26.03.2020

What we are doing

Like the last edition, this week’s paper is being edited on computer screens dotted around the whole country. I am sure you will join me in thanking the editors, designers and sub-editors who have made this possible. There is also our stable of excellent writers who are helping us make sense of what is going on. For the moment we shall maintain it so that it still looks like our paper. Twelve pages, good photos and interesting artwork. That is far more difficult when we have to deal with disembodied design and layout. The production process is far longer and far more fraught. Nevertheless, readers with printers can continue to read us in their preferred format. To ensure that continues to happen we are considering bringing in extra design and layout help, including from Sweden. The wonders of modern technology. But there is always the possibility that members of our dedicated team will go down with Covid-19. Then we might be forced to go over to a purely web edition of the paper. This is not something we want to do. But be warned. In the meantime, I’m pleased to report that, with five days still to go, we’ve already reached our £2,000 fighting fund target for March! Over the last week seven standing orders/regular donations came our way, totalling a magnificent £650 - thanks go to comrades PM, SK, JC, GB, BB and DG. In the case of GB, his £50 donation came on top of another one for the same amount just five days earlier. Especially given these extraordinary times, brilliant stuff! On top of that, comrade SK decided to throw in an extra £145 as a one-off, while we also received a mysterious bank transfer (for precisely £60.06!) from an equally mysterious donor, who did not leave their name or give any other details. Well, I hope it’s for the fighting fund anyway. All in all, an extra £710 (plus 6p!) dropped into our account, taking our running total for March up to £2,010. As I pointed out last week, the fact that we have suspended printing the Weekly Worker because of the pandemic means that we are obviously saving on postage and printing. I am sure, though, that subscribers will be more than willing to maintain their support for the paper. We have already made use of some of those savings, with the purchase of three new, much-needed computers - every cloud has a silver lining! So please keep your contributions to.

Robbie Rix