It Didn’t Have to Be This Way
One year ago today, Britain entered lockdown after days of prevarication and delay – it would set the stage for a government response which was catastrophically inadequate, and contributed to over 125,000 deaths.
4357 Articles by:
Miriam Pensack
Miriam Pensack is a writer, editor, and doctoral candidate in Latin American history at New York University.
Liberals Want Civil Rights – But Not the Protests Needed to Win Them
The response to yesterday’s protests in Bristol is a reminder that the liberal commentariat would have bitterly condemned the very movements that struggled to win the rights they now claim to defend.
Bristol’s Long History of Radicalism
Yesterday’s ‘Kill the Bill’ protest and last year’s tearing down of the Colston statue have made Bristol a symbol of resistance – but for almost two centuries, the city has been at the forefront of radical politics in Britain.
The Radical Imagination of the Paris Commune
The Paris Commune, which began 150 years ago this month, was a conscious attempt to build a new world in the ruins of the old – and influenced the writing of the most influential leftists for generations to come.
How We Can Win a Real ‘Green Recovery’ from Covid-19
Across the world, government promises of a ‘green recovery’ from the pandemic are ringing hollow – they will only be forced to act when we build mass working-class movements which demand radical climate policies.
How Thurrock Exposes Tory Hypocrisy on Key Workers
In Thurrock, the local Tory council is attacking the terms and conditions of binmen and carers only months after they were celebrated as key workers – but instead of taking it lying down, they’re voting to strike.
Danny Glover: The Fight to Organise Amazon Matters to All Workers
Actor and longtime activist Danny Glover recently travelled to Alabama to support Amazon workers in their organising efforts – here, he talks about why the fight to unionise is so important in the 21st century.
The Radical Jazz of William Parker
A new biography of bassist and composer William Parker stresses free jazz’s transformative capacities – and details how his music gave expression to radical black, working-class and anti-imperialist politics.
Nottingham’s Buses Show that Public Ownership Works
Since Thatcher’s Transport Act in 1985, Nottingham is one of the few cities whose bus routes have remained in public ownership. The result? A satisfaction rate far above the national average.
The Inhumanity of ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’
Across Britain, thousands of migrants have been forced to face the pandemic with ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ – a condition that robs them of even the most basic social safety net, and often places them in danger.
An Ode to the Pub
Today is the one year anniversary of pubs closing in Britain. Their absence has diminished communal, cultural and creative life – and offered a reminder of the need to build institutions that sustain our social fabric.
It’s Time to End the Privatised Rail Disaster
This week, the Scottish government announced a plan to bring ScotRail back under public ownership. But it’s not only in Scotland that privatisation is failing – it’s time to take all of our rail networks back into public hands.
How the Paris Commune Influenced the 1916 Rising
The Paris Commune of 1871 was still fresh in the memory by the time of Ireland’s Easter Rising – and, for 1916 leader James Connolly, its radical politics and urban warfare offered an example to follow.
The Furlough Scheme Was Not Enough
One year ago today, under pressure from trade unions, the government introduced the furlough scheme. It was a good start – but it was never enough, and the failure to build on it guaranteed a pandemic of inequality.
British Gas ‘Fire and Rehire’ Plans Are a Threat to Every Worker in Britain
Thousands of British Gas engineers face the sack this month if they don’t accept worse terms and conditions – it is a landmark ‘fire and rehire’ case that has implications for every worker in Britain.
NATO’s Libya Disaster 10 Years On
Ten years ago today, NATO forces intervened in the Libyan civil war with promises to liberate the country – the disaster they left behind offers a lesson on why imperialist wars must be resisted.
A Transport Revolution Requires Public Ownership
This week, the government promised a ‘revolution’ on England’s buses without committing to reverse privatisation – but the real revolution we need to see in our transport system is public ownership.
France’s Alternative to Gentrification
This year’s Pritzker Prize, the highest award in architecture, went to Lacaton and Vassal: French architects who rejected estate demolition and instead renovated public housing – keeping residents in place.
How Britain Was Complicit in Sri Lankan War Crimes
The Sri Lankan government’s war on the Tamil community saw up to 70,000 civilians killed in 2009, but they weren’t acting alone – Britain sold weapons to the regime even as the world read reports of slaughter.
William Morris: Why We Celebrate the Paris Commune
Pioneering socialist William Morris on the Paris Commune and its legacy as a “great tragedy which definitely and irrevocably elevated the cause of Socialism.”