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The Right

Why Trumpism must be defeated: reactions to the Capitol chaos

Some immediate thoughts on the scenes of armed Trump supporters taking over the Capitol building on Wednesday
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
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
Imperialism is driven back in Bolivia

The return of Evo Morales to Bolivia symbolises the defeat of the Washington-driven coup following the election last month, writes John Clarke
Australia: Covid, neoliberalism and the labour movement

For the Australian labour movement, the government's failures present an opportunity to organise to save lives and for an alternative to neoliberalism
Crossing red lines: why the establishment wants to destroy Corbyn

Corbyn's anti-war principles and their popular appeal are the biggest threat to the establishment, says Chris Nineham
The attack on Jeremy Corbyn is baseless – there is nothing to support it in the EHRC report

The EHRC report does not uphold claims that Labour under Corbyn was institutionally antisemitic and does not justify the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn, argues Chris Nineham
Why Black History Month matters

Floyd Codlin responds to right wing attacks on Black History Month
US torn by crises as election looms

Ahead of the US elections, John Clarke considers the balance of forces, the dangers of a second Trump term and the intensifying crisis whatever the outcome
Counter-revolution in the Labour Party and the coming storm

John McInally, long-standing activist and former member of the PCS executive, contributes to the ongoing discussion on the future of the Labour Party and the prospects for the wider left
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
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

The Right

The Right

Some immediate thoughts on the scenes of armed Trump supporters taking over the Capitol building on Wednesday

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

Mike Wayne unpicks Liz Truss’s recent speech on inequality and finds that it scores some hits against parts of the left

The sacking of Boris Johnson’s chief of staff has deeper roots than mere office tensions in Downing Street, argues Alex Snowdon

The return of Evo Morales to Bolivia symbolises the defeat of the Washington-driven coup following the election last month, writes John Clarke

For the Australian labour movement, the government's failures present an opportunity to organise to save lives and for an alternative to neoliberalism

Corbyn's anti-war principles and their popular appeal are the biggest threat to the establishment, says Chris Nineham

The EHRC report does not uphold claims that Labour under Corbyn was institutionally antisemitic and does not justify the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn, argues Chris Nineham

Floyd Codlin responds to right wing attacks on Black History Month

Ahead of the US elections, John Clarke considers the balance of forces, the dangers of a second Trump term and the intensifying crisis whatever the outcome

John McInally, long-standing activist and former member of the PCS executive, contributes to the ongoing discussion on the future of the Labour Party and the prospects for the wider left

'Wars are welcome, refugees not' seems to be the only mantra the media and politicians want to repeat, says Lindsey German

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

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

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

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

The Black Lives Matter movement in the UK is coming under pressure from a number of directions, writes Alex Snowdon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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