France’s Red Railways
A new book explores the role of Communists in building France’s militant railway unions – and gives insight into why, even today, they provide some of the sternest opposition to Macron’s labour reforms.
3625 Articles by:
Ellie Whittaker
Ellie Woolstencroft is an activist with Labour for a Green New Deal.
Economic Planning Can Succeed Where the Market Fails
The coronavirus crisis has exposed the failure of the market to meet society’s needs. It’s time for socialists to argue for a fundamental alternative: democratic planning of the economy.
The Palestinian Cause Isn’t Going Away
With Corbyn’s departure as leader, Israel’s supporters hope to diminish pro-Palestinian activism in Labour. But as occupation becomes outright annexation, there’s never been a more important time to stand for justice.
Why We Need More Housing Co-ops
Across Europe, housing co-operatives have been used to drive down living costs and democratise urban spaces. They are a key tool in one of the defining fights of our time: breaking the power of the landlords.
David Harvey: Coronavirus Requires a Collective Response
Coronavirus is a historic crisis, but it is also producing new forms of social organisation. Whether a better world emerges from this era will depend on our ability to respond to its challenges collectively, argues David Harvey.
Neoliberalism’s Coronavirus Calamity
Across the Western world, states which have run down their capacities through austerity and privatisation have proven incapable of rising to the challenge of coronavirus – now is the time to make the case for an alternative.
Europe Fails Another Test of Solidarity
Last night’s EU Council meeting once again failed to agree a rescue package large enough to meet the scale of the coronavirus crisis – and hung Europe’s peripheral states out to dry.
‘Labour in Scotland Can’t Become a Better Together Tribute Act’
To rebuild in Scotland, Labour has to convince people of its vision of a better society while rebuilding its links to the working-class communities it has lost – neither of those are possible as a Better Together tribute act.
Citizen Paine
On Tom Paine’s birthday, we republish Michael Foot on Paine’s revolutionary legacy as a citizen of the world who translated words into action.
An English Revolutionary
On St. George’s Day, we republish E. P. Thompson’s essay on the life and politics of William Morris – an English revolutionary and the greatest moral critic of capitalism of his age.
Tackling the Pandemic Profiteers
While the coronavirus crisis shutters much of the economy, sectors like Big Tech are making a fortune – we need an excess profits tax to ensure our resources are directed to public services instead.
Venture Capital for the People
Instead of giving loans or bailouts to startups, governments should respond to the coronavirus crisis by becoming investors – and using their stakes to shape the future of the economy in the public interest.
Westminster Paints Itself
Just before it locked down, Westminster Abbey installed a painting of itself by Canaletto in its medieval vaults. It told a story of a nation identifying its culture with the architecture of power.
Do Not Resuscitate the Oil Industry
The oil price crash is an opportunity for governments to act – keep the remaining fossil fuels in the ground and invest now in a Green New Deal to save the planet and stimulate the economy.
Making Los Angeles
Mike Davis and Jon Wiener’s new book ‘Set the Night on Fire’ chronicles the social struggles that shaped 1960s Los Angeles, from the Watts Rebellion to the Black Panther Party.
The Trouble with Mainstream Feminism
Alison Phipps’ new book ‘Me, Not You’ is a powerful critique of mainstream feminism, arguing for a politics founded on collective struggle and liberation.
After the Clapping Finishes
58% of care workers in the UK are paid less than the Real Living Wage. They are four times more likely to be on zero-hour contracts. Clapping is not enough – it’s time for better pay and conditions.
Care Workers Don’t Need Badges, They Need Proper Sick Pay
New research shows that 80% of care workers believe they will lose wages if they self-isolate. The time for tokens is over – the government needs to act today to improve working conditions.
The Great Virgin Train Robbery
After rail privatisation, Virgin Trains were presented as an engineering triumph – but they amounted to nothing more than a sewage-scented rebranding of British Rail’s managed decline.
Socialise the Food System
Capitalist food production exploits workers, leaves millions hungry and destroys the planet. It’s time to imagine another model that focuses on human need instead of private profit.