Misjudging the Scale of the Crisis
In ordinary times, today’s announcements by Rishi Sunak would be significant – but given the scale of the economic crisis Britain faces they fall far short of the intervention required.
273 Articles by:
Grace Blakeley
Grace Blakeley is a staff writer at Tribune.
The Eye of the Covid Storm
Many commentators are predicting a V-shaped recovery, but what we’re seeing today is only a temporary reprieve – the worst of the economic crisis is yet to come.
How Labour Lost the Working-Class
New research suggests that, in the 2019 election, more low-income voters backed the Tories than Labour for the first time. The party’s decision to side with the establishment over Brexit was the final straw.
Covid-19: The Disaster Automation Was Waiting For
Automation has been slower in recent years than many expected – but with the pandemic forcing companies to innovate, and borrowing cheaper than ever, many of today’s job losses might become permanent.
The Coming Crash
Stock markets across the world are rallying as lockdowns lift and central banks pump money into the economy – but it’s likely to be a calm before the storm.
The Era of State-Monopoly Capitalism
The Covid-19 crash will concentrate economic power in the hands of the state and major multinational corporations — the task for the Left is to fight for democratic alternatives.
Remembering Capitalism’s Crimes
A new book uncovers the reality of America’s victory in the Cold War – detailing how massacres of leftists in 22 countries helped to overcome resistance to capitalism across the world, writes Grace Blakeley.
Dominic Cummings and the Capitalist Ethos
At a time when collective solutions were needed to a collective problem, Dominic Cummings put his own interests before those of society – that sums up the capitalist ethos, argues Grace Blakeley.
The Labour Right’s Renewed Attack on Unions
Blair, Blunkett, Adonis, Johnson. Recent days have seen an avalanche of attacks by prominent Labour figures on teachers’ unions – emboldened by the party leadership’s muted support for their cause, argues Grace Blakeley.
Putting the Cat Back in the Bag
Austerity is back on the political agenda for one reason – the establishment is terrified that recent state interventions will raise the demand to solve other social problems the same way, argues Grace Blakeley.
Britain Is Ready for Radical Policies – But the Labour Party Isn’t
Recent polling shows the British public in favour of proposals like a jobs guarantee, basic income and rent controls – but the Labour leadership is failing to propose the economic alternative the moment demands, argues Grace Blakeley.
The Blairite Roots of the Leaked Labour Report
The conduct revealed by the leaked Labour report isn’t just a few bad apples – it’s the result of a Blairite project to hollow out the Labour Party and put power in the hands of right-wing bureaucrats.
Coronavirus Reveals the Hollow Internationalism of the Liberal Establishment
The liberal establishment has spent years proclaiming its internationalism over Brexit – but when it comes to helping the Global South at a time of crisis they are silent.
Breaking the Power of Finance
Liberal commentators frame the dominance of finance as a hindrance to a well-functioning capitalist economy. In reality, it is a feature rather than a bug of modern capitalism, argues Grace Blakeley.
Socialism Is Not Going Away
Despite today’s defeat for the Left in the leadership election, Corbyn’s policies remain overwhelmingly popular among Labour members – and are the only way out of the economic crisis we find ourselves in.
Public Investment, Not Corporate Bailouts
Now is not the time to repeat the mistakes of 2008. Any public money that bails out corporations must come with an ownership stake, guarantees for workers and benefits for society, argues Grace Blakeley.
The Coronavirus Crisis Is Political
In 2008, they told us not to ‘politicise’ the crash. We ended up with a decade of austerity. The coronavirus crisis will reshape the economy in profound ways – now is the time to make socialist arguments about how to respond, argues Grace Blakeley.
Sunak’s Spending Spree
Today’s budget exposes the truth about a decade of austerity – it wasn’t an economic necessity but a political choice. Now the Left must seize the initiative on this new terrain where economics has been repoliticised, argues Grace Blakeley.
The Corona Crash
Today’s coronavirus crash in the stock market is exposing the frailty of global capitalism – and with governments tapped out on quantitative easing, only significant public investment on the scale of a Green New Deal can prevent a slump.
Capital’s New Best Friend
Rishi Sunak’s appointment was trumpeted as a break with Thatcherism – but his record of supporting tax cuts for the rich and corporations suggests he’s straight out of the Tory mould.