Why Britain Needs a Democratic Revolution
The structures of the British state are designed to suffocate movements that aim for real democratic change – If we want to see social transformation in our lifetimes, they will have to be transformed.
4343 Articles by:
Ko Leik Pya
Ko Leik Pya works as a teacher and writer in the UK and Myanmar. He writes here under a pseudonym.
‘Vaccine Holidays’ Are a Symbol of the New Covid Inequality
Across the world, the rich are skipping queues with ‘vaccine holidays’ – while 130 countries, home to 2.5 billion people, wait for a single dose. The end of the pandemic is the start of a new era of global inequality.
Social Housing Should Win Prizes
In 2019, a social housing project in Norwich won the Stirling Prize, the most prestigious award in British architecture. It’s a reminder of what public investment in housing can achieve – and why we need more of it.
US Health Insurers Are Coming for the NHS
The latest move by US health insurance giant Centene to buy GP services across London proves one thing – the argument that our NHS is not being sold off to corporate interests is a lie.
How Managerialism Took Over the NHS
Saving the NHS is not just a question of public over private – it also involves taking power from the growing class of cash-driven bureaucrats and putting it back in the hands of doctors and nurses.
‘Bella Ciao’: The Song of the Partisans
With its catchy folk melody, ‘Bella Ciao’ became the anthem of the Italian partisans in the 1940s – but in the decades since it has been adopted across the world as a song of anti-fascist resistance.
How Collective Bargaining Can Tackle the Race to the Bottom
Neoliberal globalisation has led to a ‘race to the bottom’ as free trade policies force workers and whole industries to compete across borders – but there is a solution: trade union representation.
Why Rosa Was a Revolutionary
Rosa Luxemburg, born 150 years ago today, fought to win the socialist movement to a complete break with capitalism – arguing that only revolutionary transformation could create a world for workers.
Clapping Won’t Pay the Bills
In 2019, there were 40,000 nursing vacancies in England alone. The only way to protect the future of the NHS is to treat its workers properly – and that means a pay rise that will actually improve their lives.
The Internationalism of Rosa Luxemburg
Throughout her political life, Rosa Luxemburg remained committed to an internationalist version of socialism – one which fought for the working-class beyond national boundaries and against imperialism.
1% Is Not Enough – It’s Time for NHS Pay Justice
After clapping for NHS staff and calling them heroes, the government is proposing to give nurses a pay increase of just £3.50 per week – it’s time for a real reward that would end hardship in our health service.
The Young Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was born on this day in 1871. Her socialism was shaped by a deep internationalism – much of which she imbibed from her Jewish upbringing in what was then known as ‘Russian Poland.’
The £20 Uplift Won’t Tackle Pandemic Poverty – We Need a Living Income
Almost 700,000 people have been driven into poverty in the UK during Covid-19, and a £20 uplift to Universal Credit isn’t a solution – we need a living income to safeguard against the deepening crisis of inequality.
A Journey Through ‘Red’ Paris
In the 20th century, leftists used their positions of municipal power in Paris to build some of Europe’s most ambitious social housing projects – housing that was not only beautiful, but affordable and secure.
Remembering Stan Newens
Stan Newens – veteran parliamentarian, campaigner for international justice and pillar of the Labour Left – passed away this week aged 91. Jeremy Corbyn remembers his lifelong struggle for socialism.
How Rishi Sunak’s Budget Betrayed Public Sector Workers
Public sector workers were at the frontline of the Covid crisis, but instead of a reward they’ve been given a pay freeze – just one of many attacks on the living standards of working people in the latest Tory Budget.
Left Behind: How Labour Abandoned Economic Populism to the Tories
For the past year, Labour’s leadership has distanced itself from the party’s popular economic policies – only to see them picked up by a cynical Tory government with no intention of bringing them to reality.
The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was born 150 years ago today. Her letters reveal a revolutionary intellectual who was deeply committed to socialism and defiantly humane.
No Budget for Workers
Rishi Sunak’s Budget has been hailed as groundbreaking, but for workers it meant tax increases not pay rises – and little if anything to tackle the insecurity which the pandemic threatens to make normal.
Green Industrial Dilution
In today’s Budget, Rishi Sunak spoke about a Green Industrial Revolution – but his weak proposals are just another attempt to claim credit for a good idea he’s too afraid to pursue.