoun, but season I think 99 per cent of who will skipper them on the UNDERDOGS: Edinburgh’s ment of this season’s 1872 Cup, although McInally played the public expected Glasgow day, is enjoying that tag. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne All kickoffs 3pm unless noted which is to feature three fix- down the importance of that to romp that game and we “All the pressure is on them tures for the first time. result, he believes it gives the turned up, were physical and and we have a home crowd to Published by the People’s Press MSTAR 2017-12-23 SAT 1.2 The Warriors have made a squad confidence. we won, so we are excited to perform in front of and hope- Printing Society Ltd, William Rust brilliant start to the Pro14 this “We spoke a little bit about get back into it. fully that gets a result for us, House, 52 Beachy Road, Bow, 5 1 London E3 2NS. Telephone: (020) season under Dave Rennie, that game,” he said. “But not “We haven’t spoken that but my key message is to treat 8510-0815. Fax: (020) 8986-5694. winning all 10 of their that much because it was last much about it to be honest, but it like any other week and let Email: enquiries@peoples-press. matches, but have been less season and there are different the boys involved will know it’s the emotion of the day add the com. Registered with Companies House as Morning Star (in- successful in the European coaches and systems in place, an occasion we can turn Glas- extra 5 to 10 per cent which it corporating the Daily Worker) No Cup and remain without a vic- but we know it’s doable. gow over.” will, but we have to control N5559. Printed by trade union tory so far. “They’re a good team, don’t Richard Cockerill has made that or all the detail can go labour at Trinity Mirror. The domestic run means the get me wrong, they’re a really it clear that his side are under- out of the window.” Saturday/Sunday December 23-24 2017 9 770307 175367