High fares hurt Londoners

By New Worker correspondent

London's high public transport fares obstruct access to employment opportunities, education and reasonable living standards, a briefing published this week by Fare Free London shows. 
Working Londoners spend many extra hours a week – and, in some cases, many extra hours a day – commuting, to avoid expensive trains and use cheaper but slower buses. Students tangle with trade-offs between housing costs, which are lower outside the capital, and travel costs that are much higher
London's tube and train fares are among the highest in the world. They exacerbate social isolation and mental illness among the most vulnerable Londoners. They obstruct people's ability to socialise, to take their children places, and to access London's cultural treats. 
The briefing, Fares Unfair: London public transport and the cost of living crisis, is based on the results of a survey conducted over the summer by volunteer researchers. 
Pearl Ahrens of Fare Free London said "we did not have the intention, or capacity, to survey a demographically representative group of Londoners. We focused on the way that the relatively high cost of public transport in London affects lower-income households, whose views are often least heard.
"Nearly half of our respondents said they worry about costs every time they use public transport. More than half said they use cheaper modes of transport because better ones are too expensive. This often meant people taking long journeys by bus instead of tube."
Respondents' quotes in the survey are a stark reminder of the yawning gap between London's wealthiest and poorest households.
One of them takes a journey from Lewisham to the Royal Docks using three buses and the Woolwich Ferry "to save the money I would have to spend if I took the Underground or the DLR". Another takes an hour's journey to school by bus, double the time it would take by train.
A single man told one of our researchers of how he had had a cleaning job in Zone 1. To start work at 7:00 am, he caught a bus from SE18 at 5:00 am, got off in Zone 2 and walked the rest of the way.
A single mother of two explained how she takes three buses to work, from SE9 to Piccadilly. She described herself as "struggling to make ends meet – doing a balancing act", and having to limit her children’s weekend outings due to travel costs.
Another respondent said "every time I step out of the house, I spend more money on travel than even groceries. It disconnects me from seeing my family as well as my friends."
The briefing urges the Greater London Authority and the Mayor's office to consider how the impact of high fares affects policy goals including those in the Mayor's Transport Strategy and policies on tackling social inequality.
It urges that these issues are included in discussions about the funding basis of Transport for London, to "consider how this can be changed, to reduce and eventually abolish reliance on fares income". 

NCP returns to Ipswich

Gawain Little, Samuel Swale, Andy Brooks & John Maryon

by New Worker correspondent

Comrades and friends assembled in the Friends Meeting House, on a wet and windy evening, to form a New Worker supporters group in Ipswich, the Suffolk port that goes back to Saxon days.
This gathering, after a break of several years, marked the return to Ipswich of political activity for the New Communist Party. The betrayal by the Labour Party of its core values, growing poverty and the prospect of an extreme right-wing government taking power, contributed to the decision to step up the class struggle by forming the new group. The new organisation aims to hold regular meetings to encourage discussion and debate amongst left wing parties to build friendship and unity and overcome sectarianism. It will enable the New Worker to reach out to a wider audience and expand its influence. 
NCP leader Andy Brooks took the chair. Samuel Swale, a recent university graduate in geography from Bangor University gave a presentation detailing the economic failure of Britain and the causes and effects of poverty. Gawain Little, the general secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, spoke about the changes and challenges facing the labour movement. He outlined the difficulties in trying to convince workers that immigrants were not the cause of Britain's problems. And John Maryon, an NCP Politburo member, spoke about the decline of Britain and the political and economic crisis facing the United States as its grip on world hegemony was challenged. The contrast between the USA and People's China was illustrated by comparing the 50,000 km of high speed rail built in the Asian nation over the past 12 years while America had built none.
The New Worker Supporters Group meeting was a success and further events are planned. We already have a new member and others are considering taking our paper. Once we are fully established then similar moves will be taken to spread the word to other towns. 

Court throws out Kneecap terror charges

Mo Chara outside the court

by New Worker correspondent

A London court has thrown out a terror-related charge against a member of the Irish-language Belfast hip-hop group Kneecap. Rapper Mo Chara (My Friend), the stage name of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, had been charged with a single count for waving a flag of the Hezbollah Lebanese resistance movement that’s banned in Britain as a terrorist organisation during a London concert at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town last year.
But last week the chief magistrate sitting at Woolwich Crown Court said the case should be thrown out following a technical error in the way the charge against the rapper was brought.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill welcomed the move, saying "these charges were part of a calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza”. O’Neill, who is also vice-president of Sinn Féin, said “Kneecap have used their platform on stages across the world to expose this genocide, and it is the responsibility of all of us to continue speaking out and standing against injustice in Palestine".
The Zionists say Kneecap glorifies Arab resistance movements like Hamas and Hezbollah. But the group says it doesn't support Hezbollah or Hamas or condone violence and these attacks are simply an effort to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza. 

Palestinian flag raised outside new embassy

Husam Zomlot at the opening

by New Worker correspondent

The Palestinian flag was raised outside the premises of what is now Palestine’s embassy to the United Kingdom in London on Monday marking Britain’s historic but long-overdue recognition of the Palestinian state. The Palestinian envoy Husam Zomlot raised the flag watched by Labour government ministers including Health Secretary Wes Streeting – as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Jeremy Corbyn who leads the Independent Alliance bloc in the House of Commons.
Husam Zomlot said recognition was about “righting historic wrongs and committing together to a future based on freedom, dignity and fundamental human rights”. He called on people to remember “that this recognition comes at a time of unimaginable pain and suffering as a genocide is being waged against us – a genocide that is still being denied and allowed to continue with impunity.
“It comes as our people in Gaza are being starved, bombed and buried under the rubble of their homes; as our people in the West Bank are being ethnically cleansed, brutalised by daily state-sponsored terrorism, land theft and suffocating oppression”.
Zomlot said the recognition was occurring “as the humanity of Palestinian people is still questioned, our lives still treated as disposable and our basic freedoms still denied. Yet, this moment stands as a defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word; a refusal to accept that occupation is permanent; a refusal to be erased and a refusal to be dehumanised”.
And Corbyn said “well done to all those who have tirelessly campaigned for the recognition of Palestine – an inalienable right of the Palestinian people. Next, the UK should recognise the genocide in Gaza, end its complicity in crimes against humanity, and stop arming Israel”.

China: 76 years of progress

traditional Chinese music at the reception

by New Worker correspondent

NCP leader Andy Brooks joined diplomats, businessmen, solidarity campaigners and members of the Chinese community in London to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China last week. Over 400 guests gathered at the Peninsula hotel in Belgravia for a reception followed by a musical interlude performed by  artistic troupes including overseas Chinese and international students, as well as embassy staff.
Wang Qi, the Chinese chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, delivered a speech highlighting China's achievements in the past years, and extended thanks to people from all walks of life who have long cared for and supported the development of China and bilateral relations.
China had achieved two remarkable miracles: rapid economic growth and sustained social stability, both rare in world history, over the past 76 years. 
In the first half of 2025, China saw the establishment of 30,000 new foreign-invested enterprises, a year-on-year increase of about 12 per cent, with actual foreign capital utilisation exceeding 420 billion yuan.
Wang said that China and the UK, both influential nations, held nine key dialogues this year across areas such as strategy, economy, energy, military, health, artificial intelligence, leadership, climate, and the environment. Both sides should maintain their strategic partnership, respect differences, and pursue win-win cooperation by implementing dialogue outcomes, reducing disruptions, expanding engagement, and deepening mutual benefits to advance China-UK relations.
Seema Malhotra, a Home Office minister, replied speaking highly about the renewed China-UK relationship – spotlighting security, environment, and economic growth as three priorities to shape UK's vision for future China-UK relations, and expressing the Starmer government’s willingness to take the ties forward in a constructive and effective way.
This was followed by a concert given by artistes that included the famed singers Deng Tao and Chen Luhong, violinists from the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, Chinese traditional music, the choir of the Chinese Embassy in the UK and the London Chinese Philharmonic Choir. 

Halt aid to fascist Ukraine!

by New Worker correspondent

While racists rallied in central London to listen to the likes of Tommy Robinson last weekend 
the International Ukraine Anti Fascist Solidarity campaign returned to south London to picket in the working class district of Brixton calling on the Starmer government to stop sending weapons, money and military personnel to Ukraine, and to end its disgraceful alliance with the Nazi Banderite gangs.
They carried placards saying “Spend £21.8 billion on housing, not on Ukraine “, and condemned Starmer’s plans for massive increases in military spending and the whipping up of a war mentality in Britain – plans which will not go down well with millions of working people struggling with the ever increasing cost of living.
The protest took place against a background of Britain and its allies in the "Coalition of the Willing" desperately trying to put together a so-called ‘reassurance force’ to be sent to Ukraine after a peace deal has been agreed.
It also took place shortly after the hysteria over claims of a Russian “drone invasion” of Poland – clearly being seized on by the NATO leadership – with evidence emerging that it was very likely a British-Ukrainian false flag operation, with Polish citizens whose homes, allegedly “destroyed” by Russian drones, now coming forward to say that they were damaged months ago by severe storms.

Welcome to London Trump!

by New Worker correspondent

While Donald Trump was being wined and dined at Windsor Castle thousands of Londoners marched through the heart of the capital to tell the American president that he was less than welcome here. Stop Trump Coalition campaigners march from Portland Place to Parliament Square on day one of the US President's second state visit to the UK on Wednesday. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who Trump had previously called a "nasty person" doing a "terrible job" as mayor, said "President Donald Trump and his coterie have perhaps done the most to fan the flames of divisive, far-right politics around the world in recent years". The London Labour leader, who naturally was not invited to the state banquet, said Londoners would “reject the policies of fear and division”. 

Vietnam national day in London

by New Worker correspondent

guests included Do Minh Hung and Sir Lindsay Hoyle

NCP leader Andy Brooks joined joined diplomats, politicians and businessmen at Vietnam’s National Day reception at the London Hilton in Park Lane this week. There the Vietnamese ambassador, Do Minh Hung, welcomed guests at a celebration to mark the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the national day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the 15th anniversary of the Vietnam-UK Strategic Partnership that has helped make the country Britain’s largest trading partner in south-east Asia. The guests included Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle as well as many others from the cultural, political and business fields of both countries.
Every autumn the Vietnamese people recall the heady days of the August 1945 General Uprising and Ho Chi Minh’s rousing call to all compatriots to “rise up and use our own strength to liberate ourselves!”
With determination and unity, the liberation army, raising the red flag with a yellow star, 
seized power from the French colonial administration. Within days, the revolutionary flame spread, and by 2nd September  President Ho Chi Minh declared the nation’s independence at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi – a moment that marked a new era of independence, hope and freedom for Vietnam. The communist-led resistance set an example of courage, responsibility, and unity that led to the total defeat of the French colonialists in 1954 and the utter rout of the American aggressors in 1975. It continues to guide Vietnam today. 

Tube strike solid!

by New Worker correspondent

RMT pickets get their message across in Brixton as London Underground workers shut down the network in a series of rolling strikes over pay this week. And at the TUC conference in Brighton RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to attend a summit with the union to find a resolution to the escalating dispute. At the Brighton Centre Dempsey told delegates from across the six million strong trade union movement, “I’ve got a message for the Mayor. Instead of going on social media, instead of the old tired clichés, telling trades unionists to get round the table, you’re the Mayor of London, you’re the Chair of TfL.
“Stop going on social media, invite us to the meeting, let’s have a discussion, because I want to know what is going on in London”. He warned of more strike action if there was no resolution but pointed out that members did not want to be in this position. “We take no pleasure in causing disruption but we make no apology for fighting for our members. So if the mayor has any sense, he will reach out to us”.
Moving the unanimously backed motion which means the TUC collectively calls on the summit to take place the RMT leader said “this Congress calls on the mayor, to urgently convene a summit to resolve all these disputes, improve industrial relations, end outsourcing and defend ticket offices”.

Vietnamese culture shines in London

Vietnam made a striking impression at the CelebrASIA Festival, the largest Southeast Asian cultural celebration in the UK, with captivating performances that highlighted the vibrancy and richness of the Vietnamese culture, drawing admiration and attention from international friends.Taking place over three days from September 5th to 7th at Battersea Power Station, the festival welcomed more than 150,000 visitors from around the globe. Now in its second year, the event has grown into a dazzling cultural, culinary, and artistic extravaganza in the heart of London, celebrating the identity, diversity, and unity of the south-east Asian country.

The Vietnamese delegation, organised by the Vietnamese Women and Children’s Association in the UK (VWC UK), stood out with a series of parades and cultural performances. These not only honoured traditional heritage but also reflected the youthful, modern, and globally integrated spirit of the Vietnamese culture.

One of the festival’s most memorable highlights was the áo dài parade. The graceful elegance of Vietnam's national dress showcased the cultural value of áo dài, promoting the image of Vietnam and its people to both British and international audiences.

Adding to the allure, the Love Collection fashion show featured exquisite designs made from Salakhe silk, taking visitors on a rich artistic journey. Particularly notable was the appearance of models wearing hand-painted nón lá (Vietnamese conical hats) bearing symbols of all ten ASEAN nations, a powerful visual message of solidarity, integration, and the enduring vitality of Southeast Asian culture within the broader Asian context.

Hà Hoàng, the president of the VWC UK, expressed her surprise and delight at the enthusiastic response from the international audience, organisers, and overseas Vietnamese community. The warm support for the performances reflects a deep appreciation for the Vietnamese culture and art, a vibrant thread in the rich cultural tapestry of London, she said.

VNS

War criminals not welcome here!

by New Worker correspondent

Last weekend over 200,000 Palestine solidarity campaigners marched to Downing Street demanding that the Starmer government take action to stop Israel starving Gaza, end all arms sales and defend the right to protest. The leaders of the Palestine coalition then went to Parliament Square to join the witness circle in solidarity with those protesting against the Starmer government’s proscription of Palestine Action. There the police immediately began to arrest people, including a 62-year-old blind wheelchair user, for showing support for the banned group while the crowd chanted “Shame on you” and “Met Police, pick a side, justice or genocide”.  The Met arrested 857 people for showing support for the banned group, Clashes with the police led to a further 33 people being detained. 
And Downing Street was packed with a large crowd again on Tuesday as demonstrators rallied outside the Prime Minister’s residence to condemn and oppose the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to London. The emergency protest was called by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign which said “we are the people we won't be silent. The Starmer government might welcome the genocide President of Israel Isaac Herzog, but we will never accept anything but justice for Palestine and accountability for the war criminals”. 
Herzog is the head of a state that is currently on trial for genocide and which has already been found guilty of the crime of apartheid at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In January 2024, the ICJ cited statements made by Herzog personally – that sought to dehumanise Palestinians and called for their collective punishment – as plausible evidence of Israel’s genocidal intent towards the Palestinian people. Herzog’s statements include the claims that there ‘are no innocent civilians in Gaza’ and that it is the ‘entire [Palestinian] nation out there that is responsible’ combined with his promise to ‘fight until we break their backbone.’ Sickeningly, he was pictured writing messages on bombs in preparation to be dropped on Gaza. As a party to the Genocide Convention, Britain has a responsibility to prevent and punish genocide including by bringing to justice those responsible for incitement to commit genocide. 

Lush says Stop Starving Gaza!

by New Worker correspondent

Beauty chain Lush shut its UK shops, factories and website on Wednesday in protest at the Israeli government "preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza".
The cosmetic giant said “we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine. Like the rest of the world, we struggle to find ways we can help whilst the Israeli government is preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza. One thing Lush can currently send into Gaza is our love and a strong message that we stand in solidarity. This will take the form of halting business-as-usual by shutting our UK shops, website and factories for one day on Wednesday 3rd September 2025…
“Whilst Lush is losing a day of takings, this also means that the UK Government is losing a day of tax contributions from Lush and our customers. We hope they too hear the message our closure sends, with more Government action needed to bring an immediate stop to the death and destruction, including an end to arms sales from the UK”.
Lush’s Watermelon Slice soap has been the most successful single issue fund-raising product in the history of Lush, indicating how strongly our customers feel and we are grateful to have been able to raise funds towards child mental health support in Palestine. Lush plans to make this soap available again, with the funds going to medical services, including charities that are gearing up to provide prosthetic limb services to adults and children injured in Gaza. 

Celebrating China’s victory over fascism

by New Worker correspondent

NCP leader Andy Brooks joined hundreds of music-lovers to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War last week. The Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang and his wife Counsellor Hua Mei were the guests of honour at the Royal College of Music in London’s West End  to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The event with the theme Honour History for a Better Future was supported by the Chinese Embassy and the Bank of China. And other guests included the Labour peer Lord Davidson and Timothy Hailes, the Lord Mayor Elect of the City of London, along with members of the Chinese community in Britain and representatives of Anglo-Chinese business and cultural bodies.
Ambassador Zheng said that 80 years ago the Chinese people fought heroically, made huge national sacrifices and defeated the Japanese aggressors. The Chinese people and the British people fought shoulder to shoulder as allies, made great contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and helped to establish a new international order. China has always been a peace-loving nation...this concert in London is intended to use music to remember history, honour those who gave their lives for the cause of justice, express an aspiration for world peace, and reaffirm a commitment to building a community with a shared future for humanity.
The concert featured ten pieces of Chinese and Western music presented by the Hunan Provincial Song & Dance Theatre and New Elements Music and guest performances from the London City Orchestra and the Camden Philharmonic.
 It opened with a stirring rendition of Ode to the Red Flag, followed by classics from both countries, including the haunting theme from Schindler's List and Elgar’s Nimrod which is traditionally played on Remembrance Day in the UK. Chinese favourites included Defend the Yellow River and My Motherland performed by the Chinese Embassy Choir, the Bank of China London Branch Choir, and the London Chinese Philharmonic Choir. The Chinese spirit of resistance and love for their motherland conveyed in the two songs resonated deeply with the audience, who responded with prolonged applause and acclaim.

End British support for Zionism!

by New Worker correspondent

In London last week Palestine solidarity campaigners took part in a rolling picket of companies that are complicit in the Israeli genocide and starvation of Gaza, starting at Google’s office in the heart of the capital. 
And in the capital of Scotland the screen-writer Paul Laverty was arrested at a pro-Palestine protest outside a police station for allegedly supporting a banned organisation. Laverty is best known for his collaborations with director Ken Loach including the award-winning I, Daniel Blake and The Wind That Shakes the Barley, which both won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. 
"Following a protest outside St Leonards Police Station on Monday 25 August 2025, a 68-year-old man has been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for showing support for a proscribed organisation" said Police Scotland. Laverty, who was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Genocide in Palestine, time to take action", told the media that “although we have the law on our side, we cannot implement it. So I think we have to change the narrative. I think we’ll have to remember is that the most important court in the world is the court of public opinion. Ordinary people are appalled to see starvation and genocide and the selling of arms to the apartheid state in Israel, and are just appalled by it”.
Laverty is accused of supporting Palestine Action, which was banned in July following acts of vandalism at an RAF base. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, announced the ban days after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton and defaced two military transport aircraft with spray paint causing some seven million poundsworth of damage.
More than 700 people have been arrested, mostly at demonstrations, for supporting the group since it was outlawed under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said in July that the UK’s decision to proscribe the campaign group as a terrorist organisation was “disproportionate and unnecessary” and called for the designation to be rescinded. 
He said: “UK domestic counter-terrorism legislation defines terrorist acts broadly to include ‘serious damage to property’. But, according to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages, for purpose of intimidating a population or to compel a government to take a certain action or not.
“It misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries, to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law”.