November marks the 150^th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. This book revolutionised thinking about the living world because for the first time it provided an explanation for the evolution of species, something that was long suspected by scientists. Darwin’s simple idea – change by natural selection – is arguably the single most important foundation-stone upon which all modern biology is based. The Origin of Species was a triumph of the materialist world outlook, even if Darwin himself didn’t quite put it that way, and for that reason its publication was celebrated by Marx and Engels. .

October 26th was Comrade Bill Landles’ 85^th birthday. He is an active supporter of the Socialist Appeal in Britain and of the IMT. His activity goes right back to the days of the Workers International League during the Second World War, where he played a role in the apprentices’ strikes. He is a living link to those early pioneering days of our movement.