Remembering the Putney Debates
On this day in 1647, in the midst of civil war, the Putney Debates sought a new constitution for Britain – their arguments over the nature of freedom and democracy still resonate today.
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Ko Leik Pya
Ko Leik Pya works as a teacher and writer in the UK and Myanmar. He writes here under a pseudonym.
11. Ending Thatcherism: An Interview with Zarah Sultana
On this week’s show, Grace Blakeley interviews Labour MP Zarah Sultana about the Tories’ attempts to impose the costs of the pandemic on those least able to bear it – and how the Left can fight back.
Trouble at the Mills
A failed campaign to save Solent Flour Mills, a monumental building in the port of Southampton, raises questions about how councils and campaigners can fight multinational capitalism in local spaces.
Hamburg’s Social Romantics
A new book explores the development of St. Pauli, a German football club whose fans responded to the decay of the 1980s and rise of the far-right on the terraces by adopting radical politics.
Ireland’s Latest Mother and Baby Home Cover-up
By sealing records of an inquiry into the Mother and Baby Homes scandal, Ireland’s political establishment has once again denied its abuse victims what they deserve: the whole truth.
The Global Fight to Ban the Bomb
Yesterday saw the 50th state ratify the UN’s Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The first legislation to outlaw nuclear weapons, it has global support – and fierce opposition from the world’s superpowers.
Child Poverty Is a Political Choice
Child poverty in working households rose by 800,000 since 2010 – with over 60% directly attributable to government policies. The free school meals vote is just the latest chapter in a Tory war on Britain’s children.
How Laid-Off Theatre Workers Are Tackling the Climate Crisis
A new project in Manchester helps laid-off theatre workers use their skills to retrofit homes to make them carbon neutral. It’s the latest example of communities stepping up where the government has failed.
Today Is Chile’s Chance to Bury Pinochet’s Legacy
Today’s referendum in Chile provides the opportunity to scrap the right-wing constitution introduced by the Pinochet regime – and rebuild the country on a truly democratic basis.
The Fascist Sympathies of Britain’s Aristocracy
While the people of Britain fought the Nazis in the Second World War, much of their ruling elite was sympathetic to fascism – seeing it as an alternative to democracy and socialism.
Pablo Iglesias: ‘Great Disasters Turn Neoliberals into Neo-Keynesians’
Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias on the Spanish government’s response to Covid-19, the right-wing campaign of ‘lawfare’ against his party – and why building a republic remains the goal of the country’s Left.
Dawn Butler: It’s Time to Reform Stop and Search
Communities are not made safe by a stop and search system which disproportionately targets BAME people – it’s time to reform police powers and tackle institutional racism.
Jeremy Corbyn: ‘The Government Could Easily Afford to Expand Arts Funding’
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on how the arts shaped his worldview, why it shouldn’t become a preserve of the rich – and the need to support culture workers fighting the crisis in their industry.
10. Housing Is a Human Right: A Discussion with Raquel Rolnik
This week Grace is joined by Raquel Rolnik – a minister under Lula in Brazil and former UN Special Rapporteur – to discuss the right to housing and the global tenants’ movement.
The Fight for a New Nigeria
Earlier this week, a massacre in Lagos brought worldwide attention to Nigeria’s End SARS movement – a campaign against police brutality and the corrupt political establishment that facilitates it.
The Most Unequal Borough in Britain
The deep inequalities of Kensington and Chelsea provided the backdrop to the Grenfell fire, relegating residents to second-class citizens. More than three years later they have only got worse.
What We Learned from the Spy Cops Bill
The government intends to wage a sustained attack on human rights in the coming years – and the Spy Cops Bill shows that we can’t rely on Labour’s leadership to fight back. It’s time to build grassroots resistance.
The Government’s Response to Covid-19 Is Driving Inequality
The poorest areas of England have suffered twice as many Covid-19 deaths as the richest – now, they are denied proper funding to survive the winter. It’s time to fight back against a government that is entrenching inequality.
How Tory Lockdown Is Punishing the Left-Behind
The most deprived parts of England – and those which suffered most from a decade of austerity – are at the frontlines of lockdown. The Tories’ refusal to support them is a disgrace.
The Northern Rebellion Is About More Than Money
Financial support is vital for millions this winter, but Greater Manchester’s standoff asks deeper questions about the legitimacy of a government which is bullying and lying its way through the Covid-19 crisis.