Record Rail Fares Show Why We Need Public Ownership
This week’s rail fare increase is the highest in almost a decade. With fares rising at twice the level of wages since 2010, there’s only one solution – a return to public ownership.
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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.
Ukraine Needs a Global Anti-War Movement
Tribune’s Polina Godz, who is from Kharkiv, describes the impact of Putin’s invasion on her home city – and explains why Ukraine needs an international anti-war movement fighting for de-escalation.
The Alternative World of Modernist Housing Utopias
Stefi Orazi’s guide to modernist houses you can stay in or visit is a reminder that a fundamentally different world of housing is possible – one in which good living is the guiding light.
Polluting Public Culture
As more arts institutions cut their ties with BP, the British Museum has yet to follow suit – but we need culture that isn’t stained with big oil’s profits.
The Cuban Blockade at 60
This year marks 60 years since the US began its blockade of Cuba. It is economic warfare designed to collectively punish a people for their independence – and it must come to an end.
The Cost of Living Crisis Is Making You Sick
The cost of living crisis hitting Britain today isn’t just an economic problem – by forcing millions of people to go without heat and food, it will also have a devastating impact on public health.
A Year After the Murder of Sarah Everard, Not Enough Has Changed
Today marks a year since Sarah Everard was kidnapped and murdered while walking home – and instead of dealing with the violence and bigotry endemic in the police, the state has doubled down.
Rail Cleaners’ Fight for £15
Cleaners who kept London trains safe during the pandemic are paid so poorly that some are homeless and others in appalling debt – now they’re striking against profiteering bosses to demand a living wage.
Britain Is Turning its Back on Ukrainian Refugees
When Putin invaded Ukraine, Britain’s government pledged to do whatever it could to support the victims of war – but its failure to follow Europe in waiving visas for refugees shows that those commitments were little more than words.
70. Inequality Explosion: An Interview with Max Lawson
This week, Grace talks to Max Lawson, Head of Inequality Policy at Oxfam, about why inequality increased so much during Covid, how it’s affecting our democracies, and what we need to do about it.
The British Media Is Campaigning for Nuclear War
By advocating a No-Fly Zone in Ukraine, the commentariat is demanding that we roll the dice on nuclear war – the latest reminder of just how dangerous our warmongering media truly is.
Punish the Oligarchs, Not the Poor
Western sanctions that drive ordinary Russians into poverty would be both wrong and ineffective – it’s time to hit Putin’s real base of power: Russia’s 500 richest oligarchs.
Only Anti-Capitalism Can Save the Planet
The latest IPCC report lays out the devastating impacts of climate change that lie just around the corner. They can’t be stopped by half measures – the only way to avert disaster is to change the system.
The Zero-Hour Scam
Over one million workers in Britain are now on zero-hour contracts. Their proliferation has never been about ‘flexibility’ – it’s about keeping workers insecure and wages low.
Glasgow’s Radiophrenic Workshops
Glasgow’s Radiophrenia music and sound festival evokes a public broadcast modernism – but also risks being trapped inside an experimental ghetto.
The Long Demise of Germany’s Student Revolt
The German student revolt of the 1960s gave birth to a wave of left-wing publishers, whose politics gradually shifted from radicalism to accommodation with the end of history.
Western Leaders Are Hypocrites When it Comes to War
Western leaders are condemning Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, but they themselves are deeply complicit in bloodshed across the world. We need a movement that can oppose war everywhere.
Capitalism’s Latest Bright Idea: Privatise the Moon
Last week, free-marketeers in the Adam Smith Institute suggested that we privatise the moon. It’s a sign of just far capitalism intends to go in pursuit of profits for the super-rich.
The Left Must Stand Against Putin’s War
The first task for socialists in the appalling war being inflicted in Ukraine is to provide unconditional solidarity with its victims.
Fix the Damn Sick Pay
The government is ending self-isolation requirements and urging ‘personal responsibility’ instead – but as the pandemic proved, it’s hard to be ‘responsible’ when sick pay is so low that staying off work means not making rent.