14. North by North West: An Interview with Andy Burnham
On this week’s show, Grace Blakeley is joined by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to discuss how the government’s response to the Covid-19 crisis has punished the North.
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Rae Hart
Rae Deer is an economist and freelance writer.
The Covid Crisis Makes the Case for Collective Bargaining
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how crucial workers are to the economy, but also how weak their protections are at work – only one policy can level the playing field: sectoral collective bargaining.
The Covid Vaccine: For Rich Countries Only
80% of Pfizer vaccine stocks have been bought by countries representing just 14% of the world’s population. The power of Big Pharma and the wealth of the developed world threatens the global fight against Covid-19.
AOC’s Fight Against the Establishment Democrats
The weeks since the presidential election have seen concerted attacks on progressives from the Democratic Party elite – but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s refusal to be bowed has offered a rallying point for the US Left.
E. P. Thompson and the Volunteers on the Red Railway
A recently republished book edited by E. P. Thompson chronicles the story of British socialist volunteers who travelled to post-war Yugoslavia to assist in the construction of a railroad from Šamac to Sarajevo.
The Covid Economic Crisis Requires Radical Solutions
A vaccine might bring Covid-19 under control, but it won’t undo the damage to the economy – only radical policies can avoid another decade of wage stagnation and rising inequality.
Britain’s War on Disabled People
In 2016, the UN said austerity had created a ‘human catastrophe’ for Britain’s disabled — but the last decade has also seen unprecedented organising to fight back.
Labour’s Bristol West Suspensions Are an Attack on Party Democracy
The suspension of the chair and co-secretary of Bristol West CLP over a motion supporting Jeremy Corbyn is a calculated attack on Labour members’ rights and party democracy.
Covid-19 and the Challenge of Vaccine Hesitancy
Studies show that up to 1 in 3 people might refuse to take a Covid-19 vaccine. This problem must be overcome – but it can’t be addressed by writing off large swathes of the population as anti-vaxxers.
The Business Park Parliament
The story of the Greater London Authority’s move away from its purpose-built headquarters to a docklands business park sums up the relationship between local government and developers that defines the capital city.
Covid-19 Has Deepened Britain’s Mental Health Crisis
Recent weeks have seen increased coverage of the mental health fallout from Covid-19 – but even before the pandemic, Britain’s mental health services were underfunded, understaffed and at crisis point.
Manchester’s Student Revolt
After going on rent strike and tearing down fences on campus, students at the University of Manchester have begun an occupation. Their aim: to confront a university sector which sees them as little more than cash cows.
How the Left Won Michigan
In the key swing state of Michigan, grassroots mobilising efforts by Rashida Tlaib and progressive activists were crucial to boosting voter turnout – and overturning one of Trump’s landmark 2016 victories.
13. Survival of the Friendliest: A Discussion with Rutger Bregman
In this week’s A World to Win, Grace speaks to Rutger Bregman, author of Utopia for Realists and scourge of the tax-avoiding corporate elite at Davos, about human nature, capitalism and the 24-hour news cycle.
The Making and Unmaking of the Council Estate
The 1970s saw seismic changes in Britain’s cities, as new ideas about class, crime and public space reshaped the built environment – and bred both resignation and resistance in its council estates.
Labour’s Decline in Working-Class Communities Can’t Be Solved by Managerialism
In recent months, No Holding Back has spoken to thousands of Labour activists in communities left behind by deindustrialisation. Their message is clear: the party must rebuild at its grassroots.
We Fought Apartheid in South Africa – And We’re Appalled by Jeremy Corbyn’s Suspension
Veterans of South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement write about their dismay at Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension – and ask, how many Labour MPs can match his record in the fight against racism?
The Centre’s War on the Left
On both sides of the Atlantic, a resurgent political centre has declared war on the Left – because it senses an opportunity to return to pro-corporate policies.
The Millbank Revolt, 10 Years On
Ten years ago today, students occupied the headquarters of the Conservative Party at Millbank Tower. It was a seminal moment in the resistance to austerity – and in shaping a generation of radicals.
When Capitalism Met Covid
Covid-19 has exposed the frailties and myths of capitalism. Now is the time to break with the dominance of the market – and rebuild an economy where the state intervenes in the public interest.