How Covid-19 Is Increasing Inequality
Inequality was steep in Britain before the pandemic, but those who entered this crisis with insecure work, low pay and high rents will leave it even worse off – if we want a better future, it’s time to organise.
4346 Articles by:
Rae Hart
Rae Deer is an economist and freelance writer.
Why They Want a ‘Rule, Britannia!’ Culture War
Reforming the Last Night of the Proms was never a left-wing demand – but by elevating the controversy, the Tories can consolidate their base, disguise their failures and advance their reform agenda for the BBC.
The Covid-19 Mental Health Crisis
New research suggests that depression has doubled during Covid-19 – but years of cuts to mental health services have left support systems struggling to cope.
How Asian Workers Fought Racism on the Railways
In 1990, Asian rail workers who applied for positions as drivers on British Rail found themselves frozen out in favour of less-qualified white colleagues. They fought back – and won a landmark battle.
2. “Neoliberal Authoritarianism”: An Interview with Guillaume Long
In the second episode of A World to Win, Grace discusses the rise of Latin America’s new right-wing with Guillaume Long, former foreign minister of Ecuador under Rafael Correa.
Marx in London
When Karl Marx arrived in London as a refugee in 1849, he believed his stay would be brief – little did he know that he would remain for the rest of his life, or how profoundly the city would shape him.
Open Letter: Arts Educators Say No to Tate Redundancies
More than 100 artists and educators from across the world sign a letter condemning the proposed redundancies at the Tate – and demanding that management takes immediate action to defend workers’ jobs.
Trying To Fix My Introduction
Barney Farmer’s novel Coketown builds on his work on Viz classics like Drunken Bakers to create a comic horror update of Dickens’ Hard Times.
The Covid Crisis Has Revived Arts Trade Unionism
Across the creative industries, already precarious workers have been left in limbo by government and institutional inaction during this crisis – but the unions that fight for them are adapting quickly.
Ireland’s ‘Golfgate’ Is a Story of Ruling Class Entitlement
Just days after imposing new lockdown restrictions, a circle of elite politicians in Ireland attended a golf dinner which brazenly flouted them. Their attitude was simple: rules only apply to the common people.
Remembering Wave Hill: When Australia’s Indigenous Fought Back
On this day in 1966, hundreds of indigenous workers walked off the job in Australia’s Northern Territory demanding equal pay. Their strike lasted nine years – and resulted in the return of ancestral lands stolen for generations.
He Was Curious Red
Olof Palme, the radical social democrat who led Sweden in the 1970s, first came to international prominence in an unexpected place – a cameo in the notorious ‘sex film’ I Am Curious Yellow.
How Co-operative Architecture Shaped Britain
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Britain’s growing co-operative movement provided an alternative to capitalist business practices – and made its mark on cities and towns with ambitious building projects.
Fabric Cybernetics
The work of the Soviet textile designer Anna Andreeva, recently rediscovered by New York’s Museum of Modern Art, is an insight into Soviet cultural diplomacy, right down to a commemorative scarf made for Queen Elizabeth II.
On Your Marks, Get Set, Unionise!
For years, international track and field athletes have watched the decisions that shape their sport made by elite organisations while their right to protest was curtailed – so now, they’ve decided to unionise.
Delays Are Not Enough – It’s Time to Cancel the Rent
Hundreds of thousands of renters face unaffordable arrears on top of their runaway housing costs. Delaying evictions isn’t a solution – it’s time to campaign for write-offs.
The Ruling Class Doesn’t Believe in Democracy
Under capitalism, democracy is permitted as long as it doesn’t fundamentally threaten the ruling class and their power – once that line is crossed, the democratic facade crumbles rapidly.
Track, Trace and the Myth of Private Sector Efficiency
For years, right-wingers have argued that healthcare privatisation is the path to greater efficiency. But the track and trace scandal shows what it really means – huge payouts for dysfunctional services.
Lebanon’s Interwoven Crises
This month’s apocalyptic explosion in Beirut was a symbol for the disintegration of a Lebanese state plagued by political and economic crisis – and increasingly subject to the intrigue of its old imperial power, France.
Instead of Rewarding Key Workers, Britain Is Putting Them on Zero-Hours
For the first time on record more than a million people in the UK are on zero-hour contracts. And the biggest growth sectors? Social care and retail – key worker industries that the government claims to champion.