Looking for something to do on christmas day? posted by tony collins

You could get drunk (you really should be drunk by now).

Or, you could go for a nice walk (perhaps to the local Tesco Express, or Marks & Spencer Simply Food, seeing as you didn't buy enough milk).

If you have a few seconds, you can make sure that Maggie doesn't win the BBC's "Political Hero" award.

Vote here (your choice is pretty much Tony Benn or no one, but let's be honest, that's a good enough choice).

And the BBC want you to waste even more of your time by voting on the law you most want repealed.

We here at the Tomb are, as you know, often accused of being fascists (mostly because of our love of fine burgers and cheap beer). We'd like to live up to that description by telling you to vote to repeal the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act.

This is the Act that makes it illegal to demonstrate without prior approval anywhere near Parliament.

Some people think that opposition to such a measure is short-sighted; after all, all you have to do is ask, and you shall be allowed to protest.

I have a small story that shows why any socialist - indeed, any liberal - should oppose such a law.

A while back, security guards on Eurostar, all brand new members of the RMT union, went on strike. They'd never organised before; never been members of a union before.

As usual, they (as privatised employees of a privatised company on a privatised railway) were being treated like crap; thankfully, they were militant enough to be ready for action, and their local RMT reps were ready and willing to help.

The picket line was excellent. For those who say "the working class is no more", this was proof of their error. Vibrant, annoyed, noisy, bitter - and most of all, dynamic, young and mixed. It was great.

After the picket was over, everyone went to a nearby pub for a mass meeting. But the union members were feeling proud and confident (especially after successfully getting the police to leave them alone, something us lot on the tube have yet to have any success with).

They decided to all walk together - to march, along the side of the road, behind their union's banner. A great moment - people who had never known about unions, quickly realising the power of united solid action and wanting to show their pride in such action.

But the police saw it a different way. They stopped the march. Why? Because we were here - within the area proscribed by the Act.

Yes, all we were doing was walking behind a banner. Yes, we were going down the pub.

And yes, the police said that we were committing a criminal offence and were liable to be arrested if we did not stop it immediately.

We did, cos we'd got to the pub and needed some beer.

As you do, now.

Vote, in this pointless poll.

And then, next year, resolve to fight even harder against the most nasty, vicious, bloodthirsty, anti-freedom government in recent times.