Tories

Tories

• Brexit delayed: now what?

  

  As Brexit drags on into the autumn, both opportunities and problems present themselves, argues Martin Hall

• Seven demands for stopping climate change

  

  Environmental activist and author, Elaine Graham-Leigh, highlights seven key demands the movement against climate change needs to be making

• What's to blame for knife crime?

  

  As more young lives are being tragically lost to knife crime, we must demand an end to austerity and investment in our communities, the very opposite of the Tories response of racism and repression, argues Julie Al-Hinai

• Knife crime and youth violence: poverty, powerlessness and a way ahead

  

  A commission has found that austerity has played a central role in creating the conditions for the spike in knife crime around the country, reports Kiri Tunks

• 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

• Bungled Brexit beggars belief - weekly briefing

  

  General Election Now has to be the clarion call for all those resisting war, austerity and inequality, argues Lindsey German

• Third time unlucky for Theresa May

  

  As Theresa May's disastrous reign draws to a close, Shabbir Lakha assesses the political landscape

• Brexit deadlock: the only way out of this mess is a general election

  

  The Brexit deadlock can only be broken with a general election, writes David McAllister

• 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

• She’s going down: now is not the time to prop up the Tories – weekly briefing

  

  Our side needs to stand firm in the face of Theresa May’s inversion of strong and stable, argues Lindsey German

• Brexit crisis continued: Theresa May's inept authoritarianism

  

  Theresa May blaming Parliament for her failures reveals her distaste for democracy and inability to keep her ship afloat, argues Morgan Daniels

• Who's to blame for the rise of Islamophobic terrorist attacks?

  

  After the terrorist attack in Christchurch and now the attacks on Birmingham mosques, Shabbir Lakha finds that it's leading politicians and the media fuelling Islamophobia

• Don’t criminalise and scapegoat our homeless rough sleepers with PSPOs: blame Tory austerity

  

  PSPOs are another heartless and poorly conceived reaction to problems caused by austerity, argues Karen Buckley

• Call it by its name: Islamophobia, and it comes from the top – weekly briefing

  

  Capitalism always has a pre-eminent form of racism; it’s our task to identify, locate and defeat it, argues Lindsey German

• 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

• 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

• Theresa - the powerful new song from Cabinet of Millionaires

  

  Unlike the Prime Minister, Cabinet of Millionaires' Theresa is reliably good, with a catchy tune and a powerful message, writes Graham Lockwood

• Peak inequality: Britain's ticking time bomb - review

  

  Danny Dorling’s Peak Inequality provides powerful evidence of the damage that rising inequality has had across housing, education, health and demography, finds Sean Ledwith

• Don't deport Explo: stand up to the hostile environment - video

  

  The Home Office are uprooting 29 years of Explo's life because of a few hours. Don't let them deport him on a technicality. Let's not let them get away with it. Share the video and sign the petition now.

• 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:

• Red light for Amber

  

  As the effects of austerity make Hastings look more like a warzone than a seaside town, Amber Rudd looks on idly, reports Chrissy Brand

• Is Sajid Javid's deprivation of Shamima Begum's citizenship legal?

  

  Looking at the law, it's clear that the Home Office decision to strip Shamima Begum of her citizenship is incorrect, argues Attiq Malik

• 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

• Corbynistas! Up your game, or lose the game

  

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

• School climate strike: thousands of students shut down Parliament Square

  

  School students brought Westminster to a standstill as around ten thousand protested against government inaction on climate change, reports Thomas Gibbs

• 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

• Marxism and the Brexit crisis

  

  The Brexit crisis is best understood through a strong methodological framework, argues John Rees

• Lambeth says 'keep our NHS public!'

  

  Despite the adverse weather conditions, local activists are giving their all to defend our NHS, reports Ellen Graubart

• The Rhyming Guide to the Stansted 15

  

  From error to terror, Potent Whisper rhymes in solidarity with the Stansted 15

• 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

• Explo Nani-Kofi: fighting back against the hostile environment

  

  A leading anti-war activist and UK resident of 29 years speaks about the machinations of the Home Office and the campaign to reinstate his indefinite leave to remain

• 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

• There's no refugee crisis in Britain, only a hostile environment and racist scapegoating

  

  The current Tory-manufactured “refugee crisis” is part of the same hostile environment that this government has created for its own citizens, argues Cathy Augustine

• 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

• No government should survive this kind of rout. May must go.

  

  After the catastrophic loss in Parliament, it's clear the Tories are unable to govern and Theresa May should already have resigned, argues Chris Nineham

• 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

• The travesty that is Theresa May’s government has to end – weekly briefing

  

  As Tory rule hits an unprecedented crisis, the left must keep its eyes on the prize: the boldest and strongest of Corbyn victories, argues Lindsey German

• Yellow Vests against austerity march through London - photos

  

  Thousands of people marched through London wearing yellow vests and demanding a General Election, reports Shabbir Lakha

• Universities in 2019: facing the perfect storm

  

  As the Tories' mismanagement of higher education continues, Des Freedman looks at the battles ahead

• Brexit: the uncivil war - review

  

  Channel 4's feature-length drama on the EU referendum presents voters as dupes but also shows the cluelessness of the establishment, argues Martin Hall

• 12 reasons to protest on Saturday for a General Election Now

  

  The Tories have fashioned a Britain of destitution and booming social injustice. We need to mobilise to force a general election, writes William Hendy

• Our ten most popular articles of 2018

  

  The most popular articles on Counterfire this year

• The Tories want a national government because they want to break Corbyn - weekly briefing

  

  The only way forward for our side is an emboldened working class and a radical set of politics stage centre in the mainstream, argues Lindsey German  

• 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

• Theresa May: more than a lame duck, less than a dead duck

  

  Theresa May clinching the confidence vote solves nothing for her or the country, argues John Rees

• Rage at the Home Office - solidarity with the Stansted 15

  

  The courage of the Stansted 15 in stopping this cruel deportation flight is an inspiration, not a crime, argues Ellen Graubart, reporting on the protest outside the Home Office

• 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

• There's only one way out of this mess, and that’s a general election – weekly briefing

  

  The Tories shan’t topple on their own, we need to build and maintain the pressure against them, argues Lindsey German

• West Wales' warning to the Tories

  

  In one of the most deprived areas in northern Europe people have had enough, writes Jim Scott

• Austerity Britain is destroying our mental health

  

  As those most affected by austerity Britain blame themselves, we must turn attention to the real culprits, argues Karen Buckley

• 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

• Class questions are the way to defeat austerity, not a rerun of the referendum - weekly briefing

  

  The Brexit blizzard is there to blind us; it's time to take out the Tories and that means a general election, argues Lindsey German

• The People's Assembly launch the Britain is Broken campaign

  

  Austerity has failed but it continues to wreak havoc for millions of people. Shabbir Lakha reports from the launch of a new campaign to end austerity

• 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 Tom Gibbs

• Food banks gone, rough sleeping gone: this is what the end of austerity should look like

  

  Austerity has fundamentally reshaped our society and continues to intensify inequality.  It must be ended and those responsible must be held to account, insists Counterfire

• Jeremy Corbyn joins teachers to demand an end to education cuts

  

  The National Education Union organised a march and rally in Westminster on Tuesday, declaring "enough is enough" and launched an indicative strike ballot

• End Foodbank Britain: General Election Now - Counterfire Freesheet December 2018

  

  Brexit crisis, arms sales to Yemen, the devastation caused by austerity, tackling the far right, Palestine, books of the year and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

• All hands on deck to save Theresa May’s ship from sinking – but what we need is a change of government - weekly briefing

  

  The establishment's operation to save May's Brexit deal is in full swing. We have to make sure they can't find a way out of this crisis, argues Lindsey German

• A state of disunion: Europe after Brexit

  

  Liberals lament Britain leaving the European Union, but the politics of the bloc is increasingly right wing and nasty, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• The New Project Fear

  

  The Tories are in crisis and are not fit to govern, argues Katherine Connelly 

• Is austerity over? The picture from the North East shows it isn't

  

  Theresa May recently said that austerity was coming to an end. Tony Dowling from the People's Assembly North East explains why this isn't true

• Stop Tommy Robinson, All out for 17 November - Counterfire Freesheet November 2018

  

  Opposing the far right, people's vote, police racism, precarious workers, climate chaos, universal credit and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

• Universal Credit: the cruellest cut

  

  The Tory government's welfare reform programme ruins lives and must be scrapped, argues Steph Pike

• 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

• Another World Mental Health Day, another hollow Tory proposal

  

  Theresa May announcing a Suicide Prevention Minister to tackle the growing mental health problems that are a product of the austerity is empty rhetoric argues Mona Kamal

• 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

• Uber strike: precarious workers fight back

  

  Uber drivers organised a 24 hour strike and rallied at Uber offices against precarious working conditions and unfair pay, Shabbir Lakha reports

• 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

• Tories out! Birmingham marches against austerity

  

  The response to the Tory conference in Birmingham was suitably angry and clear in its demands, reports Ellen Graubert

• The Tories have no idea how to fix a broken Britain

  

  We can't afford the Tories, we need to get them out of office before any more damage is done, argues John Rees

• Austerity has broken Britain but the Tories are still committed to it

  

  The Tories are still wedded to austerity. Looking at the real-life consequences of the cuts, Jim Scott argues that we need to get the Tories out now

• Ship, iceberg... you know what happens next - weekly briefing

  

  Tory calamity combined with Jeremy Corbyn's increasing consolidation of the mainstream puts a premium on extra-parliamentary activity for rest of the left, asserts Lindsey German 

• Ontario becomes a testing ground for hyper austerity

  

  Creative organising and resistance are urgently needed as a rampant, austerity-bent Tory government carves its way through Ontario, reports John Clarke

• The neverendum won’t help Labour, but it will help the right - weekly briefing

  

  The Labour party mustn’t lose sight of its base as the Salzburg shenanigans highlights an EU still fixated on elites and privilege, argues Lindsey German 

• The Salzburg shakedown

  

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

• Sweden’s elections and the mounting far right threat in Europe

  

  The far right Sweden Democrats didn't do as well as commentators anticipated, but the fascist threat must be confronted across Europe, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• The Palestinians deserve better than this – weekly briefing

  

  Any concessions on anti-imperialism will not only weaken Jeremy Corbyn but the whole of the radical left, 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

• Rural activism: tales from the sticks – part two

  

  In the second part of tales from the sticks, Jim Scott explains the birth and growth of a movement in rural Wales over the last 5 years

• Inequality and the City: CEO salaries soar while we still pay for the crash

  

  Falling wages in a growing economy and ever increasing pay for bosses show a system undeterred by crisis in consolidating wealth at the top of society, argues Josh Newman

• 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

• Boris and the burqa: taking a cue from the EU

  

  Islamophobic dress decrees have become as much a feature of contemporary Europe as fine wines, ancient patrimony and al fresco dining, writes Susan Ram

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

  

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

• Unclear and divisive: not the deal our NHS workers deserve

  

  NHS workers have been pressured into accepting a deliberately misleading deal, explains a health worker and union representative 

• 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

• Far right celebrate Tommy Robinson's release from prison

  

  Tommy Robinson's release pending a retrial has been received with jubilation by the far right. Anti-racists need to be prepared to take them on, argues Steph Pike

• Lies, damned lies, and Tory press releases

  

  Richard Allday sheds some light on the Tories' new 'pay rise' for public sector workers

• 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 

• Afghanistan: more troops to continue an endless war

  

  Britain sending more troops to Afghanistan shows the end of the war isn't in sight and lays bare what the 'special relationship' is all about argues Lindsey German

• Together against Trump: a mass show of opposition

  

  Looking back at the quarter of a million strong demonstration against Trump, Daniel Jakopovich argues that it was a mass display of people power

• 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

• Trump Out, Tories Out, General Election Now! - Counterfire Freesheet July 2018

  

  Trump's visit and his trade delusions, crisis for the Tories, Grenfell, is the EU really a friend to migrants and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 027, July 2018

• Together we can defeat Trump, and the Tories too

  

  Opposing Donald Trump can play a role in bringing down our own vicious government

• The Rhyming Guide to Donald Trump

  

  Potent Whisper makes the case for protesting against Donald Trump

• Why we should all be out protesting against Trump's visit to the UK

  

  We must be united in our opposition to Trump and everything he represents

• 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

• May Day, May Day: this ship is sinking – weekly briefing

  

  This latest Tory crisis is an opportunity the left must seize and the week’s protests are all the means to do so, argues Lindsey German  

• Homelessness is rapidly rising - it's the product of a failed system

  

  The Tories are responsible for the huge growth in homelessness and rough sleeping, it'll take systemic change pushed from below to solve it argues Daryl Peach

• You’ll never edit Grenfell

  

  A spoken word response to Andrew O’Hagan’s ‘The Tower’ by Potent Whisper

• What, you thought we just forgot about Grenfell?

  

  Thousands of people marched in silence on the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Fire in a powerful show of solidarity, reports Shabbir Lakha

• Our NHS: Keep the fight on the streets - Counterfire Freesheet June 2018

  

  Fighting for our NHS, Ireland's abortion rights victory, Grenfell one year on, Dump Trump and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 026, June 2018

• The far right can be defeated, and mass organisation is the key – weekly briefing

  

  Solidarity with Muslims and maximum unity are the watchwords for confronting today’s street racists, argues Lindsey German

• Populism and polarisation in Ontario: election analysis

  

  The Tory victory shows a missed opportunity for Ontario's labour party, but the left must organise now and fight en masse against Doug Ford's ugly party of the bosses, write activists Doug Nesbitt, Gerard Di Trolio and David Bush ('Fight for $15' campaign)

• Dump Trump and the special relationship, too

  

  Theresa May's support for Trump is a faultline we must fully exploit, argues Jonathan Maunders

• Our NHS: keep the fight on the streets

  

  The demos this summer give us a chance to recapture the spirit of last year's insurgency and take the fight to the Tories. We must take it

• UCU: we are the union

  

  The annual UCU conference has begun and the leadership, unwilling to accept criticism, has acted anti-democratically and with contempt of its members reports Des Freedman

• Grenfell one year on - the Tories still don't care

  

  As we approach the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Tories have learnt no lessons and show only disregard and contempt argues Steph Pike

• 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

• After Windrush: this racist government must go - Counterfire Freesheet May 2018

  

  Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018

• Trump's ditching of Iran deal is paving the way to war

  

  Trump pulling the US out of the Iran nuclear deal is a step on the path to more war in the Middle East argues Shabbir Lakha

• 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

• Rural activism: tales from the sticks – part one

  

  The Tories' ‘scatter-shot’ strategy has finally backfired on them and will eventually send them running for the hills argues Jim Scott

• Rudd down, May to go

  

  Amber Rudd resigning because of popular pressure is a victory and a reminder that what the left does can make a decisive difference argues Chris Nineham

• This rudderless government deserves a hostile environment – weekly briefing

  

  It’s up to us to make sure the nasty party pays for its crimes, argues Lindsey German

• 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

• Resisting the republic of fear: protesters take on Modi

  

  Over a thousand people protested outside Downing Street last week as India's Prime Minister Modi visited Theresa May, Amrit Wilson explains why

• NHS at 70: celebrate and defend our health service on June 30

  

  As the NHS approaches its 70th birthday on July 5, we need a big show of strength in London on June 30 to save it from the Tories

• Racism starts at the top in Britain, and we’re seeing the result with Windrush - weekly briefing

  

  The fight against ruling class divide-and-rule has never been more urgent and the Tory leadership are a sitting target, argues Lindsey German

• The Windrush scandal: It's time to deport Theresa May from office

  

  This terrible scandal shows us that racism is driven primarily from the top of society, not the bottom, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Nationwide opposition to Syria airstrikes

  

  Thousands of people have taken to the streets in over 40 towns and cities across the country to voice their opposition to Theresa May's bombing of Syria

• The idea that the West have been “inactive” in Syria is completely untrue

  

  Politicians and commentators supporting more military action in Syria say inaction has consequences, but the West haven't been inactive in Syria argues Shabbir Lakha

• 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

• Douma attack and the war in Syria - Stop the War statement

  

  Statement from Stop the War Coalition following the attacks on Douma in Syria

• Lies, damn lies, and Boris Johnson - weekly briefing

  

  This floundering ruling class operative personifies an exposed and rotten regime, writes Lindsey German
   

• The Salisbury incident: facts not necessary

  

  After Porton Down experts revealed that they can't confirm the origin of the nerve agent, it's clear that the government is trying to manipulate the public argue Johnny Charles and Harry Rogers

• 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

• 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

• The NHS pay offer is divisive and insulting

  

  The media and unions are welcoming the proposed reform to NHS pay, but David Bailey explains why it's a bad deal and should be rejected

• University strikes: employers’ retreat needs to be nailed down

  

  As UUK returns with a further offer, Des Freedman takes a look at the immediate options facing university staff involved in the dispute

• A weak and unpopular establishment is losing control - video

  

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

• Time's up Theresa - Counterfire Freesheet March 2018

  

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

• The government's stance on Salisbury is a big gamble - weekly briefing

  

  Theresa May's Cold War revivalism is a high risk strategy for all of us, writes Alex Snowdon 

• Bristol marches to demand justice for Grenfell 9 months on

  

  Ahead of the anniversary of the disaster the establishment will seek to depoliticise events, but we must mobilise in solidarity now more than ever, writes Tom Whittaker

• The problem is jingoism, not conspiracism

  

  Spurious national unity does not serve working people. The left must resist, argues Kevin Ovenden

• The SNP, Russia and the turn to the establishment

  

  Sturgeon's rhetoric goes against the spirit of the Scottish independence movement. The left must unite against the state, argues David Jamieson

• Russia hysteria, the establishment, and the left

  

  The establishment wants to create a consensus under the spurious cover of national unity. The left needs to rally in response, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Spring budget: Business, as usual

  

  The Tories have no answers to the problems facing British society

• Time's up Theresa

  

  With the country in chaos, we need change now - keep up the pressure!

• 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

• Saudi Prince not welcome: demonstrate against his visit

  

  Statement from organisations opposing the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to the UK and urging people to join the demonstration tomorrow

• Poll Tax 1990: the revolt that sank Thatcher - video

  

  Tom Whittaker gives a sharp introduction on how Thatcher was toppled and what lessons activists today can learn in kicking the Tories out

• 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

• In defence of Stormzy

  

  Following the right wing attacks on Stormzy's Brit Awards intervention, Julie Al-Hinai fights back with a letter to Amanda Platell

• Brexit and change

  

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

• 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

• What you can do to support the lecturers' strike

  

  As the strike continues we must keep the pressure on, argues Chris Nineham

• 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

• Lecturers' strike day one: A bad day for the casino

  

  University strikers across the country are reporting the most successful and well supported industrial action for years

• 'They think we are weak - they could not be more wrong': Goldsmiths kicks off against pension cuts

  

  On the first day of this historic strike, Goldsmiths lecturers show they mean business and are fighting to win

• 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

• Economic murder: homeless man dies outside Parliament

  

  For seven years the Tory government has been waging economic terrorism against its own citizens - we must fight to kick them out, argues Steph Pike

• Biggest ever strike in higher education? UCU members prepare to defend pensions

  

  As education workers get ready to strike, Des Freedman, a professor at Goldsmiths University, tells us what we can do to support them

• Brexit: the need for independent working-class, anti-capitalist politics

  

  We build on the schism in capitalist politics resulting from Brexit divisions by putting anti-racism grounded in working class politics front and centre argues Kevin Ovenden

• Lauri Love's victory against extradition

  

  Lauri Love's triumph against extradition to the US is a victory and may well set a precedent for future cases argues Julie Al-Hinai

• 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

• Despatches from the Tory civil war – weekly briefing

  

  It’s a mistake to allow ruling class divisions on the EU to be refracted onto our side, argues Lindsey German  

• Fund our NHS: Tens of thousands of people march through London - photos

  

  Tens of thousands of people marched through London yesterday to call for more funding for the NHS and an end to privatisation. Shabbir Lakha reports

• Homelessness: a crisis of epic proportions

  

  The shocking rise in homelessness is caused by a party that governs in the interests of the rich

• Neoliberalism has failed, the left can offer a political alternative

  

  The Carillion and NHS crises lay bare the failures of neoliberalism; we must fight to end this market madness

• Save the NHS - Counterfire Freesheet February 2018

  

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

• All the President’s men are symbols of our times - weekly briefing

  

  Charity begins at the Playboy Club for our capitalist class, writes Lindsey German 

• Scavenger capitalists - weekly briefing

  

  Carillion’s spectacular demise reveals the brute vampirism at the heart of privatisation, writes Lindsey German   

• Residents told they can't be safe until they pay £2m by multimillionaire landlord

  

  Freeholder forcing residents to pay £2m for their own safety is putting lives at risk by not removing Grenfell-style cladding from Croydon complex argues Shabbir Lakha

• Carillion collapse: why we need to end privatisation of the NHS

  

  The merry go round of rewarding private sector companies for profiting from our NHS must end along with the hand-in-glove approach it has with big business

• Carillion: vampire capitalism stalks again

  

  We have to challenge the idea that the private sector is fit to run our public services, and we can only do that with mass social protest, argues Richard Allday

• Carillion: two kinds of bailout, two class interests

  

  This can go one of two ways. Let's make sure it goes the way of the workers

• The NHS crisis is deliberate

  

  The ongoing crisis is manufactured as a precursor to further privatisation. Don't let the Tories fool you

• Jeremy Hunt should have been sacked, not promoted

  

  As part of her reshuffle, May has added Social Care to Jeremy Hunt's remit. The People's Assembly and Health Campaigns Together respond

• NHS Emergency Demonstration - model resolution

  

  The People's Assembly have drafted a model motion to submit to trade union branches, Trades Councils, CLPs and other campaign groups to support the NHS Emergency demonstration on Saturday 3 February

• The antidote to a very weak but very nasty government - weekly briefing

  

  Now is not the time for wait-and-see, even a small victory could break the back of this wretched regime, writes Lindsey German

• Toby Young: How deeply has the rot set in?

  

  The allegations of sexism and homophobia are piling up, and his time is running out

• Toby Young: may contain offensive material

  

  The views of Toby Young have no place in society, let alone education. Sack him now, argues Judy Cox

• 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

• Damian Green resigns: No strength or stability in May's government

  

  Theresa May's deputy and key ally, Damian Green, resigning is clearly not reflective of strength - it's the opposite argues Jonathan Maunders

• Another world is possible: Download new anti-Tory track today

  

  Just one day left to get Captain Ska's "Sons and Daughters" onto the Official Christmas Charts and ensure the anti-austerity message is mainstream

• How to expect the unexpected

  

  It’s become a journalistic cliché to say that we live in times where the unexpected happens. But that doesn’t mean we have to wait on events, argues John Rees

• 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

• Will the Irish question bring Theresa May down?

  

  Not for the first time, the issues of Ireland and Europe are causing a massive crisis for the British government

• Anti-Theresa May song could be No 1 at Christmas

  

  We don't want the Tories relaxing over the holiday period, so let's get this to number one this Christmas

• Theresa May went to Saudi to encourage, not to condemn

  

  The government’s attempts at justification for its conduct in the Middle East are becoming more and more desperate, argues Chris Nineham

• Theresa The Appeaser: Trump tweets and Britain First

  

  Trump's tweets have dangerously promoted fascists and Theresa May's weak response exposes the nature of the special relationship with the US argues Shabbir Lakha

• Extreme Podiatry: the situation for refugees in Calais and Dunkirk

  

  The Jungle camp may have been demolished a year ago but refugees are still arriving in Calais and Dunkirk and suffering in intolerable conditions reports David Bailey

• 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

• Reactions to Budget 2017: resisting Foodbank Britain

  

  Despite heavy opposition and protests, Philip Hammond's budget continues with austerity. A short round up from Counterfire of some of the reactions.

• A Scrooge Christmas on the cards - weekly briefing

  

  Now is the time to turn the tables on the Victorian values embedded in our society, argues Lindsey German