William Cuffay: The Chartists’ Black Leader
The son of a freed slave, William Cuffay played a key role in the struggle for democracy in Britain. A country which respected its history would honour him rather than the men who sold his ancestors.
4348 Articles by:
Rae Hart
Rae Deer is an economist and freelance writer.
Covid-19 Has Shown the Limits of Liberal Human Rights
Covid-19 has demonstrated the inequalities that hide behind liberal human rights discourse – and made it clear why the fight for collective social and economic rights is so much more transformative.
The Tories’ Green Dead End
Boris Johnson’s latest economic announcements put the thinnest layer of green paint on an economic status quo which is driving the planet towards disaster.
The Eye of the Covid Storm
Many commentators are predicting a V-shaped recovery, but what we’re seeing today is only a temporary reprieve – the worst of the economic crisis is yet to come.
Remembering Patrice Lumumba
Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba was assassinated on this day in 1961. Sixty years later, his name remains synonymous with Africa’s struggle against imperialism.
Rebuilding Labour’s Connection with Working-Class Communities
We don’t have to choose between being a small left-wing subculture or a weathervane for the right-wing press – the alternative is doing the hard work of rebuilding Labour’s roots in working-class communities.
The Factory Residency
The Art in Manufacturing programme draws on a history of artists working in factories to bridge the gap between the workplaces and art in Britain’s industrial towns.
Coronavirus and the Hostile Environment
For weeks, the public has clapped the migrant workers who keep the NHS running — while the Tory government remains intent on treating them like criminals.
Where Next for the Irish Left?
In February, Ireland’s right-wing duopoly were defeated in an election for the first time – but still ended up in government. If the Irish Left wants to replace them, it will need to come together to build an alternative.
Spain’s Left-Wing Coalition on the Ropes
Spain’s coalition between PSOE and Unidas Podemos gambled on rowing back austerity measures in a period of relative calm – but now, facing a historic recession, its forces find themselves increasingly at odds.
How a Decade of Austerity Brought the NHS to its Knees
Today, the NHS is celebrated. But for ten years it has been subject to destructive cutbacks, which led to crumbling facilities, outsourcing, privatisation and staff pay freezes – now is the time to demand better.
New Deal in Name Only
Boris Johnson’s ‘New Deal’ is a mirage – made up largely of spending already committed, with few details about how it will address urgent crises like climate change or improve working people’s lives.
Le Combat Adama
In France, the killing of George Floyd evoked memories of the recent death in police custody of Adam Traoré – and reignited the mass protests which demanded justice in his name.
A Constitutional Socialist
A new biography of Peter Shore rediscovers the life of a parliamentary radical who fought any attempt to weaken the political strength of working people.
We Need a Public Health Revolution
The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated a need to rethink healthcare, breaking from outdated technocratic models and seeing the full social and political context behind public health.
Labour Members Should Decide How Their Representatives Are Chosen
Fundamental changes to how members’ representatives are elected in the Labour Party should be made by conference – not behind closed doors in this week’s NEC meeting.
Ireland’s Fig Leaf
Four months after a historic general election saw Ireland’s right-wing duopoly defeated, the Green Party has decided to return them to office – on a programme that will do nothing to solve the country’s deep inequalities.
The Blair Show
Late ’90s and early 2000s reality TV in the UK was shaped by its interaction with a Blairite political project which demonised the working-class and cast social problems as individual failings.
How Labour Lost the Working-Class
New research suggests that, in the 2019 election, more low-income voters backed the Tories than Labour for the first time. The party’s decision to side with the establishment over Brexit was the final straw.
Learning the Wrong Lessons in Scotland
The Labour Together report provided all the evidence that the party needs to pursue a broad coalition in Scotland – before concluding that it should back a narrow unionist approach anyway.