Labour

Labour

• The resistable rise of Nigel Farage

  

  The growth of the Brexit party is remarkable, but not unstoppable, argues John Rees

• Municipal Dreams - book review

  

  Council housing was about building homes not financial assets, and we should be proud of that, finds William Alderson

• Local elections: a clear rejection of the Tories and austerity

  

  The local election results have been devastating for the Tories, and the lesson for Labour is that it must be bolder and more radical, argues Shabbir Lakha

• We need the labour movement to win the fight against climate change

  

  The fight for workers' rights and jobs goes hand in hand with the fight against climate change, so we need the environmental movement and trade unionists to work together, writes Richard Allday

• An election we thought we wouldn’t have, and a vote we shouldn’t have – weekly briefing

  

  Concessions to Labour’s remainers can only damage and disorientate the Corbyn project, argues Lindsey German  

• Thank God it's Friday: 300 years of Robinson Crusoe

  

  On the 300 year anniversary of the publishing of Robinson Crusoe, Morgan Daniels analyses what the book really tells us from a Marxist perspective

• The left needs to stop retreating over the use of the term Zionism

  

  John Rees on what anti-Zionism does and does not mean

• To win, the labour movement still needs the ideas of Leon Trotsky

  

  Vladimir Unkovski-Korica argues for the relevance of Trotsky’s notion of the united front in a review of John Kelly’s book Contemporary Trotskyism: Parties, Sects and Social Movements in Britain

• Marxists, so-called Marxists, and parliamentary socialists

  

  John Rees tries to distil some sense from recent tabloid exchanges, and looks at the real relationship between Marxism, parliament and Jeremy Corbyn

• Neoliberalism and Brexit: why Brexit is about more than just Brexit

  

  Brexit must be viewed through the window of the struggle against neoliberalism, argues Dragan Plavšić

• Keep fighting for Corbyn: Stop the attacks - Counterfire freesheet March 2019

  

  The soft coup against Corbyn and the weaponisation of antisemitism, Tory Brexit crisis, Winston Churchill, Venezuela, climate change, Palestine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

• The Labour Party in Historical Perspective - book review

  

  The Labour Party in Historical Perspective shows that the Party has historically been revived by left resurgences, of which Corbyn is the latest, finds Graham Kirkwood

• Brexit delayed: general election now!

  

  This week’s parliamentary back-and-forth shows the Tories cannot deliver Brexit and a general election is the only sensible outcome, argues Martin Hall

• Tony Benn: socialist, comrade, friend

  

  An obituary written at the time of Tony Benn's passing by John Rees on a life well lived

• May's Brexit deal is dead: we need a general election now

  

  Theresa May's second catastrophic defeat in Parliament is a masterclass in Tory failure. The only way out is a general election, argues Shabbir Lakha

• When Watson and Hodge represent Labour we know we’re in trouble - weekly briefing

  

  Grassroots Momentum needs to re-assert itself to fend off this coup against Jeremy Corbyn, argues Lindsey German

• A slow coup against Corbyn has started. We must stand up against it.

  

  A coordinated campaign against Jeremy Corbyn is underway and the left inside and outside the Labour Party must stand against it, argues Chris Nineham

• Conspiracy theory: the answer is more left-wing theory not less

  

  Ruling class power can’t be understood as a conspiracy, argues John Rees

• Labour and antisemitism: separating facts from fiction

  

  The campaign to destabilise Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party has accelerated. We must oppose the attacks and defend the left, argues Kara Bryan.

• Labour pains: Watson, witch-hunts and what we do next - weekly briefing

  

  Recapturing the Corbyn moment means going beyond the Labour right's fixations with Brexit and antisemitism, argues Lindsey German  

• Manchester's new councillors and the fight against austerity

  

  How has the first year been for the new wave of Left Labour Councillors? Ben Clay, Councillor for Burnage in Manchester, spoke to Penny Hicks, Convenor of Manchester People’s Assembly

• The attack on Chris Williamson is an attack on Corbyn and the left

  

  The decision to suspend Chris Williamson is a capitulation to the right that only gives more ground for attacks on the left, argues Shabbir Lakha

• The second referendum delusion

  

  The second referendum announcement on Monday is exactly the kind of concession to the right that Jeremy Corbyn should not make, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Labour backing a second referendum is a mistake

  

  Labour announcing it will support efforts to push for a second referendum is a mistake, here's why:

• Corbyn is being smeared on antisemitism - and we need to deal with it

  

  There is no contradiction between recognising that antisemitism exists in Labour, and understanding that Corbyn is being smeared, argues Des Freedman

• May delays again, and it’s all about holding the Tories together - weekly briefing

  

  Phony brinksmanship cannot conceal a party hopelessly out of step with the class it strives to represent, argues Lindsey German 

• To defeat the Blairite splitters and plotters the left must learn the lessons of history

  

  The Blairites are a threat to Corbyn, but the left has the resources to win and there are important differences with the era of the SDP split, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Labour can end its internal war at a stroke: become a socialist party

  

  If Labour can reinvent itself it can end its perpetual internal war and reinvigorate the whole of progressive politics, argues John Rees

• The strategy and tactics of Labour’s Brexit manoeuvring

  

  Labour must set out its post-Brexit vision firmly, argues Martin Hall

• How to deal with defectors – keep left

  

  We shouldn't be intimidated by the splitters, we need to work to make Labour decisively turn its back on its failed Blairite past, argues David Swanson

• The left should take note: attack is the best form of defence

  

  When the right is attacking you, going along with it is not the solution, fighting back is, argues Chris Nineham

• Chuka's core values: privatisation, austerity and war

  

  What the 7 MPs who quit Labour have in common is their voting records supporting welfare cuts, privatisation and foreign intervention, writes Mona Kamal

• The insignificant seven: what the left must do

  

  The left must respond by not giving an inch, instead pushing the leadership to return to a politics of insurgency, argues Alex Snowdon

• Good riddance… but the left must face up to this new danger

  

  Good that the splitters have gone, but this is a dangerous moment for the left, argues John Rees

• School's out for the Tories – weekly briefing

  

  Students have put politics back on the streets again: this is an object lesson for everyone who wants a better world, argues Lindsey German

• Corbynistas! Up your game, or lose the game

  

  Waiting for the Tories to fail is a losing strategy, argues John Rees

• Gavin Williamson: delusional and dangerous

  

  Gavin Williamson's latest speech with jingoistic rhetoric and calling for more military spending shows just how out of touch with reality he is, argues Lindsey German

• And your enemies closer? - weekly briefing

  

  Red herrings are still being used to conceal real arguments about democratic accountability within the Labour party, argues Lindsey German 

• Luciana Berger and the plot against Corbyn: this is no time to retreat

  

  From the antisemitism smears to the threats of splitting from the party over Brexit, the PLP are still at war with Labour's leadership, argues Alex Snowdon

• What would a ‘Green New Deal’ look like in Britain?

  

  A Green New Deal, now a popular idea in Britain as well as the US, can help to merge environmental struggle with class struggle, argues Jago Corry

• Labour’s immigration fudge – pandering to the right doesn’t work

  

  Labour’s failure to oppose the Tory Immigration Bill shows that appeasing the right is always a mistake, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Tacking right with a smile. May has her moment.

  

  Theresa May temporarily unites her party by appeasing the hard right Tories and DUP. Whether or not it lasts, we need an alternative plan for Brexit, argues Chris Nineham

• Workers from the MoJ and BEIS go on strike and take to the streets

  

  Despite the cold, picket lines outside the Ministry of Justice and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy were vibrant and defiant, reports Shabbir Lakha

• Question Time's attacks on Diane Abbott are part of a pattern

  

  The vile treatment of Diane Abbott on the BBC's Question Time fits a theme of undermining left wing voices and pandering to the right, argues Des Freedman

• It’s austerity, stupid

  

  Eyes on the prize that matters most, an end to both the Tory government and austerity, argues John Rees

• Tories don’t want May’s deal, but they fear Labour: now’s the time to stand firm – weekly briefing

  

  The logjam shan’t be broken without a fight and the front line for our side is the urgent demand for a general election, argues Lindsey German

• No confidence in May, and no confidence in this failing government: a general election is the only option

  

  This government is sustained by class hatred alone.  But they are weak and we must keep up the pressure for a general election

• This zombie Tory government has go to go, we need a general election

  

  Power concedes nothing without demand, and it's time we demand a general election to get the Tories out

• They've got to go! General election now - Counterfire freesheet January 2019

  

  Tory Brexit crisis, the fightback against austerity, Eurovision boycott campaign, Trump and Syria, remembering Rosa Luxemburg, Yellow Vests and protests across Europe in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

• Labour members back Corbyn – what the polls actually tell us

  

  Polls don't always tell the truth, but their current interpretation in the media is deliberately hiding it, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Our ten most popular articles of 2018

  

  The most popular articles on Counterfire this year

• The establishment seems to have forgotten we live in a parliamentary democracy: let's remind them

  

  We must demand a general election to resolve this crisis, argues Chris Nineham

• Whether Theresa May wins or loses this no confidence vote, her time is up

  

  There is no clear way out for May, and only one solution for the country - she has got to go

• The Tories are incapable of delivering Brexit: we must push them out and do it ourselves

  

  A number of contradictions are causing the Tories to lose grip; Reuben Bard-Rosenberg looks at why they have no clear way of holding on

• May's deal is dead: this is what must happen next

  

  Only a general election can break the impasse, and to make it happen we need to get out on the streets and pile the pressure on, argues Martin Hall

• Why you should be on the protest that could bring down the government

  

  John Rees on why the coming demonstration on the night of the Brexit vote could be the beginning of the end for the Tory government

• 5 things a Corbyn government can't do if we stay in the EU

  

  If a Corbyn-led government is bound by the EU's framework, then it will face big obstacles in delivering its socialist policies, argues Richard Pratt

• Beyond austerity: what should a radical economic policy look like?

  

  Let’s insist that future Labour policies confront inequality and material deprivation head on, argues Alex Snowdon

• Equating fascism with Brexit is disastrous, irresponsible and gives a hand up to Tommy Robinson

  

  Arguments tying opposition to fascism with opposition to Brexit makes out half the country as Tommy Robinson supporters. This is idiotic in the extreme, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Excising its credibility: Labour’s dilemma over top rate tax - weekly briefing

  

  Dealing with inequality should be central to a radical socialist project, not something to be sidestepped, argues Cameron Panting

• A march more about attacking Labour than challenging the Tories – weekly briefing

  

  The Extreme Centre are never to be trusted especially when they mobilise under the banner of democracy, argues Lindsey German

• EU summit: nothing much happens, but the crisis continues

  

  Little progress was made in the Brexit negotiations, and Tory MPs are losing patience with May, finds Martin Hall

• We must stop Universal Credit now: it's already wrecking lives

  

  The government has pushed the full roll-out of Universal Credit further down the road, but we must stop it altogether, argues John Rees

• The Tories are destroying our schools, we need a socialist education policy

  

  The campaign against school funding cuts has attracted a lot of attention, but a socialist education policy can do much more than solve the funding crisis argues Judy Cox

• Brexit breaking point: it May be the end of this government - weekly briefing

  

  The crisis for Theresa May and the Tories continues to deepen, their only lifeline would be a second referendum, argues Lindsey German

• Decarbonisation, jobs and justice

  

  As the IPCC report stresses the urgent action needed to tackle climate change, we must challenge the narrative that an ecologically sound economy would be bad for workers

• Corbyn and the mainstream media: a case-study in fake news

  

  Since Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour Party, the media attacks have been relentless. T. J Coles, author of new book Real Fake News, examines

• Labour conference and how the left can win - Counterfire Media Podcast

  

  Chris Nineham and Tom Lock Griffiths discuss Labour Party conference and what it tells us about how the left can win in the first episode of Counterfire Media's new podcast

• Labour's conference and what it tells us about how the left can win

  

  The left surge at Labour conference was impressive - now, if we want to win, we need to mobilise the whole movement

• Justice for Palestine: a report from the Labour Party conference

  

  Conference shows strong support among Labour members for the Palestinian cause, reports Terina Hine

• Labour conference 2018: packed Stop the War fringe meeting declares an anti-war government vital

  

  The anti-war movement is on the front foot, and made its mark at Labour's conference

• The left is growing: why the setbacks at Labour conference?

  

  The left has seen a number of defeats at Labour Conference, but on the ground, there is burgeoning resistance, writes Chris Nineham

• If Labour backs a second referendum, the whole Corbyn project will be in danger of defeat

  

  We can't let the most radical leadership in Labour's history find themselves fighting on the side of free trade, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Corbyn makes defiant speech as thousands welcome him to Liverpool

  

  At a Labour rally at Liverpool's pier on the eve of Conference, Jeremy Corbyn gave a radical speech to rapturous applause and loud chanting

• Why the Labour left must hold the line at conference

  

  As Labour Party Conference commences, Sean Ledwith argues it is essential the left defends the Corbyn project against further retreats, as recent NEC decisions show us

• Minding the depth and breadth - a Labour conference reading list

  

  As Labour gathers for its annual conference Mark Perryman welcomes the variety of thinking a range of authors, new and old, are offering the Left at this vital time

• The Salzburg shakedown

  

  May is toast... unless a second referendum throws her a lifeline, argues John Rees

• Is the Labour Party a machine or a movement?

  

  Corbynism and the prospect of a Labour government are at risk if the NEC undermines the membership and democracy 

• The deep state vs. Jeremy Corbyn: three decades of spying, smearing, and intimidating

  

  History shows that the deep state will always mobilise all its resources against even a relatively moderate left-reformist like Corbyn

• A Party with Socialists in It - book review

  

  A history of the left in the Labour Party highlights the need for a strong extra-parliamentary movement, argues Chris Nineham

• Labour, antisemitism and the damage done

  

  The attacks on Corbyn and the left this summer have been damaging, and can only be dealt with through political struggle, argues Kevin Potter

• Is Israel a racist endeavour?

  

  Supporting Palestine is an anti-racist, anti-colonial struggle; Israel is and always has been a racist state, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Boris is going for brutal Brexit - weekly briefing

  

  From blustering buffoon to Trumpish racist, Johnson’s recasting himself for a new wave of reactionary and anti-working class politics, writes Lindsey German 

• The limits of Keynesianism

  

  A Marxist critique of Keynesian economics and what that means post-financial crisis

• Corbyn’s leadership in danger

  

  The defeat for the Palestinian cause at the hands of the Labour Party’s NEC should not be underestimated

• Labour's NEC votes on IHRA; members protest to defend Corbyn

  

  Protesters rallied outside Labour Party HQ to defend Jeremy Corbyn and oppose the IHRA definition, Shabbir Lakha reports

• The attacks on Corbyn can only end if they're confronted

  

  Apologies and appeasement won’t stop the witch-hunt against Corbyn

• We cannot compromise on the NEC code of conduct on antisemitism

  

  Nothing will appease those who are determined to defeat Corbyn and diminish support for the Palestinians, argues Alex Snowdon

• What Frank Field's resignation tells us about the Labour right's slow coup

  

  Destined for deselection, yet citing antisemitism, the nationalist Leaver's parting shot has been supported by Blairites whose only principle is to smash the left, writes Kevin Ovenden

• Toronto rally confronts Zionist slanders

  

  As the Toronto community stands firm against Zionist attacks, John Clarke reminds us that our solidarity with the Palestinian cause mustn't be apologised for 

• It's time to stand up and be counted - what defending Corbyn really means

  

  This is a defining moment for the Corbyn project, and attacks over antisemitism and Palestine must be firmly opposed or they will escalate to chilling effect, argues Chris Nineham

• When the lying has to stop – weekly briefing

  

  Calling out the smear merchants for what they are is step one in ending this appalling and unprecedented witch-hunt,  argues Lindsey German

• Take the fight to the right and make this time ours - national meeting

  

  It's time to fightback against the smears aimed at sabotaging Corbyn

• The fightback is on: hundreds rally behind Corbyn in London

  

  Hundreds of Londoners rallied against the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn and Palestine on Tuesday, Shabbir Lakha reports

• What's wrong with the IHRA definition? - video

  

  A short video explaining why adopting the full IHRA definition would be a mistake for Labour

• Back the NEC code: why compromising is the wrong thing to do

  

  Labour's NEC is under pressure to adopt the IHRA definition and some on the left are supporting this move. Alex Snowdon explains what's wrong with this logic

• Don’t look here, look there: the one percent, inequality and Jeremy Corbyn - weekly briefing

  

  The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer isn’t a fact of life; it’s a set of politics that we can change, argues Lindsey German 

• We’ve seen the largest rise in poverty since Thatcher: resistance is a necessity

  

  The latest figures on living standards tell us austerity’s class warfare is more dangerous than ever. Mass struggle is an urgent requirement, argues John Clarke

• Defend Jeremy Corbyn: time to fight back - Counterfire statement

  

  Corbyn is right – the left needs to fight back against the slander of antisemitism

• Stand firm in attacks against Corbyn, or lose the fight

  

  Right wing attacks on Corbyn have intensified. If we lose ground now, we will pay heavily in the future, argues Alex Snowdon

• The attack on Bookmarks was an attack on us all

  

  The attack on Bookmarks shows how emboldened the far right are and why the debate on how to stop them is so urgent argues Pete Morgan

• Hodge case shows why Labour Right needs to be confronted - and defeated

  

  The only appropriate response to Margaret Hodge and her co-conspirators is to take them on politically and defeat them argues Alex Snowdon

• Antisemitism: what the left should say – weekly briefing

  

  We should not apologise for things we haven’t done and we do not shut down a witch-hunt by agreeing with it, argues Lindsey German

• Dear Amber Rudd, we're not left behind, we're being held back

  

  The former Home Secretary's desperate attempt to defend Tory policies in Hastings only shows how clueless she is, reports Chrissy Brand

• Antisemitism and apartheid

  

  As Israel enshrines apartheid into law and Jeremy Corbyn is labelled an antisemite, Shabbir Lakha assesses the situation 

• Why Labour must oppose Israel’s racist apartheid

  

  The Labour Party must not endorse Israeli violence, racism and apartheid policies as MPs have voted to do, argues Alex Snowdon

• Israel enshrines apartheid into law

  

  While the Labour right try to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, Israel just enshrined apartheid into law argues Mark Porciani

• Brexit and the left, two years on

  

  The left should not avoid political struggle, it should actively work to shape the outcomes of political crisis argues David Bush

• The new forces behind the fascist right

  

  A changed threat has emerged in Tommy Robinson's street movement, supported by the international populist right. John Rees looks at how we meet it

• After the final days of May

  

  This is the start of a new phase of the crisis, not the end of it, writes John Rees

• Success for England will mean what we make it mean

  

  As England prepare to take on Colombia tonight, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman outlines what we might or might not be able to look forward to

• The EEA: the worst of all possible worlds

  

  The European Economic Area is an extension of the EU's dominance and is not to be taken lightly, argues Martin Hall

• The NHS revolution

  

  NHS at 70: Morgan Daniels looks behind the myth and finds our rulers conceding to an emboldened working class

• Change is coming: be a part of it

  

  The upcoming National People’s Assembly, is a necessary step towards refreshing and refocusing the anti-austerity movement

• The limits of Keynesianism part 5: can the working class make advances within capitalism?

  

  In the final part of our series, Dominic Alexander looks at how working class advancement means moving beyond the confines of reformism

• The most leftwing Labour leader doesn’t need advice from the most unsuccessful one - weekly briefing

  

  It’s time for our side to reassert a People’s Brexit and quash the creeping Remainers and their anti-socialist EU allies, argues Lindsey German

• The phoney war must end: crossing the Brexit Rubicon

  

  The mask of the EU has slipped; Corbyn must seize this opportunity to make the case for a clean break, argues Martin Hall

• Marx matters more than ever - weekly briefing

  

  There’s still only one thinker who not only explains the horrors of capitalism but also offers an escape route, writes Lindsey German

• Local elections: for the left, standing still is losing ground

  

  Labour did better in the local elections than the loss the media are portraying, but they could have done a lot better, argues Cameron Panting

• The limits of Keynesianism part three: Marx, Keynes and the analysis of the trade cycle

  

  In the third part of our series on Keynesianism, Dominic Alexander looks at cycles, crisis, and why Keynesianism always looks to fix capitalism 

• Windrush and antisemitism: who’s weaponising what?

  

  The Tories are astonishingly trying to turn the windrush scandal into a knock for Labour and Shabbir Lakha argues that it must not stick

• Gordon Brown, Scottish Labour and independence

  

  As Jeremy Corbyn meets with Gordon Brown, Chris Bambery looks at Brown's role in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the current state of Scottish Labour

• From Jewdas to Skripal: media attacks on Corbyn are out of touch with reality

  

  The British media tells a partial story on racism and its claims against the Labour leader run contrary to the evidence, writes Lindsey German

• The Corbyn Moment - video

  

  Some clips from the speeches made at The Corbyn Moment event in London filmed and edited by Paul Merron

• Basic Income: progressive cloak and neoliberal dagger

  

  BI is not an answer to inequality under neoliberalism. Social transformation will come through collective struggle, argues John Clarke

• When the ruling class can't rule in the old way - weekly briefing

  

  The establishment is losing control, but there is a way out for them, if the left lets its guard down, warns John Rees

• Brexit is an opportunity to break with the status quo: we must take it

  

  How Brexit is handled is key to Corbyn being elected, and the success of a radical Labour government

• Healthcare for the many - book extract

  

  In this extract from Mike Phipps' edited collection, For the Many... Preparing Labour for Power, Allyson Pollock takes a close look at healthcare in the Labour manifesto

• A weak and unpopular establishment is losing control - video

  

  Chris Nineham is interviewed about his book 'How the Establishment Lost Control'

• Corbynism was to a large extent a response to Pasokification

  

  In his speech at 'The Corbyn Moment', Alex Nunns argues that it's participation which will be critical in avoiding the perils of Pasokification

• Time's up Theresa - Counterfire Freesheet March 2018

  

  Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...

• Are we having a party or a moment?

  

  If Corbynism is to be more than a moment, Mark Perryman argues this requires new kinds of left politics

• Corbyn is right about Russia, it is time for a new foreign policy

  

  British government reaction to the attempted murder of double agent Sergei Skripal is rank hypocrisy, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• We must say no to the single market

  

  The Labour Campaign for the Single Market is a battering ram for the Labour right, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Alternative models and silent revolutions

  

  After years on the back foot, Labour has shown that ideas of worker-led ownership are back in play

• Theresa May tries to unite party with vacuous Brexit speech

  

  Theresa May has attempted to trump Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit speech but she still has no credibility

• Brexit and change

  

  As the next phase of Brexit kicks in, Brian Heron discusses what the arguments are and what underpins them

• Time for Action - UCU Strike

  

  John McDonnell has released a video saying UCU strikers have "absolute solidarity" from Labour. Jack Hazeldine lays out the next steps

• The Corbyn Moment

  

  It is now more than ever the time to transform Labour into a social movement, argues Mark Perryman

• The Corbyn Effect - book review

  

  The Corbyn Effect, a diverse collection of arguments on left politics, is politically uneven but offers many insights into the upheavals in the Labour Party argues Alex Snowdon

• Europe: why retreat must not turn into defeat for the left - weekly briefing

  

  Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US

• The Czech spy claim is a re-writing of Labour's history

  

  The smear on Jeremy Corbyn that he was an informant to a Czech spy during the Cold War is the worst kind of red-baiting

• What does Corbyn's Brexit speech really mean?

  

  Jeremy Corbyn has outlined the Labour party's position on Brexit - in particular, regarding the customs union - Martin Hall breaks it down

• The radical case against the single market is no myth

  

  In response to a recently published report, Reuben Bard-Rosenberg takes apart some of the arguments made by the Labour Campaign for the Single Market

• Turning the tide in Labour against war and against Nato

  

  Following the success of an anti-war resolution at Young Labour's conference, Johnny Charles reports on how a similar resolution was passed at his CLP

• The why and what of a People’s Brexit

  

  Labour should stick with its People's Brexit strategy argues John Rees, but it has to make it much clearer what this means in practice

• The EU has derailed left governments at least three times - don’t let Corbyn be next.

  

  The Labour right is now focusing on the European Union to attack Corbyn - Chris Nineham shows why this is a dangerous moment

• Blood on their hands: NHS marchers call time on Tories

  

  The scale of the weekend’s emergency protest shows a movement that won’t wait for 2022, reports Jack Hazeldine

• Palestine: the open wound

  

  Shabbir Lakha reflects on the twentieth century imperial imposition that continues to blight global justice

• Save the NHS - Counterfire Freesheet February 2018

  

  The Tory manufactured crisis in the NHS, Carillion, Labour, Palestine, Grenfell and more...

• Victory for residents as Haringey Council Leader quits

  

  Haringey Council Leader Claire Kober's resignation is a victory for democracy and the grassroots Stop HDV campaign against social cleansing, Isabel Carr reports

• Frances O’Grady puts workers’ rights in the hands of the EU

  

  The TUC should focus on the problems facing working people. Workers' rights and the Single Market don't go together, argues Martin Hall

• Stop HDV: social housing, social cleansing and grassroots resistance

  

  The campaign to stop privatisation of social housing in Haringey is a prominent example of effective grassroots resistance to council-backed social cleansing explains Isabel Carr

• 2018: the way forward

  

  As we start the new year, Alex Snowdon looks back at the political developments of the last year with a view of what to expect from 2018

• We were many: A review of 2017

  

  Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football introduces their visual review of 2017

• 14 videos that prove Jeremy Corbyn won 2017

  

  What a year it's been! Here's a roundup of some of the best political moments of 2017

• Brexit: Friday’s deal hints at much, but says very little

  

  Theresa May’s Brexit announcement on Friday was hailed as both a breakthrough and a betrayal. What has actually happened and what does it mean?

• The Irish Question, the EU and the debate about borders - weekly briefing

  

  The end of the first phase of Brexit negotiations is neither the restoring of Theresa May's fortunes nor an indication that the Irish situation is stable argues Lindsey German

• A life sentence of low wages and public sector cuts - weekly briefing

  

  Despite dire forecasts for the economy and living standards, the Tories are continuing with more austerity. It can't go on argues Lindsey German

• Labour needs a new foreign policy

  

  Jeremy Corbyn's long-held views ought to become Labour policy

• Scottish Labour ditches the right

  

  Richard Leonard's Scottish Labour must embrace Corbynism and take the fight to the Tories

• Not fit to govern

  

  We can't just wait for the government to implode. An insurgent Labour leadership at the head of the labour movement can bring real change now

• Not fit to govern - Counterfire freesheet November/December 2017

  

  Tory crisis, Catalonia, Universal credit, foreign policy, and more. Counterfire freesheet, November/December 2017

• Friends of Israel: influencing British politics

  

  The coverage of the Priti Patel affair has been largely focused on the breach of the Ministerial code, but it goes deeper than that argues Shabbir Lakha

• The Israel Factor: Priti Patel and Emily Thornberry

  

  Priti Patel's secret meetings have put Israeli influence in British politics in the spotlight, but we need a wider conversation, including about Emily Thornberry argues Shabbir Lakha

• The Tories are falling apart, but we must act to push them out

  

  To achieve a scenario where Theresa May poses the question ‘who rules?’ requires all of us to start moving

• We need a new foreign policy built around peace

  

  Jeremy Corbyn's rise has put anti-war politics centre stage. We now have a chance to do things completely differently, argues Chris Nineham 

• Sex, power, and money: parliament and politics - weekly briefing

  

  How far will this challenge to male privilege be allowed to go, asks Lindsey German 

• Is Jeremy Corbyn ready to be Prime Minister: John Rees on TRT - video

  

  At a roundtable discussion on TRT World, John Rees talks about Jeremy Corbyn, his leadership and performance at the last general election.

• Balfour 100 years on - nothing to celebrate

  

  The Balfour Declaration was the prelude to violent settler colonialism in Palestine argues Alex Snowdon and explains why thousands will be protesting not celebrating.

• Universal Credit: pausing is not enough, abolish it

  

  Universal credit is not about 'reform', it's about the Tories penalising the poor, argues Steph Pike

• We must drive the Tories out

  

  Only a mass popular movement can force the change needed 

• Tories down and demoralised: time to hit them hard - weekly briefing

  

  We can't simply wait for the Tories to collapse - this weak Tory government has to feel even more heat than it does already argues Lindsey German

• May Day, May Day! The Tory ship is sinking

  

  John Rees on the reasons for the Tory debacle and what comes next

• Euphoria and its discontents

  

  John Rees looks at Labour’s strengths and weaknesses

• Corbyn's a winner, but this is only the beginning of the fight - weekly briefing

  

  The left have cemented their position within Labour, but we must build strength as a wider movement if we are to take on vested interests and really change society

• The Corbyn Effect: everything changes - book extract

  

  In an exclusive edited extract from his new book The Corbyn Effect Mark Perryman describes a decisive rupture in British politics.

• Tories out! May must go

  

  We must build an organised opposition to the Tories

• Tories out - Counterfire freesheet September 2017

  

  Labour's Brexit dilemma, Trump and North Korea, and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 20, September 2017

• Corbyn and the chances of change – book extract

  

  In this final extract from How the Establishment Lost Control Chris Nineham outlines why a radical extra-parliamentary movement is needed to secure decisive change

• The impending crisis for Macron

  

  With his ratings in freefall, the neoliberal standard-bearer unveils his labour law ‘reforms’ against a swelling tide of anger 

• Dugdale's resignation is a victory for the left

  

  The resignation as leader of Scottish Labour is a recognition of Corbyn's strength

• Labour's Brexit mistake

  

  Labour's policy reversal threatens to undo the gains of the past two years, argues Martin Hall

• If it ain't broke, don't fix it: the dangers of Keir Starmer's new policy on Brexit - weekly briefing

  

  Jeremy Corbyn's original position, when he argues for a People's Brexit, made a lot of sense. 

• Sarah, you're no champion of equality

  

  In a time of resurgent racism, further stigmatisation of ethnic minorities is not just reckless, writes Kara Bryan

• Britain's blossoming political crisis

  

  Both mainstream parties will continue their convulsive evolution in the coming year, writes Brian Heron

• Can Vince Cable save the Lib Dems?

  

  What does the future hold for the party?

• Mayor of Bristol to lead protest against austerity

  

  The move by Marvin Rees provides a significant opportunity for the anti-austerity movement

• Lindsey German takes on Blair on Brexit on Sky News - video

  

  Tony Blair says it is 'absolutely necessary' that Brexit doesn't go ahead. Lindsey German has her say

• Brexit: division and unity on the Left

  

  Brexit gives us a unique opportunity. Let's take it

• May's not-so-great Repeal Bill

  

  The Tory mess is getting deeper, argues Jonathan Maunders

• First the DUP, now Corbyn: Theresa May's inability to govern

  

  May's time is up. Let's push her out

• Nurses find 'magic money tree' and deliver it to Department of Health

  

  As the government flip-flops and flounders over the pay cap, nurses get their own back

• We shouldn't wait for the government to fall, we should bring it down

  

  Last weekend's demonstration once again showed that organisation is key in forcing change

• This political moment will not last

  

  Politics in this country has 
shifted decisively to the left, but we must make the most of it

• Corbyn and the movement: this is our time

  

  Following the political earthquake, building the movement is vital. Now it can really reshape politics

• This is our time, but we have to organise - weekly briefing

  

  The left is on the front foot - we can't let this moment pass

• What can the Corbynistas learn from Syriza?

  

  As a Corbyn government seems more and more likely, there are clear lessons to be drawn from the Greek experience, writes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
   

• Social Attitudes Survey: A major shift to the left

  

  The study's results validate Corbyn's strategy of holding Labour to principled positions and articulating alternatives to the Tories' failed economics

• May out! Corbyn in! - Counterfire freesheet July 2017

  

  The way forward for the movement, the Grenfell tragedy and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 019, July 2017