Economists estimate extreme poverty could be drastically reduced for a fraction of global defence spending, yet military budgets continue to expand year on year, says JON TRICKETT MP, ahead of the Stop the War International Conference on Saturday
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Everything works in favour of capitalism
In the first article of a series on how the European Union operates, JOHN BOYD looks at the role of the European Commission
As Unison launches its Year of Women Workers, ANNIE COGAN-THOMAS argues that stronger organisation and collective bargaining are essential to winning equality
Trade unions, trades councils and community organisations must work together to build lasting solidarity and resistance to the far right, argues DREW GILCHRIST
Recent violence in Belfast was not spontaneous — it was built on years of failure and political neglect, argues STIOFAN O NUALLAIN
As delegates meet in Brighton this week, Unison faces pressing questions about pay, organising, workers’ rights and political representation, explains ANDY CHAFFER
Andy Burnham’s growing stature has fuelled hopes of a Labour revival – but ALAN SIMPSON warns that Britain’s crisis runs far deeper than just its leadership and traces its roots to decades of financialised capitalism
The European Commission of 28 is the government of the EU. The president of the commission is agreed by the European Council and endorsed by the European Parliament.
The council then appoints the other 27 commissioners, one from each member state. All commissioners are supposed to be independent, vote in secret by simple majority and are only accountable to themselves. They serve five-year terms and cannot be removed except as a whole by the European Parliament — this only happened once in 1999 following charges of fraud levelled at the commission.
Each commissioner has a portfolio supported by one or more of the 33 Directorates General and services (comprising civil servants similar to national ministries). The trade commissioner is conducting the highly secret TTIP EU-US negotiations. The British commissioner is Lord Hill responsible for financial matters whom David Cameron wanted as commission president to promote City of London interests.
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