Tribune – Comment, news and reviews from Britain's democratic left

Some of Italy’s most famous and distinguished writers have signed a letter protesting against Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing government’s new anti-immigration laws which, they say, puts the country firmly on a “fascist path”.

Oxfam is warning that climate change is causing many staple crops to fail throughout the world, causing widespread hunger in some of the poorest countries. Millions of farmers from South and Central America to Africa are struggling to adapt to drought and changing rainfall patterns.

Ministers have promised to soften the Government’s reform of the benefits system to ensure parents with children under seven will not be forced to seek work.

A left-right “coalition” between the two largest political groups in the European Parliament looks increasingly possible in advance of the crucial first Strasbourg session on July 14 when MEPs will elect parliamentary leaders.

Nearly three-quarters of the workers laid off by Remploy have failed to find steady jobs over the past two years, according to a survey by the GMB union this week.

The RMT has called on London Mayor Boris Johnson to “get rid” of Tube Lines and take the work back into direct public control after the firm tried to cut £2 billion off its £7.2 billion spend on refurbishing the Northern, Piccadilly and Jubilee lines on the London Underground.

Labour MPs accused the Government of “disgraceful” behaviour this week as it defeated an attempt to compensate an estimated 1.3 million people who have lost out from the abolition of the 10p income tax band.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of the public sector union Unison, has called on the Government to scrap ID cards and Trident and use the billions of pounds saved to improve public services and help working people through the recession.