The Right

The Right

• The Starmer restoration is only just getting into stride

  

  Starmer's transformation of the Labour Party by attacking the left and pulling the party to the right is only just beginning, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Authoritarian neoliberalism shows its ugly police face in Serbia

  

  Police brutality shows shallow support for Serbia’s government, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• The global picture: Covid cases and deaths continue to rise sharply

  

  World leaders like Trump and Johnson trying to get back to business as usual while the virus continues to spread are deliberately sacrificing public health, writes John Clarke

• Serbia’s quagmire: 7 conclusions from Europe’s first Covid-19-era election

  

  The ruling party wins a landslide, but it faced an opposition boycott, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• 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

• Teachers tell Johnson to follow the science - CounterBlast 31 May

  

  Scientists speaking out against the government put pressure on Boris Johnson to delay school re-opening, writes David McAllister

• Not until it's safe: stay away on 1st June

  

  Many primary schools will re-open for large numbers of children on Monday. This is too soon, argues NEU activist Tony Dowling

• Labour’s new Gen Sec proves the right have taken over

  

  David Evans's rise to General Secretary shows the return to Blairism by Starmer's Labour, says Lucy Nichols

• Laura Smith: why we should listen to our teaching unions

  

  Teaching unions are right to set tests for the government to meet to protect their members, children, and families, says Laura Smith

• Conspiracies and capitalism: why we shouldn’t end the lockdown

  

  Responses to the Covid-19 crisis that jeopardise the working class have to be rejected, asserts Shabbir Lakha

• Corona and the food crisis: how the markets failed us

  

  Corona crisis has exposed how market forces cannot be trusted with our food production, says Kevin Potter

• Toby Young is wrong again: the threat to free speech comes from the right

  

  Right wingers like Toby Young are no friends of free speech and the left must fight back, argues Chris Nineham

• No socialist should vote for Keir Starmer

  

  In the aftermath of Corbyn, candidates understand the need to be seen to tack left. Kier Starmer's career offers an insight into why we should examine the facts, argues Jonathan Maunders

• 2017 - 2019: what changed?

  

  We need to analyse the last 2 years and place events in their proper context, argues Richard Allday

• Corbyn is not to blame

  

  Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister was unthinkable for the Labour right, and demanding a second referendum was about destroying the Corbyn project, writes John Westmoreland

• Dearlove's recycled attack on Corbyn exposes the right's increasing desperation

  

  Dearlove's allegations of Corbyn's sympathies are wrong and completely baseless argues Chris Nineham

• Corbynism from Below – book review

  

  Corbynism from Below is a wide-ranging collection of thoughtful essays on this historic opportunity for the left to transform society, finds Kevin Ovenden

• Flawed transition: why the Spanish state is repressing the Catalan independence movement

  

  Chris Bambery explains that Spanish repression of the Catalan independence movement, and the impending trial of its leaders, is rooted in the concessions made to right-wing nationalism in aftermath of Franco’s dictatorship

• Johnson’s rottweiler: the toxic tactics of Dominic Cummings

  

  Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s senior advisor, is a fake anti-establishment figure cut in the mould of Steve Bannon, argues Sean Ledwith

• The refugee crisis: the situation worsens in Greece

  

  Attacks on refugees in Greece are indicative of the situation throughout Fortress Europe, argues Eleftheria Kousta

• The Millbank Militants: the forces behind People's Vote

  

  From Mandelson to millionaires with vested interests, the People's Vote campaign is run and funded by those who want to destroy the left, argues Martin Hall

• ‘I am not what I am’: why the left must take action against ‘Iago’ Watson

  

  Tom Watson has made it clear that he will stop at nothing to remove Corbyn and it's about time the left stands up to him, argues Sean Ledwith

• Adopting the IHRA definition didn't end the attacks, it accelerated them

  

  Apologising for an epidemic of antisemitism in Labour that isn't there and giving in to the right's demands has only accelerated the attacks, argues Lindsey German

• Greece elections: the right is back in government

  

  The conservative right won the Greek election but didn't do as well as predicted, and the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn were wiped out, reports Kevin Ovenden

• The poverty of anti-corruption politics

  

  A politics based on anti-corruption obscures class and tends to benefit one side. It's not the left, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Iago Watson strikes again

  

  Watson wants to wreck the Corbyn project. The left mustn't let him, argues Martin Hall

• Boris Johnson as Prime Minister should not be tolerated

  

  Boris cannot be allowed to take control unopposed - we must demand a general election, argues Chris Nineham

• Trump and Farage: gruesome twosome of the resurgent right

  

  Trump is feeding a toxic resurgence of the pinstriped populist right, argues Sean Ledwith

• There is something happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Centrist?

  

  It’s the failure of centrist politics that fuels the rise of the populist right, but the centrists just don’t get it, argues John Rees

• Remain and reform? European Parliament elections suggest otherwise

  

  Promises of progressive reforms within the EU will ring hollow, with the hard right set to gain from polarisation. The left here can challenge this trend, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• 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

• 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

• 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:

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 7 things you need to know about the Venezuela coup attempt

  

  As Western leaders impose more sanctions and ultimatums, Robin Winkel explains why we must oppose foreign intervention in Venezuela

• O efeito Bolsonaro: e agora Brasil?

  

  À medida que as eleições do Brasil avançam para o segundo turno, Orlando Hill examina as perspectivas para a esquerda derrotar a candidatura presidencial da extrema-direita Jair Bolsonaro

• Kavanaugh, Trump and the degradation of US politics

  

  Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court marks a shift to the right, and Trump's antisemitic rhetoric shows the rot at the core of the US state, argues Sean Ledwith

• Brazil’s election and the Global South’s debt trap

  

  The media present today’s Brazilian elections as a special case but, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica, Brazil’s troubles reflect the troubles of the world economy

• 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

• National Unity Demonstration against Racism and Fascism: unite against the right

  

  With the far right gaining strength at home and across the continent, this demonstration provides the left with a crucial opportunity to fight back, writes David McAllister 

• 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

• How did socialists respond to the advent of fascism?

  

  As the far right gains energy across Europe, John Riddell reminds us of how the emergence of fascism was met by socialists

• 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

• The rise of the far right - and how we stop it

  

  As fascist organisation grows across Europe, assisted by the populist right, our history of struggle directs us to a path of united resistance led by socialist ideas, argues John Westmoreland

• 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

• 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

• Together we can defeat Trump, and the Tories too

  

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

• Only a united movement can defeat the far right

  

  Saturday's far right demonstration in support of Tommy Robinson must be opposed directly on the streets

• Europe's Fault Lines: Racism and the Rise of the Right - book review

  

  In Europe’s Fault Lines, Liz Fekete exposes the links between neoliberal centrism, EU economic policy, and the rise of the far and fascist right, finds Martin Hall

• 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)

• The Italian coup and the growing crisis in the EU

  

  The unelected Italian President has carried out a soft coup which is highly undemocratic and which has thrown the country and the EU into mounting chaos, argues Chris Bambery

• 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

• Organised workers in Germany massively reject AfD

  

  It is unity amongst the working class that can keep the far right at bay

• The rise of fascism in Italy?

  

  The gains made by the far-right in Italy are worrying, but there is time to turn the tide, argues Chris Bambery

• Italian elections roundup: The centre can hold, but it is weakened

  

  With the possibility of another far-right leader in a European government, the left needs to get its act together

• Berlusconi's back: Things are not looking good in Italy

  

  The hatred the elite in Italy have inspired, is, for the moment, flowing rightwards, finds Chris Bambery

• The second coming of the referendum

  

  Calls for a second Brexit referendum, from the unholy confluence of establishment Remain and Farage, must be resisted by all the left, argues Martin Hall

• Darkest Hour - film review

  

  Darkest Hour offers some truths on ruling class contradictions, but retells the myth that the people were fighting for Empire, argues Chris Bambery

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

  

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

• Corruption and Crisis in Peru

  

  As the Peruvian establishment reels, the left must seize the moment, take to the streets and strike a blow, argues Jonathan Maunders

• What does the Austrian election tell us about Brexit?

  

  The formation of a right wing government in Austria shows us that the European Union is not a bulwark against racism – and that the left would do well to turn against its institutions in order to prevent a far right resurgence, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Trump: one year of waking hell

  

  Donald Trump was elected just over a year ago. In that time, he has wreaked havoc

• The truth about the Football Lads Alliance

  

  The demonstrations of the organisation are dominated by Islamophobia and far-right extremism

• The politics of 2017 catch up with the economics of 2008

  

  In a time of the rebirth of mass politics, the right is fighting back. The left must meet this challenge, argues Kevin Ovenden

• AfD breakthrough: the threat of fascism never went away

  

  After the far-right party's success in the German election, we must look at the root causes of their rise, if we are to know how to fight back

• German elections: 'The first time in decades that a party with a fascist wing is going to enter parliament'

  

  Mark Bergfeld talks to Counterfire about Merkel‘s popularity and the deeper roots of the rise of the right-wing AfD

• The people of Liverpool send the EDL packing

  

  The EDL's visit to Liverpool ended in humiliation, reports Madeline Heneghan

• The road to impeachment? Trump’s first 100 days

  

  The US president has turned out to be as divisive and disastrous as many feared

• Hungary: huge protests in defence of academic freedom

  

  Prime minister Orban's attack on the Central European University has inspired strong opposition

• The Dutch dog that didn't bark

  

  The election in the Netherlands didn‘t bear out the media‘s prediction of a right-wing surge, writes Alastair Stephens

• Dutch lessons: time to fight for our alternatives

  

  The mainstream media is peddling a destructive lie that we have to crush, asserts Lindsey German

• Trump: the new face of fascism?

  

  Is Trump a fascist? What is fascism anyway? Chris Bambery takes a look

• Trump's new Horsemen of the Apocalypse

  

  As President-elect becomes President, Sean Ledwith takes a look at the Trump administration

• The centre cannot win

  

  Donald Trump should have been the dream opponent. A narcissistic blowhard opposed by his own party. He should have been a walk over

• Jo Cox murder: terrorism and double standards

  

  Why Thomas Mair, the white supremacist terrorist who murdered Jo Cox MP, should have been prosecuted for terrorism

• Make America hate again? Trump, the Republicans and US decline

  

  Sean Ledwith considers Donald Trump's ascendancy within the context of the history of the Republican Party and American power

• Socialist Register 2016: The Politics of the Right

  

  The rise of the populist right shows that the centre cannot hold, and a socialist alternative is the only solution, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

• To stop the far right we must oppose the EU

  

  Kevin Ovenden argues for an internationalist approach to the European crisis in the second half of a two-part series on the European question

• Close down the space for the far right

  

  Writer and activist Kevin Ovenden discusses the rise of racism across Europe and the struggle against it

• The Right in Greece: cornered, but fighting for its life

  

  In his second dispatch from Greece, Kevin Ovenden looks at the extremism of the mainstream Right