A Welfare State for the Wealthy
Today’s Budget promised both additional spending and a shrinking of the state. These might seem contradictory – but they are part of the same plan: to funnel yet more wealth to Britain’s elite.
225 Articles by:
Grace Blakeley
Grace Blakeley is a staff writer at Tribune and the host of our weekly podcast A World to Win.
56. Net Zero Is Not Enough: An Interview with Holly Jean Buck
This week, Grace speaks to Holly Jean Buck, Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Buffalo, about what net zero means – and what it’ll take to get there.
The Inflation Class War
Right-wingers have recently discovered the cost of living crisis, and sought to blame it on workers – but it has its roots in an economy built to enrich a tiny minority at the majority’s expense.
55. Work Without the Worker: An Interview with Phil Jones
This week, Grace speaks to researcher and author Phil Jones about when ‘automation’ is actually just poorly-paid microwork – and how those workers can organise to resist exploitation.
Democratise Central Banks
The past year has exposed the myth that central banks are neutral bodies which exist outside of politics – and made clear that their crucial economic functions must be brought under democratic control.
Keir Starmer’s Ninety Minutes of Nothing
Keir Starmer’s leaders speech was the longest in recent memory, but contained hardly any substance – an admission that Labour under his watch won’t respond to crisis with any great ambition for change.
53. Climate, Capital, and the State: An Interview With Geoff Mann
This week, Grace speaks to Geoff Mann, Professor of Geography at Simon Fraser University, about neoliberalism, state power, and why democracy is so important to anti-capitalist struggle today.
52. The Long Decline of the Tory Party: An Interview with Phil Burton-Cartledge
This week, Grace speaks with Phil Burton-Cartledge, author of ‘Falling Down: The Conservative Party and the Decline of Tory Britain’ about why, contrary to appearances, the Tories might be in decline.
51. Demand a Shorter Working Week: An Interview with Will Stronge and Kyle Lewis
This week, Grace speaks to Kyle Lewis and Will Stronge, authors of ‘Overtime’, about the historical struggle for a shorter working week – and why it should be a central demand of labour movements today.
50. The Transgender Issue: An Interview with Shon Faye
This week, Grace speaks to writer Shon Faye about transphobia in the UK, why the transgender issue is also a class issue, and how socialists can support trans rights.
49. Monopsony Capitalism: An Interview with Ashok Kumar
This week, Grace speaks to author and academic Ashok Kumar about how monopsony capitalism reshapes global value chains – and about how those changes affect worker power.
48. Post-Extractivist Green Transitions: An Interview with Thea Riofrancos
This week, Grace speaks to author and political scientist Thea Riofrancos about the IPCC report, the limits of green capitalism, and how the Left can chart a path to decarbonisation.
47. The Right to Roam: An Interview with Nick Hayes
This week, Grace speaks to Nick Hayes, author of The Book of Trespass, about the relationship between enclosure and capitalism – and how we can protect our right to roam.
46. Asset Manager Capitalism: An Interview with Adrienne Buller and Ben Braun
This week, Grace talks to researchers Adrienne Buller and Ben Braun about where the power really lies in big corporations – and whether worker ownership can change the game.
45. Go Big: An Interview with Ed Miliband
This week, Grace speaks to former Labour leader and current Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Ed Miliband about fighting inequality and climate crisis, and his new book, Go Big: How to Fix Our World.
Under the Tories, There Is No ‘Freedom Day’
The Tories have labelled today ‘Freedom Day,’ perpetuating the myth of their commitment to liberty – but their attacks on civil liberties and the means to live a decent life show how little they care about freedom.
44. Ignorance Is Power: An Interview with Linsey McGoey
This week, Grace speaks to author and academic Linsey McGoey about how politicians exploit the difference between ignorance and deliberate misinformation, and why, if ‘knowledge is power’, ignorance can be too.
Racism Isn’t a Problem of ‘a Few Bad Individuals’
The racist abuse directed at England players after the Euro final has been written off as the moral failing of a minority – but in reality it is embedded in the structures and institutions of our society.
43. Imperial Nostalgia: An Interview with Peter Mitchell
This week, Grace speaks to writer and historian Peter Mitchell about how the memory of empire manifests in today’s politics, how Labour supports that trend, and how the Left should respond to emotive calls for a return to a better age.
How Covid-19 Accelerated the Corporate Takeover of Our Economy
Despite early predictions that the pandemic would be a ‘great leveller,’ it’s increasingly clear that Covid-19 has helped major corporations increase their power – and only worker organising can fight back.