The Unbearable Lightness of Keir
Keir Starmer’s decision to abandon the transformative economic policies of the Corbyn era is not just disappointing for the Left – it leaves Labour completely unprepared for the social crises we face.
4297 Articles by:
Raven Hart
Raven Hart is co-founder of the Bristol Cooperative Alliance, an organisation that aims to promote a decentralised economy that empowers local communities and facilitates democratic self-determination.
Capitalism Won’t Give Us the Development We Need
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals aim to drastically reduce poverty, gender inequality and environmental degradation in the next 10 years – but without challenging capitalism, it’s all just a pipe dream.
Starmer’s Speech Failed, Even On Its Own Terms
Keir Starmer’s speech today was an opportunity to present a bold alternative to growing inequality under the Tories – it failed spectacularly.
Napier Barracks is the Embodiment of the Right’s Scare Tactics
Britain’s ‘first modern-day refugee camp’ at Napier Barracks is under investigation after a fire – but the right-wing hate campaign against migrants means that punitive detention isn’t going away anytime soon.
The Radical Politics of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is known today for his satirical wit, but he maintained a lifelong interest in political affairs – one which would lead him to Irish nationalism, women’s suffrage and the fight against capitalism.
The Left’s Book Clubs
At first, independent publishers were hit hard by the pandemic – but as spaces for education, catharsis and community, book clubs then became one of lockdown’s few success stories.
Chillin’ with Lenin
Tribune’s Owen Hatherley interviews Hjalmar Jorge Joffre-Eichorn about his edited collection ‘Lenin 150,’ and the many meanings of the Russian revolutionary in the present day.
25. Rigged: A Discussion of Ugandan Politics with Moses Khisa
On this week’s A World to Win, Grace is joined by academic Moses Khisa to discuss the recent elections in Uganda, the country’s slide towards authoritarianism and its failed efforts at neoliberal reforms.
10 Years Since the Egyptian Revolution
The fall of Hosni Mubarak a decade ago was a triumph for popular mobilisation, but also a lesson – even powerful protests like those in Tahrir Square can’t produce transformation without a clear political vision.
Why the Right-Wing Media Is Demonising Teachers
Since the beginning of Covid-19, teachers and their unions have been right about schools while the government was wrong. That’s why the right-wing press is trying to demonise them – and why we need to fight back.
How to Save the High Street
The terminal decline of Britain’s high streets is a consequence of towns built around consumption. We urgently need a new model based on community – one which puts public space before private profit.
How Democratic Decline Paved the Way for Neoliberalism
The neoliberal turn by centre-left parties wasn’t just a cynical betrayal or an economic necessity – it came after decades in which they grew increasingly distant from the people they aimed to represent.
The Diggers’ Green Roots
During the English Civil War, a band of radicals set out to make the world a common treasury. But the Diggers weren’t just pioneering socialists – they were forerunners of the environmental movement too.
Local Government’s Existential Crisis
Since 2010, the Tories have cut annual funding for local government by £15 billion – half of the total frontline budget. The result: mass closure of facilities, decay of our social infrastructure and a wave of council bankruptcies.
Bill Gates Can’t Save the World
Bill Gates is splashed on magazine covers across the world this week with his plan to solve climate change. But his new book ignores the fact that the same system which made him rich is the one killing the planet.
R. H. Tawney’s Ethical Socialism
R. H. Tawney was one of the most influential radicals of 20th century Britain. Today, his ethical socialism is often claimed by moderates – but, unlike them, he was committed to deep social transformation.
How Disabled Workers Have Been Abandoned During Covid-19
Two-thirds of Britain’s 100,000 Covid-19 deaths have been disabled people – and it’s no surprise: left out of government guidance and denied liveable sick pay, disabled workers have been forced to face the pandemic alone.
We Can’t All Be Max Bygraves
Trevor Griffiths’ 1975 play ‘Comedians’ took a serious look at what makes us laugh, and why. In a political era where comedians, journalists, and politicians are often the same people, it has something to teach us.
In Housing, the Market Is the Problem
The government’s Right to Regenerate scheme promises to tackle unused buildings and land – but only if they’re publicly owned. Once again, this ignores the reality of a housing crisis caused by private ownership.
How the Media Made Boris Johnson
A new book explores how Britain’s establishment media provided Boris Johnson with the platform for the lies and provocations that made his political career – only to bemoan his rise to the top when it was too late.