Counterfire log in

Tories

Tories

Our children need less neoliberal education, not more - CounterBlast

Williamson’s Covid catch-up plan will not address the real fault lines in our schooling system, says Sean Ledwith
Johnson’s not-so-cautious roadmap raises more questions than it answers - CounterBlast

Despite the bluster over 'data not dates' there are big holes in the prime minister’s 'irreversible' plan argues Terina Hine
A school student speaks: 8 March ‘big bang’ reopening just isn’t safe

The government have had a year to make schools safe for students to return, but they keep failing to learn the lesson, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Schools: 8 March reopening is unsafe

Fully re-opening schools on March 8 is dangerous and risks another increase in infections and deaths, argues David McAllister
It’s not the vaccine, it’s the vacuousness: polling, politics and the Starmer slump

Chris Nineham argues Starmer's poor polling can't be blamed on vaccine success
Beyond satire: John Woodcock to investigate extremism

John Woodcock’s record shows the absurdity of his review into “progressive extremism” and the transparency of the government’s attempts to criminalise protest, writes Yonas Makoni
The revolutionary right: the threat remains

The transatlantic conservative movement can be understood as a process Gramsci called ‘Revolution-Restoration’, and the left must stop being spectators to the course of events, argues Mike Wayne
The government’s gamble with workers’ lives – CounterBlast

New TUC data shows that the Tories have continually failed to protect workers who have been forced to work in unsafe conditions, writes Terina Hine
Are the Tories really ending privatisation in the NHS?

Despite the rhetoric of ‘taking back control’ of our NHS, the government’s leaked White Paper does not spell an end to profiteering, argues Caitlin Southern
The vaccine is essential, but not a magic bullet - CounterBlast

Tory spin can create the false impression that vaccination allows us to exit lockdown within a few weeks, writes Alex Snowdon
Tory CRG: the crazed, the bad and the ugly

Terina Hine assesses the hard-right libertarian Tories influencing the government to put safety last
Tories don’t actually care about your child’s mental health - CounterBlast

The government is using fake concern about lockdown learning as a smokescreen to justify another risky reopening of schools, argues Sean Ledwith
Why we need a People’s Covid Inquiry

Britain has the worst Covid-19 death rate per capita in the world and the public deserves to know how and why this has happened, argues Tom Lock Griffiths
Covid is a threat to children too, but the government doesn’t care

By pushing school reopening again, the government is deliberately ignoring the detrimental effect the virus is having on an alarming number of children, argues Caitlin Southern
The virus is evolving but the government's policies aren't - CounterBlast

Never mind dealing with the new variants effectively, Johnson's government is still failing to implement measures it should have done a year ago, writes Terina Hine
100,000 reasons Johnson should resign in disgrace - CounterBlast

The Prime Minister is not fit for office and is directly responsible for the Covid catastrophe, argues Sean Ledwith
Deja vu: Tories push to reopen schools before it's safe...again - CounterBlast

Just three weeks after the government's u-turn on schools, it is again pushing to do the same thing all over again, writes Terina Hine
Covid19: the struggle to save lives means opposing this criminal government – CounterBlast

As UK deaths from Covid approach 100,000, we must never forget the political failures which led us here, argues Alex Snowdon
Safety first: defend firefighters under attack

The Fire Brigades Union is facing a political attack for defending its members' health and safety, reports Luke Porter, a firefighter in south Yorkshire
We can and must stop the cuts to Universal Credit, let’s bang our pots

We cannot let the Tories get away with their wholesale attacks on the poorest in society, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg
The Tory failures behind Britain's world-beating Covid death rate - CounterBlast

Positive vaccine news cannot absolve the government of tens of thousands of avoidable deaths it's responsible for, argues Terina Hine
Universal Credit uplift: Tories lose vote, now they must be forced to u-turn

The government’s defeat in Parliament is to be welcomed, but only pressure from below can save the £20 Universal Credit uplift – and go further, writes Steph Pike
Spy Cops: why is Labour helping the Tories attack our civil liberties?

The Spy Cops bill gives security forces a green light to act with impunity. It should be opposed, argues Terina Hine
Tories are trying to blame us for their pandemic failures - CounterBlast

The moralising tone of ministers is a transparent attempt to deflect attention from their catastrophic incompetence, argues Sean Ledwith
Richard Sharp: a suitable appointment for the BBC

Former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp being appointed the BBC's next chairman is fitting for the direction it's heading in, argues Des Freedman
Free School Meals: profiting from hungry children

Profiting from underfeeding children living in poverty is the latest example of Tory contempt for the working class, argues Helen Rutherford-Gregory
This government has nothing to offer but U-turns

After yet another u-turn on schools, it's clear that organisation and popular pressure are the only antidotes to the Tories’ reckless handling of the pandemic, argues Kara Bryan
The government will not deal with the Covid emergency. The labour movement must step up.

The government is effectively continuing to pursue herd immunity. The movement must fight for a zero-Covid strategy, argues Chris Nineham
The government’s war on the left and anti-racism

The Tory ban on ‘anti-capitalist teaching materials’ in schools is a clear attempt to stifle dissent, writes Holly Barrow
A lesson from the teachers: how to take on the government and win

The National Education Union has shown what a fighting union can achieve, says Tony Dowling
Homeless deaths are rising but the government refuses to act

The government is refusing to house homeless people at risk from Covid and subzero temperatures, writes Norbert Lawrie
Hospitals in crisis: The Tories are choosing to fail the NHS

Health workers and patients are suffering from the government’s disastrous handling of the pandemic and their contempt for the NHS, argues Caitlin Southern.
Solidarity with education staff: no return until it is safe!

The stand-off between education unions and the government is a battle for us all, argues David Hamet.
2020: the year the mask fell off

Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead
Keep schools closed: the rush to return is deadly

With record case numbers and hospitalisations, and increasing deaths, returning to school next week would be catastrophic, writes a secondary school teacher
Brexit brinkmanship: after 4 years, it’s the safe bet that wins the race

As the UK and the EU announce a trade deal, Martin Hall considers it, and looks back on the most divisive issue to beset the left in a generation
The perfect storm: Covid and Brexit merge in Kent - CounterBlast

Terina Hine looks at the growing crisis around sky-rocketing Covid transmissions and the miles of backed up lorries on the M20 ahead of the Brexit deadline
When Liz Truss speaks a truth, beware

Mike Wayne unpicks Liz Truss’s recent speech on inequality and finds that it scores some hits against parts of the left
Cancelled Christmas ends a year of Tory disasters - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on the black hole of Johnson’s governmental crisis
Covid Christmas crisis: Johnson’s Tories are a plague on all our houses – CounterBlast

A catalogue of mismanagement exposes an incapable government that must be removed, observes Alex Snowdon
The Tories’ addiction to profit threatens all our lives - CounterBlast

Boris Johnson is ending the year with the same clueless and inept style of leadership he started it, writes Sean Ledwith
Schools’ Covid Christmas Nightmare - CounterBlast

By refusing to seriously address infection rates in schools. the Tories have guaranteed a difficult and dangerous Christmas for many, argues Terina Hine
Deal or no deal? Johnson and the EU at loggerheads

Whatever happens in the next day, the Tories will not deliver the Brexit that people voted for, argues Shabbir Lakha
Setting students up to fail: why exams should be cancelled

GCSE and A-level exams going ahead in 2021 shows that the government has learnt nothing from the chaos they caused this year, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Vaccines have no country - CounterBlast

The government’s jingoism has no bearing on reality, argues Terina Hine
We are in for more Tory shambles with the Covid vaccine rollout

The Tories are depending on the Covid vaccine to bail them out, but they're likely to handle the rollout the same way they have the pandemic - catastrophically
Britain's shame: deportation flight goes ahead despite widespread opposition

The Tories pushed on with its racist deportation flight to Jamaica even after successful legal challenges, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
'Worse than prison': shocking treatment of refugees at Napier Barracks exposed

Asylum seekers who have survived horrific journeys are now being held in such inhumane conditions they're committing self harm and attempting suicide
Is there life outside Labour?

In our continuing series on left strategy, Chris Nineham from Counterfire responds to Laura Smith and John McInally
Labour's absent opposition, the CRG and scotch eggs - CounterBlast

Instead of opposing Johnson's shambolic tiers, Starmer's abstention is letting the anti-lockdown Tory rebels and scotch eggs dominate the debate, writes Terina Hine
Windrush continued: the government's mass deportations must be stopped

Government plans to deport another 50 black people on 2 December in a continuation of the racist hostile environment must be opposed urgently
A teacher speaks out: they want to make us pay for the crisis - video

There is no justification for the public sector pay freeze, it's a slap in the face for teachers and key workers that have kept society running, says David McAllister
Hostile environment: how the Tories broke the law to ramp up racism

A new report shows the hostile environment is unlawful, but it's more than a technical oversight - it's the deliberate racism of the state and it must be resisted
Why is there £21.5bn more for the military but no money for key workers?

The credit card is maxed out when it comes to public sector pay but there's always money for war according to the Tories, writes Terina Hine
Croydon Council cuts to jobs and services must be resisted

Local councils should be standing up to the Tories, not making their workers and most vulnerable constituents pay, writes Jamal Elaheebocus
Sunak’s spending priorities: money for the rich, pay freeze for key workers

The Tory spending review shows the government’s priority is to protect profits and making working class people pay, argues Shabbir Lakha
NHS worker: public sector pay freeze is an absolute injustice

The public sector pay freeze is a slap in the face for NHS workers and we need to push back against the government, says Alia Butt from NHS Staff Voices
Schools crisis sharpens as Tories gamble with children's future

Two and a half months into the first term of the school year and there is chaos, confusion and Covid in every aspect of education, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
We mustn't be passive observers: help build a fighting left

An appeal to Counterfire's supporters
No money for school meals but Johnson found £16.5bn extra for the military

Boris Johnson has chosen to up defence spending over the necessary measures to protect lives during a pandemic, writes Lindsey German
Johnson reset explodes on the launchpad - CounterBlast

The overdue departure of Dominic Cummings will not change the incompetence and corruption at the heart of this Tory government, writes Sean Ledwith
Johnson's choice: no good Brexit options

Whichever way the prime minister looks, he is presented with a circle of problems that is becoming increasingly difficult to square, argues Martin Hall
Parents know schools are no longer safe: close them now!

By continuing to keep schools open, the government is forcing teachers, children and parents into an unforgivable level of danger, argues Kara Bryan
Cummings’ exit shows how the Johnson administration is falling apart - CounterBlast

The sacking of Boris Johnson’s chief of staff has deeper roots than mere office tensions in Downing Street, argues Alex Snowdon
Croydon Council has gone bust because of austerity, and the most vulnerable will be made to pay

We must fight for the government to increase local spending instead of letting councils like Croydon go bust, fire their workers and cut essential services
Vaccine hope is not a substitute for a zero-Covid strategy

We need to stop the transmission of the virus now to prevent more deaths before a vaccine is ready, argues Caitlin Southern
Covid vaccine and government contracts: another dose of Tory corruption - CounterBlast

The government has handed more than £17bn of lucrative Covid contracts to their mates who aren't delivering
This is a lockdown in name only – CounterBlast

As the infection rate, and deaths, continue to rise, the government’s poor excuse for a lockdown offers no solution, argues Alex Snowdon
Manchester students tear down fences in thousands-strong protest

Students are raging at being repeatedly let down by the government and universities. Fences were the last straw for Manchester students - so they brought them down
Covid-19: A Worker's Self-Defence Manual - Counterfire pamphlet

A Counterfire pamphlet by Richard Allday aimed at providing you with information about the virus and your rights at work
Tory lockdown rebels: a divided party responsible for Covid carnage - CounterBlast

Boris Johnson's half-baked lockdown is failing to appease Tory dissenters, and failing to protect the country, now is the time for action from below
Universities must lock down too

We must move teaching online, test students and allow them home argues Dragan Plavšić
The Tory TfL stitch-up

The government’s eleventh-hour bailout has only deferred the TfL crisis, explains Unjum Mirza
The half-hearted lockdown from the cabinet of fools - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Tories, Covid and the Jeremy Corbyn open season
A national lockdown without closing schools is not going to stop the virus

The government’s refusal to close schools and universities marks the latest in a string of failures to protect people from the pandemic, argues Caitlin Southern
Paper-plating the Tories for voting against free school meals

The anger against the Tories is growing and activists are developing creative ways of protesting, reports Chris Neville
The SpyCops bill is an attack on us all: it must be resisted

We shouldn’t imagine that we are powerless and have to accept this assault on our civil liberties lying down, argues Shabbir Lakha
Tory splits widen as opposition to No. 10 grows in all quarters - CounterBlast

The Tories are failing in the most basic principle of government, to keep its people safe, and its uniting people against them, writes Terina Hine
Free school meals: a Tory tipping point

The callous vote against free school meals is providing a focus for anger and driving opposition to this government, argues Chris Neville
Holiday hunger backlash turns the tide against Tories - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on class warfare and the government’s commitment to inequality
Tory MPs vote to starve kids: this is what ‘scum’ really looks like

Tories’ refusal to extend free school meals into the school holidays tells us everything we need to know about the rottenness of the political elite, argues Kara Bryan
Manchester won’t pay for the crisis - protest report

Now in a Tier 3 lockdown, Manchester protesters call out Tory incompetence and demand proper support, reports Lucy Nichols
Refusing to feed children: Tory contempt for the working class

The Tories are punishing working class children for being poor and we can't let them get away with it, argues Caitlin Southern
Sunak's latest u-turn shows the Johnson project is falling apart

With a government this divided, we can win many more concessions and ones which benefit workers not businesses, argues Chris Nineham
Divide and rule: why the Tories are imposing Tier 3 on Manchester – CounterBlast

The government’s Tier system of local lockdowns is deliberately pitting regions against each other and avoiding an effective national strategy with the necessary financial support
Greater Manchester vs Tier 3 - CounterBlast

Manchester continues to resist Tory plans for an ineffective local lockdown with inadequate financial support, reports Chris Neville
Testing times, but no trace of a government strategy - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tories’ ever-escalating Covid crisis, anti-austerity and Labour’s warped security values
Experts’ dissent reflects collapse of coronavirus consensus - CounterBlast

The rift which has opened up between the government and scientific advisors further amplifies Johnson’s negligence, argues Alex Snowdon.
Covid: a Tory-made crisis - Counterfire Bulletin October 2020

Why we need a zero-Covid strategy, resistance on the frontline, carnage in America and a new direction for the left in this month's Counterfire bulletin
Double trouble: Tory Covid shambles is hastening UK break-up

The government’s woefully inadequate handling of the pandemic is expanding the wedge between the nations of the union, argues Dr Stuart Cartland
Against a false dilemma: we can save lives and livelihoods

Protecting people's lives and preventing hardship are not an either/or, what we need is the political will to do both, argues Chris Nineham
The cost of culture: rethink, reboot

The government should be trying to save jobs instead of its crass attacks on those working in the arts and culture sector, argues Floyd Codlin
Warning from the wards: we are not prepared for the second surge

The government has simply not prepared the NHS for the second Covid wave combined with a winter crisis, warns Caitlin Southern
Now it's official: Johnson is denying the science - CounterBlast

Boris Johnson’s briefing on the latest restrictions reveal only that the government is ignoring the science and has no plan, writes Terina Hine
Teachers care about the safety of our schools; the government doesn’t

The failures of this government to control the pandemic have pushed schools and communities into an extremely difficult and dangerous situation, writes Sarah Kilpatrick
New Tory rules on 'anti-capitalist school materials' are an attack on civil liberties

The government's latest regulations are an attempt to hamper political learning and organising in schools, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
International opposition to the war on Yemen is growing

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham
Johnson's conference speech: an ode to crony capitalism - CounterBlast

In his speech to Tory party conference, Johnson offered no route out of the catastrophe his government is causing, argues Terina Hine
The Tories and Covid, not just incompetent but corrupt

The government’s privatisation of public services is at the heart of the Test and Trace failures and it’s costing lives, argues Lucy Nichols
Tory Test and Trace error: a symptom of a failing strategy

More than a technical glitch, the NHS Test and Trace failure shows how little this government care about protecting lives, argues Adriana Cooley
Flattening the curve isn't good enough, we need a zero-Covid strategy

The government is still pursuing ‘herd immunity’ when we should be aiming to eliminate the virus to stop its spread, argues Caitlin Southern
Boris Johnson's failures are to blame, not our 'complacency' - CounterBlast

The government is once again scapegoating ordinary people to cover its own failures, argues Alex Snowdon
Whose crisis is it anyway? The problem with the shock doctrine

The ruling class is ruthless in trying to exploit crises, but we shouldn’t underestimate the turmoil it's in and the opportunities to advance the struggle, argues Chris Nineham
Why we need to fight for arts jobs

Workers in the arts and culture sector are facing wholesale job and pay cuts - it's time to fight back, argues Floyd Codlin
What's gone wrong with the media? - video

At a Bristol Counterfire meeting, Chris Nineham, Kerry-Anne Mendoza and Tom Mills discuss the state of the British media and how the left can challenge the mainstream narrative
Wheels are coming off the Johnson bandwagon - CounterBlast

Even his own MPs are now losing faith in the Prime Minister’s ability to manage the second wave of the pandemic, writes Sean Ledwith
Johnson's 'Lifelong Learning': all bluster and no solutions - CounterBlast

Boris Johnson's latest measure falls way short of the mark and will do nothing to stop the impending unemployment tsunami, argues Terina Hine
When Towering Inferno meets Groundhog Day - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on a Tory party that cannot cope and a pitiful pseudo-opposition
PCS was right on the dangers of return to work, the Tories were wrong

After the government U-turn on being able to work from home, the PCS Union offers another example of the power of popular pressure, argues Floyd Codlin
International law and Britain’s colony in Ireland

Don’t be fooled by outrage over the latest Brexit proposals from the Tories. International law hasn’t stopped them in the past, argue Reuben Bard-Rosenberg and Martin Hall
Johnson’s disastrous policies will bring return to hundreds of daily deaths - CounterBlast

A rushed ‘return to normal’ is driving up the infection rates and, increasingly, the death rate, writes Alex Snowdon
8 Reasons to reject Sunak’s scheme and keep fighting for the furlough - Counterblast

Sunak’s scheme will mean millions are made jobless and the movement should reject it, argue Susan Newman and Chris Nineham
Protecting war criminals and torturers: the Tory bill and Starmer's shame

The passing of the Overseas Operations bill which Labour abstained on is a disservice to victims of torture and undermines international law, argues Lindsey German
‘And seem a saint, when most I play the devil’: Johnson’s dangerously misleading Covid broadcast

The government is still committed to putting profit before lives. We need to organise to force adequate safety measures argues Katherine Connelly
Second time farce, but it will lead to tragedy - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the spiralling Covid crisis and how class remains our compass point
The government is failing to keep schools safe from Covid

With rising infection rates, we need to confront Tory failures and campaign hard for safe and sustainable schools, argues David McAllister
Stronger measures needed to stop second wave - CounterBlast

Rising case numbers show that the government is failing to act decisively on the pandemic, argues Alex Snowdon
Where next for the left? - Holly Rigby

As part of a discussion on the next steps for the left after the rightward shift of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer, looks at Tory failures during the pandemic and the role of union and movement organising
Over 1,000 schools now have Covid cases, and it’s about to get worse

Parents and teachers warned of the dangers of full-scale school reopening but were ignored by the government. We must continue to fight for safety first, argues Corinne Pearson
North East lockdown: too little too late

Still no signs of the government having a coherent strategy, writes Matthew Giles
Aslef tube ballot returns overwhelming 95.2% yes vote for strike

Members of Aslef working on the tube have voted by a huge margin for strike action to defend jobs, terms and conditions and pensions, reports Unjum Mirza
The testing fiasco is just the start: we need to fight for a proper response - CounterBlast

Real preparations for the second wave must be the demanded of the whole movement, writes Chris Nineham
Extend the eviction ban now!

Housing activists are again building pressure on the government to not end the eviction ban on 20 September as planned, reports Shabbir Lakha
Urgent action needed to stop resurgent virus - CounterBlast

With an alarming rise in the infection rate, radical measures are required to combat coronavirus, argues Alex Snowdon
Campuses and Coronavirus: students head to universities despite rising R rate - CounterBlast

As we head into a second wave, students and academic staff must put pressure on the government and university management to keep people safe, argues Lucy Nichols
No to the exam factory: what kind of education do we want? - video

Lindsey German discusses the state of education and what the alternatives could look like
The government's letting down NHS workers, it's time to fight back

With a second wave on the horizon and continuing government incompetence, we need to fight for health workers' rights now, writes Alia Butt
The official opposition isn't working: is there a new frontline? - CounterBlast

While the government is in disarray and Starmer fumbles, the opposition is building in workplaces, writes Chris Nineham
The market crashes: from exam crisis to political crisis

University staff are pushing back against the callous actions of universities and the government putting staff and students at risk
It's Tory failures not young people that have caused the covid spike

The government is trying to scapegoat young people, but it's their drive back to work and schools that is behind the rise in infections, argues Caitlin Southern
Johnson’s latest pandemic plan is more moonshine than moonshot - CounterBlast

The Prime Minister who bungled the first wave of coronavirus cannot be trusted to tackle the second, suggests Sean Ledwith
We must stop the Tories ending the eviction ban

The government’s new end date for the eviction ban is fast-approaching amid a growing housing crisis, now’s the time to resist argues Norbert Lawrie
The Assange case: the people have the power

The tide is turning in the case to extradite Julian Assange - now opinion needs to be turned into power, argues John Rees
The Tories still see us as expendable

As the infection rate remains high, the government continues to put the interests of its own class above the interests of the majority, argues Caitlin Southern.
The ongoing Covid19 testing fiasco - Counterblast

Many months of Tory government failures on testing and tracing are doing serious damage, writes Alex Snowdon
Tax the rich - but it is about a lot more than that

Kevin Ovenden looks at the growing crisis facing the government over the soaring deficit and the debate on taxation
Johnson is floundering in a sea of incompetence - CounterBlast

As parliament returns, no one should believe Johnson’s promises of safety at school or work, argues Sean Ledwith
This town is a ghost town: government pushes re-openings amidst empty city centres - CounterBlast

Tory attempts to square the circle of profits and public safety are becoming increasingly desperate, argues Lucy Nichols
This Tory is for turning: Boris Johnson’s vacillations

The present series of U-turns shows the government is both incompetent and vulnerable to pressure from below as never before, asserts David McAllister
Students protest against classist education system

Students continue to march against education inequality and for Gavin Williamson to go, reports Lucy Nichols.
Keep the furlough: stop the jobs massacre

Ending the furlough scheme prematurely would be economically reckless and would put millions of jobs at risk, argues Terina Hine.
Refugees are not the enemy, the Government is - CounterBlast

The Tory government are once again scapegoating vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers to cover up for their own failings, argues Lucy Nichols
Scrapping Public Health England is passing the buck - it's also deadly dangerous

Scrapping PHE for a new system that will be led by Baroness Harding has shown the Tories to be craven and corrupt, argues Caitlin Southern
Tory shambles boosts support for Scottish independence

Polls in Scotland show a consistent lead in favour of independence as the Tory Covid failures are laid bare, argues Chris Bambery
Not a penny more to Serco

Protesters gathered in Wandsworth to demand no more public contracts be given to Serco, reports Peter Bird
Dunce’s cap for Williamson, and a big Fail for the exam system - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Tory education and why socialists defend refugees
Exam fiasco: students and teachers take to the streets

Young students are fighting back after being unfairly downgraded by the government, reports Shabbir Lakha.
A-Levels fiasco reflects deeper problems with exam factory schooling

The government's shambolic handling of A-level results should prompt a rethink of how our education system works, writes Roy Wilkes
Sunak’s ‘hard times’ – choice not necessity

The chancellor’s plans work for his class, not ours, writes Chris Nineham
Failing our kids: the Tory exams fiasco

Students, particularly those from working class backgrounds, are the victims of the government’s exam shambles, argues John Westmoreland
Stop blaming individuals for Coronavirus spikes

The drive to get people back to work is responsible for a rise in infections, not individual behaviour, argues Kevin Potter
Refugee crisis is one of the major legacies of Britain’s recent interventions

'Wars are welcome, refugees not' seems to be the only mantra the media and politicians want to repeat, says Lindsey German
NHS Crisis: a result of Tory cruelty and incompetence

Privatisation and underfunding of the NHS has exacerbated the Tories' mishandling of the pandemic, argues Caitlin Southern
Why the government is to blame, not the people - CounterBlast

Boris Johnson’s Tory government should be held responsible for the scale of the coronavirus crisis, not ordinary people, argues Alex Snowdon
NHS workers are taking the fight to the government

NHS Staff Voices launches its first newletter demanding pay justice for all NHS staff across all disciplines and carers, writes Alia Butt
You clapped for NHS workers, now support their fight for pay justice

Caitlin Southern on why you should support the protests around the country this Saturday for NHS pay justice
Resurgent virus exposes Johnson’s terrible failures – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on a persistent Covid-19, feckless Tories and campaigning for carers
Regional lockdown puts wealth before health

New lockdown measures introduced in Great Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire are an incoherent farce, argues Chris Neville.
Health workers march on Downing Street over pay rise betrayal - video

Health workers protest in London against Tory betrayal, reports Lucy Nichols
Stop the massacre in Yemen

Demands for an end to UK support for Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen are growing, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
The contact tracers tracing contact tracers in Lanarkshire

The outbreak at an NHS England Covid contact tracing call centre in Scotland exposes why workplaces aren’t actually safe, argues Sophie Johnson
Hoping for a vaccine is not a policy - CounterBlast

Johnson’s government is gambling that reports of a vaccine will distract us from their disastrous handling of the pandemic, argues Sean Ledwith
Parliament betrays the NHS: Starmer won’t save it, so it’s up to us

The political arena where we must operate is larger than Westminster alone, and we must move into it now, argues Tom Griffiths
The Russians are coming: the new liberal delusion

The unfounded hysteria about Russian interference is being driven by the political centre struggling to find a way back, argues Chris Nineham
Tory logic: clap for nurses but deny them a pay rise

The government's public sector pay rise has denied any reward to the nurses on the frontline they've been clapping for, writes Mona Kamal
'Global Britain': the defence review

As competition increases for defence funding, Cummings' involvement has reignited concerns over the UK’s defence strategy, argues Terina Hine
If we all fight together, then we can win - video

Lindsey German speaking at the People's Assembly's Tolpuddle Martyr's Festival event on the struggles we face and the need to organise
NHS workers are getting organised - Staff Voices Conference report

Caitlin Southern reports on the NHS Staff Voices Conference which brought together workers from across the service and around the country
'It will be over by Christmas' is a dangerous delusion - CounterBlast

The prime minister has recklessly heralded a renewed push back to the workplace for millions of people, writes Alex Snowdon
A wealth tax is a bare minimum, why is Labour not demanding it?

Starmer refusing to back a wealth tax shows he’s not going to fight against the Tories putting the cost of the crisis on working people, argues Shabbir Lakha
This pandemic hit when our NHS was at its very weakest

Dr Mona Kamal speaking at the Arise Festival closing rally on the NHS and the pandemic
As likelihood of a second wave grows, the NHS is being set up to fail again

Despite scientists warning of the danger of a second wave, the government continues to leave the NHS unequipped and underfunded, writes Alia Butt
‘This is a campaign for all of us’: TfL workers rally against job and service cuts

This critical campaign provides a model to the kind of movement that will be needed to protect jobs and win improved public services, says Kate O'Neil
England's dreaming: under Sunak there's no hope of a v-shape recovery

The chancellor's plan for recovery is doomed to fail, argues Michael Roberts
People are desperate for change, why isn't Labour fighting the Tories? - CounterBlast

People want fundamental change coming out of this crisis and neither the piecemeal Tory measures nor Labour's weak response are adequate, writes Lucy Nichols
Tory scapegoating should be resisted

Boris Johnson’s attempt to shift the blame for the impact of Covid-19 in care homes on to workers is a gross denial of responsibility, argues Victor Davis
Calling all NHS staff: it's time to get organised

The future of the NHS is in danger and it can only be defended through collective action, argues Lucy Nichols
Women, coronavirus and austerity

The coronavirus crisis is disproportionately impacting women who have already been hardest-hit by ten years of Tory austerity, argues Karen Buckley
It’s official: there’s no science behind lifting the lockdown - CounterBlast

Focused on boosting profits for their mates, health is just not on the Tories’ agenda, argues Penny Hicks
Sunak's 'Green Homes Grant' only scratches the surface

Neither the government nor Starmer's Labour party are taking the climate crisis seriously - real action must be led from outside parliament, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Sunak's 'big statement' proved the Tories just don't have a plan - Counterblast

Today Rishi Sunak released a budget full of platitudes that make a huge effort to avoid the major economic issues facing society, argues Chris Nineham
The coming jobs slaughter

The government will pass the blame anywhere they can but now, more than ever, we must fight for an economy that works for us, argues Richard Allday
The NHS is 72: why we must fight to defend it

As the NHS turns 72, it is under threat from the free-market dogma that has been underfunding and privatising it, writes John Westmoreland
‘Super Saturday’ reopening is reckless and dangerous - CounterBlast

The government’s push to reopen pubs, restaurants and much else this weekend is irresponsible and premature, writes Alex Snowdon
The Tories have chipped away at the NHS for years and now it's under threat

The NHS isn't failing, its been under attack through austerity and stealth privatisation for years, says Alia Butt
‘Be sensible’ says Boris Johnson as he recklessly ends the lockdown - CounterBlast

While new Covid infections and deaths continue, it is disgraceful that the Tories are patronisingly telling us to be sensible, says Penny Hicks
Boris is playing a grim game - CounterBlast

The new haphazard approach of leaving local areas to impose their own small lockdowns shows callous disregard for lives, argues Lucy Nichols
The battle is on: and the left can’t win in Labour - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Labour, the left and taking on the Tories
Starmer’s ruthless at rooting out the left, not antisemitism - CounterBlast

In a week where the Tories are covering for corruption and risking working people’s lives, Keir Starmer is attacking the left instead of the government says Penny Hicks
Three years on from Grenfell and people still aren't safe

Tragedies like Grenfell are an inevitable consequence of placing profit over lives and this week at Ferrier Point was too close, reports Lucy Nichols
Starmer plays to the right: where now for the left?

Starmer has signalled war on Labour's left with the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey. It is a deliberate attempt to root out Corbynism from positions of influence
Are the Tories just making it up as they go? - CounterBlast 19 June

The Tories have lowered their covid temperature gauge after already easing the lockdown, what are they playing at?
Lives and livelihoods: Britain’s pandemic economy

Michael Roberts takes a look at economic implications of the government's failures
Don’t let cynical ploys derail BLM - CounterBlast 13 June

The Black Lives Matter movement in the UK is coming under pressure from a number of directions, writes Alex Snowdon
Boris Johnson, statues and staying in the streets

As Johnson launches lazy attacks on the movement, now is no time to retreat, argues Lindsey German
The Tories are at each other's throats, why isn't Labour seizing its chance? - CounterBlast 11 June

When the Tories are caught between their donors and the polls, we deserve better than the present docile opposition, argues Chris Nineham
Government defeat on schools shows organised resistance can win - CounterBlast 9 June

Teachers and parents have successfully pushed the government back, writes Shabbir Lakha
'Are there no food banks?' The Poor Laws and Charles Dickens at 150

Dickens’s acute observations of social inequality illuminate the cruelty of our government 150 years after his death, says Katherine Connelly
On the front line: back to school too soon

Teachers are working hard to support children returning to school in difficult circumstances, writes Alex Snowdon
Coronavirus: death rate higher if you’re poor and BAME

The report into disproportionate BAME deaths from Covid-19 confirms that structural racism is at the heart of the problem, writes Lucy Nichols

Page 1 of 5