The Red Pepper round-up: 5 October

Following on from last week’s Corporate Watch and Independent story on social engineering at the new King’s Cross development, Stuart Hodkinson looks at an even grimmer future with Tories plans for the transformation of social housing. The surely unworkable ‘bedroom tax’, coming into force in April 2013, is particularly scary. But it will also face the growing housing rights struggles across the UK.

Owen Jones recently wrote an article detailing shocking statistics about the cuts to our local services. Continuing this important task of tracking the impact of the cuts, the Manchester Mule looks at the cuts being made to Manchester’s mental health services and hears from users of these services about their fears.

This week, Maria Miller, who is somehow the Minister for Women and Equalities, reasserted that she would vote for a reduction in the time limit for abortions. With the 40 Days For Life campaign harassing women and attempting to deny them their reproductive rights, Miller’s comments are a deep cause for concern. Stavvers argues that we should scrap the time limit.

A nice analysis of Ed Miliband’s conference speech.

Watch Paul Mason discuss energy policy as part of Platform’s launch of their new book ‘The Oil Road’. And good luck to Frackman who is walking from Blackpool Tower to Downing Street to highlight his concerns about UK fracking.

This week saw the deaths of two celebrated Marxist scholars, Eric Hobsbawn and Neil Smith. Audrea Lim and Tom Slater remember Neil Smith, whilst Donald Sassoon remembers Eric Hobsbawn.

Events and actions

Protest against evictions and arrests of migrants in Calais, Saturday 6 October, 4.30pm, French Tourist Office, Lincoln House, 296-302 High Holborn, London WC1V 7JH

Week of action to ground the drones6 October – 13 October

Stop G4S Convergence, Saturday 6 October, The Workstation, Sheffield

Birmingham for the alternative/ Tory conference demo, Sunday 7 October, 11am, High Street, Birmingham.

Masses of stuff happening at the Cuts Cafe in London from Monday 8 October

Bikes without Borders 8, 9, & 10 October, Cranks, 22 Chapel Street, Brighton