Jeremy Corbyn

This government is sustained by class hatred alone.  But they are weak and we must keep up the pressure for a general election

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

Power concedes nothing without demand, and it's time we demand a general election to get the Tories out

Tory Brexit crisis, the fightback against austerity, Eurovision boycott campaign, Trump and Syria, remembering Rosa Luxemburg, Yellow Vests and protests across Europe in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

Polls don't always tell the truth, but their current interpretation in the media is deliberately hiding it, argues Shabbir Lakha

The most popular articles on Counterfire this year

Climate breakdown is a political issue, and to stop it we need to tackle it at the root, argues Jim Scott

Ten years on since the massacre of Operation Cast Lead, conditions in Gaza are worse than ever, argues Shabbir Lakha

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

We must demand a general election to resolve this crisis, argues Chris Nineham

There is no clear way out for May, and only one solution for the country - she has got to go

A number of contradictions are causing the Tories to lose grip; Reuben Bard-Rosenberg looks at why they have no clear way of holding on

Only a general election can break the impasse, and to make it happen we need to get out on the streets and pile the pressure on, argues Martin Hall

John Rees counts the days left for the Prime Minister

If a Corbyn-led government is bound by the EU's framework, then it will face big obstacles in delivering its socialist policies, argues Tom Gibbs

Let’s insist that future Labour policies confront inequality and material deprivation head on, argues Alex Snowdon

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

The ongoing assault on the Palestinian people is intensifying, and we need to up our response, argues Mona Kamal

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

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

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

Mike Wayne’s England’s Discontentsprovides a valuable analysis of how Britain is ruled and the ideology and culture of its elite, argues Chris Bambery

Dealing with inequality should be central to a radical socialist project, not something to be sidestepped, argues Cameron Panting

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

Little progress was made in the Brexit negotiations, and Tory MPs are losing patience with May, finds Martin Hall

The government has pushed the full roll-out of Universal Credit further down the road, but we must stop it altogether, argues John Rees

The crisis for Theresa May and the Tories continues to deepen, their only lifeline would be a second referendum, argues Lindsey German

Since Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour Party, the media attacks have been relentless. T. J Coles, author of new book Real Fake News, examines

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

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

Chris Nineham and Tom Lock Griffiths discuss Labour Party conference and what it tells us about how the left can win in the first episode of Counterfire Media's new podcast

The left surge at Labour conference was impressive - now, if we want to win, we need to mobilise the whole movement

Conference shows strong support among Labour members for the Palestinian cause, reports Terina Hine

The anti-war movement is on the front foot, and made its mark at Labour's conference

The left has seen a number of defeats at Labour Conference, but on the ground, there is burgeoning resistance, writes Chris Nineham

We can't let the most radical leadership in Labour's history find themselves fighting on the side of free trade, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

At a Labour rally at Liverpool's pier on the eve of Conference, Jeremy Corbyn gave a radical speech to rapturous applause and loud chanting

As Labour Party Conference commences, Sean Ledwith argues it is essential the left defends the Corbyn project against further retreats, as recent NEC decisions show us

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

Corbynism and the prospect of a Labour government are at risk if the NEC undermines the membership and democracy 

History shows that the deep state will always mobilise all its resources against even a relatively moderate left-reformist like Corbyn

Far from being an ‘isolationist’, Donald Trump has increased bombings, sanctions and war, argues Lindsey German

The attacks on Corbyn and the left this summer have been damaging, and can only be dealt with through political struggle, argues Kevin Potter

Supporting Palestine is an anti-racist, anti-colonial struggle; Israel is and always has been a racist state, argues Shabbir Lakha

From blustering buffoon to Trumpish racist, Johnson’s recasting himself for a new wave of reactionary and anti-working class politics, writes Lindsey German 

Corbyn's leadership in danger, solidarity with Palestine, People's Vote vs People's Brexit, UK wage stagnation, Yemen and fighting the far right

The defeat for the Palestinian cause at the hands of the Labour Party’s NEC should not be underestimated

Protesters rallied outside Labour Party HQ to defend Jeremy Corbyn and oppose the IHRA definition, Shabbir Lakha reports

Apologies and appeasement won’t stop the witch-hunt against Corbyn

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

Nothing will appease those who are determined to defeat Corbyn and diminish support for the Palestinians, argues Alex Snowdon

Destined for deselection, yet citing antisemitism, the nationalist Leaver's parting shot has been supported by Blairites whose only principle is to smash the left, writes Kevin Ovenden

This is a defining moment for the Corbyn project, and attacks over antisemitism and Palestine must be firmly opposed or they will escalate to chilling effect, argues Chris Nineham

Calling out the smear merchants for what they are is step one in ending this appalling and unprecedented witch-hunt,  argues Lindsey German

The attacks on Jeremy Corbyn trying to paint him as antisemitic and pushing the Labour Party into limiting criticism of Israel are persisting and intensifying. The assault on his leadership appears to be the most significant yet, and there is a danger that the project could be derailed if the right succeed.

At the same time, we have a Tory government still teetering on the brink of collapse. It’s only been two months since Theresa May tried to move up Parliament’s summer recess for fear of being forced out. The government has been utterly discredited on its austerity policies. The hostile environment that Theresa May has fostered and that came to a head with the revelations of the treatment of the Windrush generation has been met with national outrage.  Further, Brexit continues to be something Theresa May is failing to reach consensus on within her party and nationally.

The Tories have all but abandoned the manifesto they went into the 2017 general election with and they have proved that they are simply unable to govern. But the media assault on Corbyn has meant the Tories have been shielded from completely collapsing so far. Theresa May has been able to deflect the scandal of the rampant racism of her party because the establishment, spearheaded by the Labour right, have made Jeremy Corbyn the racist.

Part of the result from this is that Labour has been unable to surpass the Tories in the polls. We should recognise that the fact Labour hasn’t far fallen in the polls is a sign of the declining purchase the mainstream media have with the public, but that they haven’t increased further than the level they were at in June 2017 shows that the progress made during the election campaign has stalled, if not somewhat been rolled back.

This is in large part because the Labour right have led a truly disgusting smear campaign, but also to a lesser extent because of Labour moving away from being an energetic insurgent current to more traditional politicking, and not being as combative as some of us may have hoped it would be.

Filling in the gap left by a failing Tory government and the left under attack, and bolstered by a growing network of the international alt-right, has been the far right. The large street mobilisations of the far right gravitating around Tommy Robinson have been something unseen in Britain for a while. And the support from Steve Bannon and far-right European politicians is a new dynamic that everyone should be wary of.

For all these reasons, the need for the left to be organised and to respond to the situation in earnest and with urgency cannot be overstated. Counterfire has been producing critical analysis of the situation that has been read by tens of thousands of movement activists, our members were involved with organising the massive rally in London on 21 August in defence of Jeremy Corbyn, and we’re working to build the anti-racist movement.

Counterfire members were central to organising the 250,000 strong demonstration against Donald Trump in July. The demonstration was a testament to the breadth of the left, our ability to mobilise a broad section of the public and proof that we certainly outnumber the far-right when we are organised.

But we can – and need to – be doing so much more. At this time, we need to go on the offensive over Palestine, defend Corbyn, produce the right arguments on what we should be fighting for over Brexit, strategise on how to defeat the far-right, and help amplify the crisis for the Tories to remove them sooner rather than later.

That’s why, in this fast-moving political situation, we’re calling a national meeting on Sunday 9 September for all our members. The discussion will aim to analyse the political situation in some depth, and what role Counterfire can play in shaping how the left responds and in taking the fight to the right. We hope as many of our members as possible can attend, and if you’re a supporter, you’ll consider joining Counterfire and coming.

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

Israel’s history, from its origins in 1948's Nakba, is characterised by racism, violence and apartheid policies towards Palestinians, explains Sybil Cock

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

A short video explaining why adopting the full IHRA definition would be a mistake for Labour

Labour's NEC is under pressure to adopt the IHRA definition and some on the left are supporting this move. Alex Snowdon explains what's wrong with this logic

The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer isn’t a fact of life; it’s a set of politics that we can change, argues Lindsey German 

Ruling elites use agendas and debates to maintain their control, exposing this cannot be dismissed as conspiracism, argues Des Freedman 

The current ascendancy of the left in the UK is beset by serious threats. They must be faced and defeated, argues John Rees

The latest figures on living standards tell us austerity’s class warfare is more dangerous than ever. Mass struggle is an urgent requirement, argues John Clarke

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

When the mainstream starts playing with fire like this it means action stations for our side, writes Lindsey German

Right wing attacks on Corbyn have intensified. If we lose ground now, we will pay heavily in the future, argues Alex Snowdon

As he analyses the state of the economy, Michael Roberts finds that the capitalist sector of the British economy has failed to deliver for the needs of the people

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

We should not apologise for things we haven’t done and we do not shut down a witch-hunt by agreeing with it, argues Lindsey German

The former Home Secretary's desperate attempt to defend Tory policies in Hastings only shows how clueless she is, reports Chrissy Brand

As Israel enshrines apartheid into law and Jeremy Corbyn is labelled an antisemite, Shabbir Lakha assesses the situation 

Describing Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit strategy as "economic nationalism" is adopting neoliberal arguments that defend the status quo argues Kevin Ovenden

The Labour Party must not endorse Israeli violence, racism and apartheid policies as MPs have voted to do, argues Alex Snowdon

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

Be part of a socialist organisation committed to fundamental change

While the Labour right try to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, Israel just enshrined apartheid into law argues Mark Porciani

The left should not avoid political struggle, it should actively work to shape the outcomes of political crisis argues David Bush

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

Over 250,000 people marched through central London on a Friday, and Pete Morgan argues that together we stopped Trump

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

This is the start of a new phase of the crisis, not the end of it, writes John Rees

As England prepare to take on Colombia tonight, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman outlines what we might or might not be able to look forward to

Tens of thousands march in London, joined by Jeremy Corbyn, from across the UK to defend the NHS on its 70^th birthday and demand it is #Free4AllForever

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

Will the World Cup which opens today be an orgy of petty-minded nationalism? Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman doesn’t seem to think so

William Alderson’s “magnificent” poem May Days is to be performed by actors in aid of the Grenfell Tower victims to commemorate the anniversary of the disaster

“One rule for them and one rule for us” is a key mantra for neoliberalism and it has to be destroyed, argues Lindsey German 

It’s time for our side to reassert a People’s Brexit and quash the creeping Remainers and their anti-socialist EU allies, argues Lindsey German

Socialism and democracy belong together, and recent popular movements of the left make possible a fight for authentic democracy, argues Sean Ledwith

There’s still only one thinker who not only explains the horrors of capitalism but also offers an escape route, writes Lindsey German

Labour did better in the local elections than the loss the media are portraying, but they could have done a lot better, argues Cameron Panting

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

The entire left must stand united in its condemnation of the Windrush scandal, and demand the immediate resignation of Amber Rudd.

Speaking at a London Counterfire event, Kevin Ovenden discusses what the protests in Gaza are about and how Palestine can be free

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

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

As Theresa May prepares to back Trump in escalating military intervention in Syria, Stop the War published the following letter in response

As a massive wave of strikes continues in France, what forces might propose a mass political alternative to Macron? John Mullen discusses the party being led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon

As Jeremy Corbyn meets with Gordon Brown, Chris Bambery looks at Brown's role in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the current state of Scottish Labour

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

The British media tells a partial story on racism and its claims against the Labour leader run contrary to the evidence, writes Lindsey German

Some clips from the speeches made at The Corbyn Moment event in London filmed and edited by Paul Merron

The antisemitism smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn is cynical political point scoring and the left must tackle the arguments head on argues Shabbir Lakha

The establishment is losing control, but there is a way out for them, if the left lets its guard down, warns John Rees

How Brexit is handled is key to Corbyn being elected, and the success of a radical Labour government

The media have used the Skripal affair as a stick to beat the left and the anti-war movement, argues Chris Nineham

With the US state department looking increasingly aggressive, the anti-war movement must fight on many fronts, argues Lindsey German

In his speech at 'The Corbyn Moment', Alex Nunns argues that it's participation which will be critical in avoiding the perils of Pasokification

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

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

With a refugee crisis of epic proportions, we must be part of the solution, argues Sean Ledwith

A US army study, 'Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?', suggests NATO expansion is the key driver of tension with Russia

If Corbynism is to be more than a moment, Mark Perryman argues this requires new kinds of left politics

A successful left wing movement has to break completely with the organs of capitalist class power and forge an emancipatory politics from the bottom up, argues Stathis Kouvelakis

British government reaction to the attempted murder of double agent Sergei Skripal is rank hypocrisy, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

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

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

It is now more than ever the time to transform Labour into a social movement, argues Mark Perryman

The Corbyn Effect, a diverse collection of arguments on left politics, is politically uneven but offers many insights into the upheavals in the Labour Party argues Alex Snowdon

Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US

The smear on Jeremy Corbyn that he was an informant to a Czech spy during the Cold War is the worst kind of red-baiting

Jeremy Corbyn has outlined the Labour party's position on Brexit - in particular, regarding the customs union - Martin Hall breaks it down

In response to a recently published report, Reuben Bard-Rosenberg takes apart some of the arguments made by the Labour Campaign for the Single Market

Following the success of an anti-war resolution at Young Labour's conference, Johnny Charles reports on how a similar resolution was passed at his CLP

Those trying to force Corbyn to change his position on Brexit are paving the way for disaster, argues Lindsey German

Labour should stick with its People's Brexit strategy argues John Rees, but it has to make it much clearer what this means in practice

The Labour right is now focusing on the European Union to attack Corbyn - Chris Nineham shows why this is a dangerous moment

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

The scale of the weekend’s emergency protest shows a movement that won’t wait for 2022, reports Jack Hazeldine

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

Shabbir Lakha reflects on the twentieth century imperial imposition that continues to blight global justice

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

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

The campaign to stop privatisation of social housing in Haringey is a prominent example of effective grassroots resistance to council-backed social cleansing explains Isabel Carr

The treatment of Ahed Tamimi is not uncommon for the children of Palestine and shows Israel's systemic oppression of Palestinians clearly argues Shabbir Lakha

As we start the new year, Alex Snowdon looks back at the political developments of the last year with a view of what to expect from 2018

Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football introduces their visual review of 2017

What a year it's been! Here's a roundup of some of the best political moments of 2017

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

The rollercoaster of polarisation was in full flow this year and shows no sign of relenting, writes Lindsey German

Never mind miserablism this Christmas, Mark Perryman discovers more than enough books that describe reasons to be cheerful

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

Theresa May’s Brexit announcement on Friday was hailed as both a breakthrough and a betrayal. What has actually happened and what does it mean?

The end of the first phase of Brexit negotiations is neither the restoring of Theresa May's fortunes nor an indication that the Irish situation is stable argues Lindsey German

Despite dire forecasts for the economy and living standards, the Tories are continuing with more austerity. It can't go on argues Lindsey German

As current action hangs in the balance, Shabbir Lakha talks to CWU postal executive member Andrew Hopping about what lies ahead for the postal workers

Richard Leonard's Scottish Labour must embrace Corbynism and take the fight to the Tories

In conversation with Brian Eno, Chris Nineham launched his book How the Establishment Lost Control. Video by Paul Merron.

The coverage of the Priti Patel affair has been largely focused on the breach of the Ministerial code, but it goes deeper than that argues Shabbir Lakha

Labour badly needs to adopt Corbyn's view of war and peace and dump the carbon copy of Tory policies which have served working people so poorly

Priti Patel's secret meetings have put Israeli influence in British politics in the spotlight, but we need a wider conversation, including about Emily Thornberry argues Shabbir Lakha

To achieve a scenario where Theresa May poses the question ‘who rules?’ requires all of us to start moving

Jeremy Corbyn's rise has put anti-war politics centre stage. We now have a chance to do things completely differently, argues Chris Nineham 

A 1985 Exhibition of Soviet Design came to London and showed Mark Perryman the real meaning of revolution

At a roundtable discussion on TRT World, John Rees talks about Jeremy Corbyn, his leadership and performance at the last general election.

The Balfour Declaration was the prelude to violent settler colonialism in Palestine argues Alex Snowdon and explains why thousands will be protesting not celebrating.

Universal credit is not about 'reform', it's about the Tories penalising the poor, argues Steph Pike

Tories in crisis, Catalonia, German elections and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 21, October 2017

The Tories are just about holding on out of fear for a Corbyn government, but as the crisis they're in grows they're falling apart argues Lindsey German

We can't simply wait for the Tories to collapse - this weak Tory government has to feel even more heat than it does already argues Lindsey German

John Rees on the reasons for the Tory debacle and what comes next

As the Tories demonstrated their cluelessness, people from across the country demonstrated that another world is possible

As the Tories held their conference in Manchester, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in opposition to a government that is hanging on by a thread

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

John Rees looks at Labour’s strengths and weaknesses

In an exclusive edited extract from his new book The Corbyn Effect Mark Perryman describes a decisive rupture in British politics.

We must build an organised opposition to the Tories

Class and the question of Scottish independence are inextricably linked, argues Chris Bambery

Piecemeal attempts to end the worst excesses of this hapless Tory government's destructive agenda are useless; we need real solutions argues Lindsey German

In this final extract from How the Establishment Lost Control Chris Nineham outlines why a radical extra-parliamentary movement is needed to secure decisive change

How did the establishment get it so wrong? Alistair Cartwright talks to Chris Nineham about his new myth-busting book

Theresa May lost her majority in June, but she's trying to use the Repeal bill to undemocratically cling on to power argues Josh Holmes

Thousands of nurses protested outside Parliament against the 1% Pay cap, the fight is very much on reports Shabbir Lakha.

The resignation as leader of Scottish Labour is a recognition of Corbyn's strength

Jeremy Corbyn's original position, when he argues for a People's Brexit, made a lot of sense. 

Chris Nineham's book on the insurgent mood in Britain, and how it all went wrong for the ruling class

The recent attacks on the Labour leader couldn't be more transparent, argues Shabbir Lakha

Let’s ensure that the increased Israeli oppression around the Al Aqsa mosque re-energises the BDS movement, argues Alex Snowdon 

There was an infectious air of enthusiasm on display at Tolpuddle this year

Tony Blair says it is 'absolutely necessary' that Brexit doesn't go ahead. Lindsey German has her say

Brexit gives us a unique opportunity. Let's take it

The more things change, the more they stay the same: Lindsey German looks to Engels to help us understand the enormity of Grenfell

May's time is up. Let's push her out

This year's gala was blessed with a massive turnout and a mood of jubilation

Jeremy Corbyn will be speaking at the historic Durham Miners' Gala, off the back of a magnificent surge in support

As the government flip-flops and flounders over the pay cap, nurses get their own back

Politics in this country has 
shifted decisively to the left, but we must make the most of it

Following the political earthquake, building the movement is vital. Now it can really reshape politics

A hundred thousand people took to the streets on Saturday to oppose the Tories and put them on notice, Jonathan Maunders reports.

As a Corbyn government seems more and more likely, there are clear lessons to be drawn from the Greek experience, writes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
 

The study's results validate Corbyn's strategy of holding Labour to principled positions and articulating alternatives to the Tories' failed economics

The way forward for the movement, the Grenfell tragedy and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 019, July 2017

Oh-Jeremy-Corbyn - our side, right here, right now, are on the move, writes Dave Randall

A look at the radical history of the poem the Labour leader quoted at Glastonbury

Cladding being tested from buildings around the country since Grenfell have all failed so far - housing isn't safe any more.

The Labour leader received a welcome ordinarily reserved for rock stars, writes Kara Bryan

In the wake of Corbyn's electoral success, Feyzi Ismail interviews Alex Nunns, author of 'The Candidate: Jeremy Corbyn's Improbable Path to Power' 

The mainstream media had a bad election, but it's not all over just yet, argues Des Freedman