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Crisis

Crisis

This fight will take everything we’ve got – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on squaring up to the double-down Tories
World Bank seeks a safe passage for global capitalism

In this critical assessment of an important new World Bank Report that attempts to make sense of the crisis and save capitalism from a global slump, John Clarke argues the real solutions will have to be won in struggle
Trussonomics: adventures in fantasy deregulation land

Dominic Alexander looks at the contrast between Tory talk of growth and the reality of a failing economy
The throne behind the power – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the loss and replacement of a UK monarch
To avert a cost-of-living catastrophe we need to talk about Ukraine

The cost-of-living crisis and the war on Ukraine are inextricably linked, writes Chris Nineham
Truss's government of ghouls

Shabbir Lakha on the new Tory PM Liz Truss and what the 99.9% of us who didn't vote for her can expect
Ten reasons to prepare for a class war autumn – weekly briefing

Lindsey German presents a checklist for activists
The free market has failed: Nationalise energy now

Dominic Alexander analyses the energy cost crisis and explains why the solutions cannot be found within the neoliberal free market model
Feast amidst famine: The rich parasites profiting from the world's misery

Millions are facing extreme poverty because a handful of the richest people on the planet are making astronomical profits, writes John Clarke
Starmer breaks his silence but falls way short

Terina Hine argues that the Labour leader’s proposals don’t come close to matching up to the crisis
How low can Starmer go?

Just when you think he can’t get any worse, Starmer finds a way, argues Terina Hine
System failure: What should socialists do? A discussion with Lindsey German and James Schneider - video

A discussion with Lindsey German, author and Convenor of Stop the War, and James Schneider, co-founder of Momentum and author of the upcoming book Our Bloc: How We Win, on the crises we face and strategy for the left
The government is missing while 35m people face cost of living catastrophe - CounterBlast

The zombie Tory government is sitting on its hands and the leadership contenders offer no solutions as energy companies rake in record profits at working people's expense, writes Terina Hine
The Italian political crisis and the threat of fascism

Chris Bambery analyses the Italian political breakdown, the role of the EU and the dangers of an ascendant far right
The stakes are at their highest for 40 years – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the summer of struggle and its next steps
Sunak and Truss: Whoever wins, we lose - CounterBlast

Following their recent TV debates, Terina Hine explains why Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss represent more of the same, but with a notable shift to the right
One struggle, one fight: How we Win

Decisive, sustained, united strike action is needed to win
Crisis of conservatism: The hard-right trajectory of Canada’s Tories

The Canadian Tory party is moving further to the right and shoring up a reactionary base as political polarisation deepens, writes John Clarke
Imploding party: the destructive drama of the Tory leadership race

The blue-on-blue battle between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to be the next Prime Minister is widening Tory divisions while offering no solutions to the crisis, writes Terina Hine
The Tories fiddle while the planet burns, but protest is growing - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on unfolding economic and environmental crises, and how we should respond
Johnson’s on the way out: time to hit the Tories where it hurts – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tory implosion and the mainstreaming of identity politics
Capitalism and catastrophe: Profits, pandemics and climate chaos - video

Feyzi Ismail and Kevin Ovenden discuss the multiple, overlapping and global crises we face and the systemic solutions needed
The potential for a summer of discontent that could bring the Tories down

Unjum Mirza discusses the growing wave of industrial struggle with a backdrop of a collapsing government and the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead
Tory chaos is our opportunity

Shabbir Lakha on Boris Johnson's resignation, the ruling class crisis and the tasks for the left
The end of Boris Johnson

Terina Hine on the collapse of Boris Johnson's government following the resignations of Rishi Sunak, Sajid Javid and other senior Tories
Tory sleaze only the tip of the iceberg in broken Britain – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the case of Christopher Pincher and an ever-encroaching Nato
Wages, prices and profits: What's driving the cost of living crisis? - video

At Counterfire's Revolution! Festival, Marxist economists Michael Roberts and Susan Newman explain what's really driving inflation and the economic crisis we face
Confronting crisis: Next steps for the left - video

Danièle Obono, Eddie Dempsey, John Rees and Jeremy Corbyn on the interlocking crises we face and strategy for the left at Counterfire's Revolution! Festival
We need a wage revolution - Counterfire Freesheet June 2022

The Tory assault on the working class, rail strikes, Ukraine, Spycops and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
The worst of both worlds: stagflation explained

Dominic Alexander explains the unfolding economic turmoil and how socialists should respond
Interest rates, class war and ‘creative destruction’

John Clarke on capitalism’s unfolding crisis and the attempts to rescue it
Capitalism in crisis: World Bank report paints grim picture

The World Bank's latest report gives an insight into the intensifying crises within capitalism internationally, writes John Clarke.
The bubble pops: Why cryptocurrencies are crashing

David Bush explains how the rise of cryptocurrencies is rooted in the capitalist class' response to the financial crisis and the pandemic and why it's now in freefall
Apartheid under pressure – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on Palestine, economics and education
Striving for a way forward: Lessons for the world from Tower Hamlets

John Clarke reflects on the Tower Hamlets revolt and what lessons it offers working class people and the left internationally seeking a way forward in the midst of crisis
Confronting connected crises: cost of living and the war

Resisting the cost of living crisis means opposing the war, writes Feyzi Ismail
There’s planet government and then there’s life on earth – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Boris Johnson’s woes and our opportunities
Michael Roberts: Capitalism, cost of living and the coming slump - video

Counterfire's Yonas Makoni spoke to Marxist economist Michael Roberts about the real drivers of the cost of living crisis, the failures of the capitalist system and the alternatives we must fight for
Sri Lanka’s Arab Spring rebellion - CounterBlast

The mass uprising on the South Asian island could be a portent of similar events around the world this year, writes Sean Ledwith
Whatever happened to taking back control? Brexit and the cost of living crisis

As gas and electricity prices rises this month by 54%, the Tories refuse to take control of the energy crisis, argues Martin Hall
This crisis is too big for half measures – weekly briefing

Lindsey German considers the three interconnected flashpoints of modern politics
The many crises of capitalism and how we can overcome them

Understanding the nature of the contradictions and crises of capitalism is central to the question of building a socialist alternative, writes John Clarke
Rishi rich: making the poorest pay to protect corporate profits

It's a multi-millionaire Chancellor with a huge property empire that is deciding to raise National Insurance and bills while cutting welfare and bankers' taxes, writes Terina Hine
Gove’s levelling up is a hand-me-down rehash - CounterBlast

The Tories have stolen failed policies of their predecessors in a desperate bid to save Johnson’s skin, argues Sean Ledwith
Sue Gray report: Johnson's told too many lies to redact

Despite being heavily redacted thanks to the Met Police's intervention, Sue Gray's report is still damning of Johnson and his government, writes Terina Hine
Last orders for Johnson – weekly briefing

Lindsey German gives an overview of the Tory PM’s terminal days
Comets, climate and capitalism: what we can take from Don’t Look Up

Adam McKay's Don't Look Up highlights how the capitalist class’s relentless pursuit of profit is leading us to disaster, argues Lucy Nichols
Is capitalism in decline? - explainer

Dominic Alexander examines the state of capitalism and the ever-deepening multi-faceted crises it finds itself in
Is BoJo about to go-go? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tory leader’s ninth life and the quagmire of Cressida Dick’s cops
Why is there never enough money for the NHS? – explainer

The NHS lurches from crisis to crisis. In this explainer, Alia Butt analyses why
‘My last lunch break was five months ago’: An ambulance service on the brink of collapse

Counterfire spoke to a paramedic in the London Ambulance Service, who asked to remain anonymous, about the crisis in the ambulance service and hospitals
Is this the beginning of the end for Boris Johnson? - CounterBlast

From Peppa Pig to rebellion in his own ranks, this is a moment of danger for Boris Johnson, within his party and among the electorate, argues Terina Hine
Why NHS strikes are necessary

The NHS is in crisis, and clinical staff must join other NHS workers in strike action to save the health service, argues Helen O’Connor
Counterfire’s Climate Briefing for activists

The growing mood for radical change has to be harnessed by the left on a global scale, and the demands for action over the climate have to be put at the heart of every movement, argues Feyzi Ismail
Is Bosnia breaking up?

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explains the newest crisis in the Balkans
Mired in sleaze: Tory corruption reveals a system ‘not fit for purpose’

The Paterson scandal is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the overt corruption of Johnson’s government, writes John Westmoreland
Capitalism will cost us the earth - Counterfire Freesheet November 2021

Climate briefing for activists, more Tory Covid failure, Clarks strikers fight fire-and-rehire, Scotland's wider crisis, socialism explained and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
It's not Brexit, it's a broken system: The inside story of the supply chain meltdown

Supply-chain worker Chris Neville gives us his view on shortages, supply chains and a changing balance of power
Glasgow on the edge: why you should join the Cop26 protests - video

Cici Washburn speaks to socialist activist Jonathon Shafi about the upcoming Cop26 and the planned protests and strikes in Scotland
Socialist Explainers: Short Answers to Big Questions

In this collection of socialist explainers, we’re giving quick responses to the questions that loom largest for us today
Can we avert climate chaos and meet people’s needs? - explainer

As Cop26 approaches, Feyzi Ismail explains why it looks unlikely to deliver and outlines a socialist approach to averting climate catastrophe
Tories: the Covid mask slips – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the pandemic’s persistence and the idiocy of our rulers
The billionaires and the race to the bottom: why Sage care workers are fighting on

The fight for fair pay at the Sage Nursing Home in North London continues. Cici Washburn reports from the picket line
The trouble with terrorism – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the assassination of David Amess and recent US strikes
Why I joined Counterfire

Four recently joined Counterfire members explain why they became members
Driver shortage? What driver shortage?

The problem in road haulage is down to low pay and poor conditions, but unionised workers can win improvement for all low-paid workers, argues Richard Allday
We won't pay for their crisis - Counterfire Freesheet October 2021

The Tory crisis, an interview with Ken Loach on Starmer and the next steps for the left, urgent demands to stop climate breakdown and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Discontents for all seasons – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the current crisis and how socialists should square up to it
Gas and greed: Why Britain faces a special crisis

As the UK's energy crisis deepens, Chris Nineham looks at the roots of the gas shortage in the neoliberal economic system
Gas shortages ignite Tory crisis - CounterBlast

The UK's gas crisis is one part of what looks like a major political storm for the Tories, writes Terina Hine
Trudeau’s ‘fourth wave’ election gamble

The Canadian federal election is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cynical attempt to delay a crisis of legitimacy for the neoliberal centre, argues John Clarke.
You can’t offset death: COP26, the mortality cost of carbon and the case for radical change

Amid the hot air at COP26 in November, radical arguments need to make themselves heard, argues John Westmoreland
Calls grow for an end to the US blockade on Cuba

As Cubans take to the streets to protest the escalating health and economic crisis, the key demand must be for an end to the US’s crippling sanctions, argues Raoul Walawalker
Why health workers are marching for the NHS at the People's Assembly demonstration

Health workers are sick of the government's betrayals and attacks, and this Saturday they'll be demanding a new normal writes, Caitlin Southern
Safety last: fire at New Providence Wharf shows Grenfell tragedy is system-built

Residents forced to live in death traps nearly three years on from Grenfell is a damning reminder that under capitalism, profit always comes before lives, writes Alistair Cartwright
India’s Covid apocalypse: ‘Super spreader’ Modi lets the bodies pile high

Narendra Modi and his far right government stand foursquare at the heart of the horror unfolding in India, argues Susan Ram
The perpetual failure of Keir Starmer – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the bad-to-worse of Labour’s benighted leader and what this means for socialist voters
Why is Starmer to the right of the Tories on corporation tax? - CounterBlast

By opposing an increase in corporation tax, Kier Starmer’s failure to offer an alternative to the Tories has become farcical, writes Terina Hine
The Trump Moment: a wake-up call for the left

A long read - August Nimtz examines the Trump era in the context of the capitalist crisis and argues for the building of an independent left rooted in the class struggle.
The limits of Keynesianism - video

Dominic Alexander looks at the limits of Keynesian economics in the context of the current crisis and questions of state spending
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
Boğaziçi student protesters are taking on Erdoğan and they need our solidarity

Amid a crackdown on dissent and academic freedom by Erdoğan’s authoritarian regime, students in Istanbul stand defiant, reports Ceren Sagir
Brazil: escalating covid deaths pile the pressure on Bolsonaro

The view is growing that Brazil’s calamitous covid death toll is the result of a deliberate strategy by Bolsonaro, finds Orlando Hill
False hopes: the crisis will not be solved by slightly nicer capitalism

Promises of enlightened policies by the likes of Trudeau and Biden fly in the face of the harsh reality of a system in deep crisis, argues John Clarke
Stop blaming people’s behaviour for this catastrophe – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on the Tory game of Covid-shaming and the persistence of the Palestinian cause
Tories can’t be trusted to save lives and protect the NHS - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on Johnson's ceaseless governmental crisis and the fight for Zero Covid
Schools: the frontline in stopping the Tories and saving lives – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon assesses the first government crisis of 2021
Why are health workers still not getting the protection they need?

It’s an outrage that health workers are still not getting the PPE they need to keep themselves safe, writes Richard Allday
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
Will a Covid vaccine save us?

A safe, effective and accessible vaccine would be a major turning point in the pandemic but we can't just wait, we need a zero-Covid strategy now
The problem with the Shock Doctrine: Socialists and Crisis - video

Crises are inherently moments of weakness for the ruling class and an organised left can play a role in shaping the outcome, argues Chris Nineham
Manchester rent strike and occupation to continue after University's derisory offer

The University of Manchester's offer for a 5% rent reduction is an insult and students will continue their occupation and renew the rent strike for the January term, writes Lucy Nichols
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
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
Why is the US election so close? - video

Kevin Ovenden analyses the US election result so far and why the crisis is far from over
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
Holiday hunger backlash turns the tide against Tories - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on class warfare and the government’s commitment to inequality
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
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
American carnage: this is chapter 1 of the crisis - video

Speaking at a recent Counterfire public meeting, David Bush explains the multi-layered crisis facing the US and why the election isn't going to be the end, whatever the outcome
No country for old men? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on systemic inequality and Labour’s identity problem
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
Macron’s war on ‘Islamic separatism’

As a second wave of Covid-19 powers through France, a beleaguered president bent on re-election invokes a familiar Islamophobic trope, says Susan Ram
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
Double trouble: COVID chaos and the neoliberal university

The financial priorities of the neoliberal university have fuelled the COVID crisis and the antidote is solidarity between lecturers and students, argues Dragan Plavšić
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
The Covid crisis in universities: voices from the frontline

The new term has seen universities plunged into Covid-chaos. John Westmoreland spoke to UCU activists about what’s happening and the action we need
When Towering Inferno meets Groundhog Day - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on a Tory party that cannot cope and a pitiful pseudo-opposition
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
‘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
Tory failure: the explanation lies beyond stupidity - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the return of Conservative sleaze and Keir Starmer’s unfit-for-purpose Labour Party
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
The cost of the Costa Coffee economy - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tory return to work and Trump’s bid for a second term
This country is non-functioning: Black Lives Matter resets itself after Kenosha

As Trump and the far right try to capitalise on urban unrest, pro athletes take the movement to new heights, reports Kate O’Neil
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
Another day, another U-turn: Boris Johnson is vulnerable - CounterBlast

Pressure from below has forced the Johnson government into crucial retreats on exam grades and face coverings, writes Sean Ledwith
Jacob Blake and Kenosha: the chickens are still coming home to roost

Kate O’Neil reflects on the US empire’s latest eruption of racism and violence
Why does capitalism go into crisis? - video

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Susan Newman explains the regular crises faced by capitalism
The summer daze of Boris Johnson - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on a political crisis that’s far from over
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
Resurgent virus exposes Johnson’s terrible failures – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on a persistent Covid-19, feckless Tories and campaigning for carers
Prepare for the coming jobs massacre – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on the impending economic crisis and Blairism’s place in history
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
It’s working people’s good sense versus the government’s nonsense – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid and the distortions of the Tory spin machine
Save lives and jobs: distance yourself from neoliberalism - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on post-Covid reconstruction and the politics of free speech
Ten reasons Roosevelt’s New Deal was more myth than reality

FDR’s reputation as a workers’ President should be rejected along with Boris Johnson’s attempt to channel his legacy, argues Sean Ledwith
The South Sea Bubble: England's first stock market crisis 300 years ago

The South Sea Bubble was not an exceptional event but the first of many crises produced by the inescapable tendencies of capitalism, argues Dominic Alexander
The movement that can dump Trump – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter impact on US politics and the floundering Tories
The looming danger of a US-China military confrontation

The coronavirus and deepening economic crisis is being used as a pretext by Trump to scale up tensions with China, writes Lindsey German
40,000 deaths but Johnson pushes us back to work - CounterBlast 5 June

The awful milestone of 40,000 officially recorded deaths shows why the government is reckless in lifting the lockdown, writes Alex Snowdon
The schools’ crisis: what can we expect

Children will not be returning to normal schooling this week, explains NEU executive member Philipa Harvey
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
5 things the Cummings crisis teaches us which make the country virtually ungovernable - CounterBlast 28 May

The bizarre and obsessive defence of Dominic Cummings shows that the current crop of Tories are incompetent as well as callous, argues Chris Nineham
Do as I say, not as I do: Cummings must go

The revelations about Boris Johnson’s chief adviser breaking lockdown rules should be the end of his career, writes Sean Ledwith
Capitalism as a dynamic system: Marx and the Climate Crisis - extract

In the second of two extracts from her new book Marx and the Climate Crisis, Elaine Graham-Leigh explains why climate destruction is a structural feature of capitalism
Tube drivers: In dubious battle

Tube driver and ASLEF branch chair Unjum Mirza describes the growing conflicts over worker and passenger safety on London Underground
Contagion revisited: how Hollywood got its pandemic prediction upside down

Chaotic leadership vs calm public: how reality was different from Contagion's plotlines, says Chris Nineham
Hackney organises against charges and discrimination in migrants' health care

Marion Macalpine reports from the recent Hackney Keep Our NHS Public meeting on migrant health and welfare during the lockdown
Marx and the Climate Crisis - extract

In the first of two extracts from her new book Marx and the Climate Crisis, Elaine Graham-Leigh looks at why individual behaviour has received so much attention and why this is an inadequate approach to the climate crisis
Model Letter to your local authority: don't open schools until it is safe

This model letter can be adapted and used to lobby the local authority in your area to put pressure on them not to open the schools until they are safe
A failed government in a failed system – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on capitalism committing to its priorities and how we can fight back
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
Doctor speaks out: this isn't freedom, it's a death sentence

Physical distancing restrictions are not simply a matter of preserving NHS capacity, they are about saving lives, says Red Elmahdi
Left on our own: a dispatch from the frontline

Counterfire interviewed a care worker from a home in Yorkshire about the Covid-19 issues that are affecting these workplaces across Britain
World War 2: we weren’t all in it together

On VE Day, we repost Lindsey German's article busting the oven-ready myths that are being used to corral the herd during this crisis
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
Set up to fail? Labour’s not so independent inquiry

Nick Fitzpatrick finds glaring issues with the panel put together by the NEC and its remit to investigate #LabourLeaks
Government and opposition: all in it together? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, Labour collusion, the dictates of capital and remembering WW2
Capitalism: do not resuscitate

The global economic crisis rendered by the Covid-19 pandemic considered by Susan Newman
Lockdown? This government should be locked up – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions
I don’t mind working but I do mind dying

London tube workers have been fighting to ensure a safe service during the Covid crisis; here’s its timeline, by Unjum Mirza, driver and Aslef branch chair
Republic of hunger: In the time of lockdown

Deaths by hunger will outpace deaths due to novel coronavirus in India, says Shashi Kant Tripathi
How long can the government distort facts - CounterBlast 22 April

While the government continues to distort facts, labour movement outside parliament has started to bear fruits inside, says David McAllister
The coronavirus crisis: Britain’s ugly moment of truth – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, the Tories and the real value of workers
The government's callousness is clear for all to see - CounterBlast 19 April

Boris Johnson's government has blood on its hands, says Tom Griffiths
Shock and awe: Orbán’s corona dictatorship in Hungary

The harsh authoritarianism of Orban’s hard-right regime is a warning to the world, writes Anita Zsurzsan in Hungary
Thick as thieves: coronavirus and the media

Timid, bland, uncritical - British news media have failed in holding the government to account over the coronavirus crisis, explains Des Freedman
PPE: Tories are still failing our frontline workers - CounterBlast 18 April

The government is failing to deliver PPE while trade unions consider strike action to save lives, writes Lucy Nichols
Capital’s dilemma: the conundrum of neoliberalism and Covid-19

Gramsci’s morbid symptoms reassert themselves in the age of coronavirus, writes Shashikant Tripathi
Sir Keir Starmer’s deadly crusade: supporting big business and undermining unions - CounterBlast 15 April

Keir Starmer's "forensic" opposition amounts to siding with the government against unions and public health it seems, writes Katherine Connelly
The coronavirus care home crisis: this is what herd immunity looks like - CounterBlast April 14

The government's attitude to the elderly in care homes is unconscionable, argues Shabbir Lakha
UK's national scandal: time for accountability and change

In this thorough and damning account of the government's catastrophic failures dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Raisa Ahmed argues we cannot return to 'normal'
The government must commit to end homelessness for good, not just during COVID-19

COVID-19 has given the government the impetus to house the homeless, but this should not be a temporary solution, argues Norbert Lawrie
Is there life outside Labour? That is where the hope lies

Recent events in the Labour Party need to be examined clinically, because they tell us important things both about the party's direction of travel and about how power is wielded within it, says Chris Nineham
Socialists in a time of plague

John Rees provides an overview of a landscape darkened by the establishments’ failure to deal with the coronavirus pandemic
Pandemic hammers the US economy

The coronavirus crisis has triggered a deep and sustained economic downturn in the US that will have lasting effects, writes John Clarke
It’ll Be Over By Easter: How Trump Became the Covidiot-in-Chief

Tragically, the events leading up to the Coronavirus outbreak and the manner in which he has bungled the federal response confirms that the Trump Presidency is destined to go down as one of the most disastrous in US history, says Sean Ledwith
The Sanders campaign and the corona crisis: stay in the race and retool for the long game

The pressure on Sanders to withdraw is intense. He must stay, and fight the long game, argues Kate O'Neil
Right turn for Labour – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the election of Sir Keir Starmer and the continuing Covid-19 crisis
Coronavirus crisis: is the tide turning against the Tories?

Number Ten’s Covid-19 media strategy appears to be unravelling, notes Alex Snowdon
Herd from the hub: a frontline dispatch

What happens when precarity and key working meet head-on in a pandemic, Andrew Emerson reports
A Knight’s leadership heralds a return for the Labour right – CounterBlast 4 April

This grave result is at loggerheads with the dictates of our present reality, observes Alex Snowdon
Gaza finds itself embroiled in another kind of seige

Gaza still needs our help, let us not give up on it in these testing times, argues Maddalena Dunscombe
Staff and workers still remain exposed - CounterBriefing 30 March

The attempt to look competent by providing regular updates the government is just trying to hide its inadequacies, says David McAllister
Can Johnson gain politically from this crisis? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German assesses the balance of forces
Crisis management Tory style - CounterBriefing 29 March

Another day and another suit delivering the same excuses as the fear and anxiety mounts for the rest of us, writes Chrissy Brand
Test, test, test: the politics of coronavirus in microcosm

A crisis is always an opportunity for the right; our side has to start setting the terms of its own agenda, writes Kevin Potter
Dominic Cummings vs the people - podcast

Following his article Coronavirus: the politics of Cummings' cull, Sean Ledwith speaks to Parallax Views
The sociopathic calculus of capitalism in a crisis

The ruling class is debating whether or not it's worth saving the lives of those it can no longer exploit; this is barbarism, writes Kevin Ovenden
Protect the NHS? Call their bluff and we can win – CounterBriefing 25 March

Don’t underestimate the power of popular pressure at this moment, argues Katherine Connelly
Pandemic basic income is not the solution

UBI lets the bosses off the hook and does nothing to challenge a system in crisis, argues John Clarke
Clap for the NHS: fight for testing and protection

As testing continues not to be rolled out, NHS workers and those in their care are increasingly at risk, argues Alia Butt. Clap for them this Thursday
Message to the government: your friends, the super-rich, are the hoarders - CounterBriefing 21 March

The government is trying to deflect blame from its failings by blaming ordinary people for the shortages, argues Katherine Connelly
Universal Credit: a coronavirus catch-22

People could lose money if they claim UC under the new proposals, reports Jim Scott
Criminal negligence while the virus lets rip - CounterBriefing 19 March

In the second CounterBriefing, Chris Nineham looks at the verbal gymnastics of the government to cover its own back after its policy has been declared utterly impractical
The viral bug that crashed the economy

The seeds for the economic meltdown that we face now were planted a long time ago, says David Bush
Endless conflicts are deepening Coronavirus crisis

In this critical hour, all sanctions and hostilities must cease argues Chris Nineham
Teachers in New York forced schools to close; we need to do the same

Don't play dice with people's lives. Close schools now, argues Shabbir Lakha
Laugh through the lockdown

Five of the best novels to keep you laughing while you sharpen your critical faculties from John Rees
Coronavirus is exposing capitalism - video

Kevin Ovenden speaks to Double Down News on how the nature of capitalism is being shown for what it is in this crisis
Stop the profiteering: requisition the private hospital beds

The government should use the power it has to requisition private hospital beds, instead of going ahead with plans to let the private sector profit once again, argues Mona Kamal.
Coronavirus: market failure

In his third note on the Covid-19 outbreak, Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis examines the role of the market in the apparent crisis on our shelves
Coronavirus – the trigger for a slump?

Michael Roberts explains why Coronavirus has destabilised the global economy
Fire, floods and emergencies: these are what the election is about - election briefing 18 November

Lindsey German on broken infrastructure, social crisis and covert war crimes
The devil and the deep blue sea: Labour and Johnson’s deal

Final stage Brexit fatigue cannot be allowed to override fundamental class imperatives, argues Kevin Ovenden
Their democracy and ours – weekly briefing

Current attacks on democracy have to meet maximum resistance but this is not an end within itself, argues Lindsey German

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