Demonstrate at Tory conference

Join PCS and thousands of others at a demonstration in Birmingham on Sunday 2 October 2016 organised by the People's Assembly and Midlands TUC to protest at Theresa May's first Tory party conference as prime minister to say we demand an alternative to austerity UK.

Help with transport costs may be available - contact the PCS Liverpool Office on 0151 298 3900.

More info from:

• PCS - here.
• TUC - here.

Merseyside blog archived - all info here

Owing to the fact that the NW blog and the Merseyside blog largely duplicate each other, it has been decided to close the Mersey blog and use this one for all ARMS information across the North West from now on.

The Mersey blog will remain as an archive, but there will be no more updates. You can see it here.

There are no plans to discontinue the ARMS Mersey Facebook page.

TUC should speak for the rank & file

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady calls for the Labour Party to look outward and deal with the Tories but she doesn’t identify the guilty party. Not a word of criticism of the Blairites who caused the divisions and chaos. She should declare that the rank and file Party members campaigning for socialist change are lions led by the Blairite donkeys of the PLP who are turning their fire on the leadership instead of organising to defeat the Tories. You can't be neutral in this situation; as the spokesperson for six million organised workers she should be demanding full support for Jeremy Corbyn whose policy is totally in accord with the TUC's policy of opposition to all austerity.

Tony Mulhearn

ARMS NW

Next NW Committee in Manchester

As you may be aware, the next scheduled meeting of the NW Regional ARMS Committee (to which all ARMs members in the North West are cordially invited) will be held as follows:

• Date: Thursday 22nd September 2016
• Venue: Methodist Hall, Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JQ
• Time: 12:30 am – 2:30 pm

Please note the change from our usual venue. In accordance with the decision taken at the 2016 AGM, we are rotating meetings around the North West area and have arranged this meeting to follow on immediately after the newly formed Manchester ARMs Group meeting on the same day and venue. We will be discussing issues which will be of interest to ARMs members, so why not come along and see what PCS is doing for you?

News updates - from the web

Our regular round up of relevant news items, by Steve Ion of NW ARMS

• One in ten over 65s in work - here.
• Waspi: Jeremy Corbyn pledges support for pensioners - here.
• Expats pensions possible impact - here.
• Care home costs increase - here.
• Potential plans to reform final salary pensions - here.