Socialism

Why I joined Counterfire

Four recently joined Counterfire members explain why they became members
Treated with disrespect and disdain: former Labour member speaks out on Starmer’s witch hunt

After recently quitting Labour, Paddy O’Keefe describes the toxic atmosphere of smears and bullying which is hounding dedicated socialists out of the party
Socialist Register 2021. Beyond Digital Capitalism. New Ways of Living - book review

Contributors to Socialist Register 2021, on digital capitalism, show that the system hasn’t changed its essential nature, and scepticism is needed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Revolutionary ideas: Class and class conciousness - video

Introduced by Lindsey German at Counterfire's Revolution! festival
Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers and the US state - video

Yonas Makoni discusses Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers and the US state as part of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival
Will extreme weather be a wake-up call?

The extreme weather experienced across the globe recently is a direct result of a climate crisis caused by the capitalist mode of production and activists must pressure world leaders to act, writes Nathan Street
Women's liberation: a revolutionary history - video

Katherine Connelly and Rachel Holmes discuss the radical tradition of the struggle for women's liberation at Counterfire's Revolution! Festival of Marxist Ideas
The war on woke: how socialists should respond to the culture wars

The Tories are trying to further divide the working class by fuelling culture wars, socialists must fight back on our own terms, argues John Westmoreland
Stonewall, gay liberation and lessons for today - interview with Kevin Ovenden

To mark Pride month, Anja Ilić speaks to Kevin Ovenden about the radical roots of the gay liberation movement and the struggle today
Capitalism is killing the planet: what should socialists do?

With a record breaking heatwave sweeping North America and the continued failure of world leaders to take action, Nathan Street explains the socialist strategy for combating climate change
The anger's everywhere... Join the fightback - Counterfire Freesheet June 2021

United against the Tories, why solidarity with Palestine is critical, a socialist guide to combating climate change and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Don't split the left: an open letter from Unite members

Unite members call for a single left candidate to defeat the right in the General Secretary election.
The left breakthrough in Peru: socialist teacher Castillo on the verge of victory

Trade unionist Pedro Castillo’s narrow lead in Peru’s Presidential elections opens up the prospect for radical change, but the right won’t back down quietly, argues Jonathan Maunders
32 Counties: The Failure of Partition and the Case for a United Ireland - book review

In 32 Counties, Kieran Allen shows that Irish unity is back on the agenda, if an anti-sectarian socialist politics can transform south and north, finds Chris Bambery
The Railway: An Adventure in Construction - book review

The post-war experiences of the young E.P. Thompson working on a railway in Tito’s Yugoslavia cannot be taken at face value, finds Dragan Plavšić
The 1926 General Strike: when workers brought Britain to a standstill

On International Workers' Day, Chris Bambery recalls the General Strike of 1926, the power of the working class and the lessons to be learnt in the struggle today
The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology - book review

Bellamy Foster’s Return of Natureshows that ecological science and socialism have developed together from Marx and Engels’ writings, finds Dominic Alexander
Where there’s people, there’s power – Judas and the Black Messiah review

The revolutionary life and politics of Fred Hampton, and the violence of the state against him, provide timely lessons for the movement today, writes Shabbir Lakha
Books to spring into Spring with

As what's seemed like a never-ending lockdown approaches some sort of close, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman has been reading up on the sport we’ve lost and what sport might become
The Individual and Collective in Women's Liberation - video

Lindsey German looks at the role of the individual and collective organising in the struggle for women's liberation
Women's oppression and its roots in class society - video

Elaine Graham-Leigh discusses the origin of women's oppression in the development of class society and what that means for the struggle for liberation
Justice at last for the Shrewsbury pickets

The victory for the Shrewsbury 24 lays bare how the state conspired to lock up striking workers in the 70s, reports John Westmoreland
Paris Commune @ 150 - video

Counterfire's event commemorating the Paris Commune 150 years on and its relevance today
CLR James on the Paris Commune: They showed the way to labour emancipation

On the 150^th anniversary of the Paris Commune, we repost this article by renowned Marxist CLR James from 1946 on Marx and the Commune
The Paris Commune: when workers ran a city

Ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune, John Westmoreland looks at the first working-class government and why it's an important historical milestone
Whose unity? Scottish Labour drops candidate after she backs Indyref2

Anas Sarwar is following Sir Keir Starmer’s footsteps in expunging every vestige of progressive thought in the Labour Party, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
The socialist tradition of organising women - video

Feyzi Ismail discusses the role of socialist organising in the struggles for women's liberation
International Women's Day: a working class, socialist history

For international women's day, we republish this piece by Katherine Connelly on its origins in socialist and feminist movements led by working class women.
Working women and the feminist movement

In the first of a series on women and socialism, Terina Hine looks at the history of how women have made gains through worker militancy
The fight for women's liberation - Marxism and Women's liberation extract

Katherine Connelly looks at the struggle against women's oppression in this extract from Marxism and Women's Liberation
Latin America: a new ‘Pink Tide’?

In Latin America popular movements rejecting neoliberalism are fusing with a left electoral resurgence to make a second ‘Pink Tide’ possible, argues Jonathan Maunders
Pro-independence Catalan vote deepens crisis of the Spanish state

Chris Bambery analyses the Catalonia election which put pro-independence parties ahead of unionists, the crisis for Madrid and the challenges ahead for the left
Starmer's flag fetish: win the middle ground, don’t chase it

Rather than Starmer’s bland patriotic appeal, Kevin Ovenden argues for the revolutionary tradition of winning broad support for socialists through building mass movements
After Trump: can the left organise to defeat the right? - part two

As Biden is inaugurated, Kate O’Neil asks DSA activist and author Saman Sepehri what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the American left
After Trump: can the left organise to defeat the right? - part one

In the lead-up to Biden’s inauguration, Kate O’Neil asks DSA activist and author Saman Sepehri what this month’s historic events in the US mean for the American left
Is Britain breaking up? Socialists and the national question - video

With the growing division within the union, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica discusses how socialists should relate to national independence struggles
Life outside Labour - part 2

Following our first round of testimonies, four more new Counterfire members give their reasons for joining
Where does sexism come from? - Marxism and Women's Liberation excerpt

Elaine Graham-Leigh traces the roots of women's oppression in this excerpt from Marxism and Women's Liberation
Yet another 10 radical Christmas songs

Avoid the lockdown blues with Morgan Daniels' pick of radical Chrismas songs
There is life outside Labour

Four new Counterfire members explain their reasons for joining
The Queen’s Gambit: a riposte to Cold War America

The Queen’s Gambit offers an engaging critique of official Cold War narratives and Western individualism, finds Nathan Street
Revolutionaries and trade unions - video

John Rees discusses a Marxist view of trade unions and how revolutionary socialists should organise
Eugene V. Debs: A Graphic Biography - book review

The story of the American trade-union militant turned socialist leader, Eugene Debs, remains important and is stirringly told in a new graphic biography, finds Sean Ledwith
Is there life outside Labour?

In our continuing series on left strategy, Chris Nineham from Counterfire responds to Laura Smith and John McInally
Engels: giant of the socialist movement - video

On the bicentenary of Engels' birth, Lindsey German looks at his life as a socialist revolutionary, activist and theoretician
Radical off the pitch: what they don’t tell you about Maradona

As El Diego leaves us, Enrico Tortolano pays tribute to the boy from the barrio who never forgot where he came from
Engels: a working class hero

The life long comrade of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels made a huge contribution to socialist ideas and to revolutionary activity. Lindsey German looks at his legacy
Don’t give up! Educate, organise and fight

As part of our series on the future of the left in and out of Labour, Laura Smith outlines a path forward
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
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
Why Labour fails - video

Dragan Plavšić explains why the Labour Party fails as a party that was founded to represent the working class
The China question

Dragan Plavšić replies to criticisms of his recent article ‘China: a socialist force for good or an imperial superpower in the making? An historical evaluation’
Rosa Luxemburg: an interview with Dana Mills

Katherine Connelly interviews Dana Mills, author of a new biography on Rosa Luxemburg, on her crucial contribution to revolutionary thought
Defend Corbyn: the key thing is to fight - video

Lindsey German speaks at a mass online rally in defence of Jeremy Corbyn
CLR James: a revolutionary life - video

Unjum Mirza gives an introduction to the revolutionary life of CLR James, a Marxist, historian, novelist, playwright, and cricket lover
Why does the Labour Party fail? - explainer

Alex Snowdon dissects the root of Labour's failures as a party that's meant to represent working people
Paul Robeson: fighter for liberation - video

A presentation on the revolutionary life of singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson by Tayo Aluko
Bolivia defies the Washington Consensus

Driven by mass popular resistance, the election of Movement for Socialism signals a major victory against the coup leaders and their neoliberal backers in Washington, writes John Clarke.
Walter Rodney: Marxist, Pan-African, organic intellectual

Sean Ledwith recounts the socialist revolutionary Walter Rodney's many accomplishments and intellectual prowess
Claudia Jones: Communism and the Notting Hill Carnival

As well as founding the Notting Hill Carnival, Claudia Jones lived a revolutionary life fighting for black liberation and socialism, writes Lucy Nichols
Where next for the left? - Mike Wayne

As part of a discussion on the next steps for the left after the rightward shift of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer, Mike Wayne looks at the need for a new party of the left and the importance of revolutionary organising
China: a socialist force for good or an imperial superpower in the making? An historical evaluation - long read

Dragan Plavšić considers what China’s modern history tells us about the nature of the Chinese state today
US wildfires and extreme weather are a warning: we need system change to stop the climate crisis

The extreme weather and wildfires ripping through parts of the US show clearly why we need fundamental change to stop the climate crisis, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
What is imperialism? - explainer

In the tenth part of a series of explainers, Dragan Plavšić examines the roots of imperialism and how to oppose it
Is revolution possible in the 21st century? – video

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Chris Nineham looks at the prospect of revolution in the present day
Made in the US: the coup in Chile

On the 50^th anniversary of Salvador Allende’s election, Mike Wayne looks at a declassified CIA report that shows how quickly plans were laid to stop him at all costs
Is revolution possible in the twenty-first century? – explainer

In the ninth part of our explainer series, Katherine Connelly looks at the continuing possibility of revolution for transforming society today
What went wrong in Russia? - explainer

In the eighth part of a series of socialist explainers, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica analyses what went wrong in post-revolution Russia
What is the working class today? - video

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Lindsey German discusses what the working class is today and what that means for socialists
Is a society without oppression possible? - explainer

In the seventh part of a series of socialist explainers, Elaine Graham-Leigh analyses where oppression comes from and if it can be overcome
Ten years of Counterfire books: on sale now

Celebrating a decade of books published by Counterfire
Can socialism come through Parliament? - explainer

In the sixth part of a series of socialist explainers, Morgan Daniels looks at the prospect of achieving socialism through Parliament
Why class matters - explainer

In the fifth part of a series of socialist explainers, David McAllister explains what the working class is and why it's central to transforming society
The Starmer supremacy: Labour is now on the wrong side of the struggles that matter

Starmer's stampede to the right means that socialists will need to reach beyond the Labour Party to build a fighting left, argues Chris Nineham
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
Can economic planning work? - explainer

In the third of a series of socialist explainers, Dominic Alexander takes on the idea that a planned economy cannot work
Poland Elections 2020: a narrow but dangerous victory for the right

The victory for the Trumpesque right in Poland is a dangerous development and the challenge for socialists is to create an opening for renewed struggle, argues Reece Goscinski
Does human nature make socialism impossible? - explainer

In the second of a series of socialist explainers, Lucy Nichols dissects the idea that humans are inherently selfish
The NHS is 72: why we must fight to defend it

As the NHS turns 72, it is under threat from the free-market dogma that has been underfunding and privatising it, writes John Westmoreland
Starmer takes Labour right: It's time for an extra-parliamentary left

The fight is on, but it isn't going to be fought in the Labour Party
Ernie O'Malley's On Another Man's Wound: books that made me a socialist

An anti-imperialist personal account chosen by Chris Bambery
What is socialism? - explainer

In the first of a series of socialist explainers, Chris Nineham looks at the concept of socialism itself
Engels' contribution to Marxism

As part of our series on the revolutionary Frederick Engels, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, we repost Tony Cliff's 1996 speech on Engels
Starmer plays to the right: where now for the left?

Starmer has signalled war on Labour's left with the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey. It is a deliberate attempt to root out Corbynism from positions of influence
Black history you can’t be without: Nine books on the struggle

A reading list of nine essential books on black history and the struggle against racism
Socialist Register 2020: Beyond Market Dystopia - book review

The wide range of essays in Socialist Register 2020 provide important reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of recent left movements, finds Sean Ledwith
Black Lives Matter, the sixties and socialist organisation - video

Lindsey German interviews Tariq Ali on the Black Lives Matter protests, their significance and the struggles ahead
'Are there no food banks?' The Poor Laws and Charles Dickens at 150

Dickens’s acute observations of social inequality illuminate the cruelty of our government 150 years after his death, says Katherine Connelly
Marxism and the trade unions: Strategy and Tactics

An excerpt from John Rees' Strategy and Tactics: How the Left Can Organise To Transform Society
If VE Day never came: It Happened Here - film review

On the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Tom Griffiths finds Brownlow and Mollo's alternative vision of Nazi-led Britain in the 1940s still resonates powerfully
Britain in World War Two: when workers wouldn't go back to normal

The history of working-class struggle during the Second World War that transformed Britain for the better should be remembered on VE day, writes John Westmoreland
Total War: realism and fantasy in British Cinema of the 1940s

British Cinema during WW2 presents us with a more complex picture of an important historical period than we might expect, argues Martin Hall
Reading the Labour Party: book recommendations by and for socialists

How can we explain what has happened in the Labour Party? We asked eight Counterfire authors to tell us about the books that have helped them to understand what the Labour Party is and how socialists should engage with it
The history of May Day: an unfinished struggle

Out of the Chartist movement, the struggle against slavery and for international socialism, why the demands of May Day remain as vital as ever today
Who pays? Socialists and state intervention part 2 – long read

In the second part of his article, Chris Nineham examines the recent development of the state and how the Coronavirus will impact on government policy and the left
Rebel Minds: Class War, Mass Suffering, and the Urgent Need for Socialism - book review

A Marxist critique of psychiatry puts mental-health issues in the context of the social crises created by capitalism, and argues for socialist solutions, finds Adrian Cooley
Who pays? Socialists and state intervention part 1 – long read

State intervention is back. In part one of a two-part article, Chris Nineham looks at the myths and politics behind state involvement in the economy
Did Lenin inevitably lead to Stalin?

There was nothing inevitable about the grotesque transformation of Russia’s fledgeling workers’ state into Stalin’s Soviet Union, explains John Westmoreland in the third of his three-part series
The hidden history of American radicalism: the campaign for the Workers' Unemployment Insurance Bill

The little-known story of working class organising for a Communist-led initiative in 1930s America challenges assumptions about US workers’ conservatism, argues Chris Wright
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
Tony Cliff: revolutionary theory and practice

John Rees remembers Tony Cliff’s unique contribution to the Marxist tradition
Invasion of the Body Starmers

Starmer's Labour Party is a bit like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, let's learn the right lessons, argues Ben Tunstall
New horizons during Covid-19: beyond the limits of capitalist realism

Through the Covid-19 crisis we glimpse the need for change and the possibility of change, argues Mike Wayne
Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time: books that made me a socialist

A startling fusion of science fiction and feminism selected by Dave Randall
Trotsky’s My Life: books that made me a socialist

A magisterial autobiography chosen by Jacqueline Mulhallen
EP Thompson’s The Making of the English Working Class: books that made me a socialist

A classic work of social history chosen by Dominic Alexander
Where's Keir Starmer?

Keir Starmer's failure to stand up for working class people during this crisis is a glimpse of what we can expect if he becomes Labour leader, writes Alyssa Cassata
Coronavirus, the market and the state

The state and the market are opposite sides of the same capitalist coin, writes Dragan Plavšić
Engels' Marxism

In the second of our series on the revolutionary Frederick Engels, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, we are republishing this piece by John Rees which first appeared in the International Socialism Journal in 1994
Put people before profit to fight Coronavirus

The government's response to the Coronavirus puts big business first, but we need real solutions that benefit the public instead, argues Richard Allday
Laugh through the lockdown

Five of the best novels to keep you laughing while you sharpen your critical faculties from John Rees
Counterfire during the Coronavirus: letter from the editor

A letter to our readers from Counterfire's editor, Katherine Connelly
A People’s History of the German Revolution 1918-19 - book review

William Pelz’s People’s History of the German Revolution is a vivid and accessible introduction to socialism’s greatest lost revolution, finds Tom Whittaker
Why the working-class, socialist history of International Women’s Day matters today

On International Women's Day, Katherine Connelly looks at its origins in the socialist and feminist movements led by working class women
10 years of Counterfire

Marking ten years since the launch of Counterfire, Alex Snowdon reflects on why the organisation was set up and some of what we have achieved in the last decade
Frederick Engels: life of a revolutionary

In the first of our series on the revolutionary Frederick Engels, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, we are republishing this piece by Lindsey German which first appeared in the International Socialism Journal in 1994
Ten books to shake 2020

Want to turn the world upside down in 2020? Philosophy Football’sMark Perrymanhas found ten books to help us on the way
Why Bernie matters

Sanders puts class warfare back on the agenda, writes Alex Kerner
In the Red Corner: the Marxism of José Carlos Mariátegui - book review

Mike Gonzalez, In The Red Corner, recovers José Carlos Mariátegui’s Marxist understanding of Latin America in the context of the development of capitalism, finds Orlando Hill
As Australia burns, climate strikes set for a new phase

Lucy Nichols reports on twelve months of student-led protest
Why socialists oppose imperialist wars

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander
Brazil: the 2013 June Days and the consolidation of the 2018 coup

Leonardo Péricles looks at the character and context of the June Days protests in Brazil which he argues did not directly lead to the 2018 coup
Retreat is a luxury the left cannot afford

The left must turn to rebuilding dynamic extra-parliamentary resistance to the Tories
After a bruising election... What next for the left? - Counterfire Freesheet January 2020

Labour leadership contest, general strike in France, growing protest movement in India, why socialists oppose imperialism, a year of climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Corbynism, socialists and the resistance – Counterfire’s conference

Counterfire recently held its biggest annual conference yet. We report on the discussion and the decisions made
Socialists and trade unionists chart the way forward after Brexit

Our Brexit, or Theirs – the LeFT Campaign’s North West event on Saturday saw a big turnout by trade unionists and socialists from across the region and beyond
Looking ahead: how the Left can win

Looking at how we got to where we are, Tony Dowling argues that the left must pivot to the streets
Another struggle is possible

John Rees looks at what was lost and how to win again
From New Labour to a second referendum: why the north turned blue

As part of a series of opinion pieces on the election result, Heather Parry argues that it wasn't socialist policies but the view that Labour was ignoring voters that cost them the election
Socialists don't do nukes

Nuclear weapons are incompatible with socialist politics, argues Hilary Stephenson
Tony Blair is completely wrong: Chris Nineham on Sky News - video

Debating a representative from the Adam Smith Institute, Chris Nineham defends Jeremy Corbyn and the left on Sky News
Labour's defeat: how it happened

As part of a series of opinion pieces on the election result, Brian Heron looks at where it went wrong for Labour
Rebuilding the resistance

Boris Johnson has to be resisted, and that means we have to get organised
What we should take from the election and what we do next

Lindsey German gives her thoughts on the election and what it means for socialists
The energy for Labour in Bristol has been projected across the South West - campaign report

In the last election, Bristol saw a massive swing to Labour, so this time Bristolians have led an energetic campaign in nearby seats, reports Nathan Street
Lindsey German: don't underestimate how far we've come - video

Speaking at a public meeting, Lindsey German discusses some of the issues that have come up in the election and says whatever the outcome, extra-parliamentary organisation will be key
Who needs enemies, with friends like Jon Ashworth?

Labour can still win, but in spite of Labour MPs like Jon Ashworth, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Jewish activists speak out: why we’re campaigning for Corbyn

Counterfire’s Kate O’Neil caught up with three Jewish activists campaigning for Jeremy Corbyn this week to hear what they had to say
How to read an election

Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman provides a handy reading guide for the 12^th December General Election
The Coming Revolution: Capitalism in the 21st Century - book review

The Coming Revolution is an impressive guide for Marxists looking for a way to approach contemporary capitalism, argues Josh Newman
The impact of the manifesto: canvassing for Labour in Glasgow North

Labour’s radical policies are visibly popular on the doorstep, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
The Corbyn effect in Scotland - campaign report

Jeremy Corbyn's Labour is offering hope in Scotland, reports Mark Porciani from the campaign trail in Glasgow North East
Bolivia: call it a coup, support the resistance

International solidarity is vital - the left must unite in condemning the coup against Morales, argues David Bush
Get organised, and get out there - campaign report

We can get Corbyn elected, but it will take sustained effort, writes Isabel Carr
How Labour can win the election

Mobilising the labour movement behind a radical anti-austerity programme is Corbyn's best bet to win, writes David McAllister
Election 2019: the chance for a green industrial revolution

Electing a Corbyn government that can implement a green industrial revolution is the essential next step to taking on climate change, argues Alex Snowdon
It's going to be a tough battle, but Labour can win

There is only one way to get a government which wants to improve working people's lives - and that's by voting for Corbyn, argues Lindsey German
Lessons from the remarkable life of Paul Robeson – part 2

Paul Robeson's extraordinary life is a lesson to us today, writes Tayo Aluko
7 black heroes that changed the world

For Black History Month, Counterfire asked activists today to tell us about their black hero and how they provide inspiration in our struggles today
The British State: A Warning

As the left prepares for the possibility of taking power, Chris Nineham's timely new book analyses the British state and what the left can expect
Lessons from the remarkable life of Paul Robeson - part 1

Paul Robeson's extraordinary life holds many lessons for the present day, writes Tayo Aluko
US workers strike back: General Motors and Chicago teachers

A surge in strike action in the US shows a labour movement that’s fighting back, argues Kate O’Neil
Bosses put the screws on the newly elected Portuguese government to avoid changes to employment laws

At the meeting between the PS [Socialist Party] leader and the president of the CIP, the employer confederation argued that the next government should be supported by "agreements during each budget", which may include the PSD
A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee - book review

An American socialist’s memoir of his life in East Germany overturns many standard assumptions about the contrasts of West and East, finds Dominic Alexander
Kick out the crooks - Counterfire freesheet October 2019

Tory crisis, Corbynism, drive to war with Iran, austerity, climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Why join Counterfire?

We need a bigger, stronger extra-parliamentary left.
Pensions: the system isn't working

We need a radically different system based on needs that works for pensioners and young people alike, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg
Class, Party, Revolution: A Socialist Register Reader - book review

A collection of classic Socialist Register articles raise vital questions about Marx, Lenin, Gramsci and revolutionary organisation, argues Alex Snowdon
Steer left to beat Johnson's phoney populism

To get rid of the Tories, Labour must fight the status quo with radical class politics, argues Alex Snowdon
Why we can win: the left and Boris Johnson's crisis

The way out of this crisis is to keep left, fight for Corbyn and stay on the streets, argues Chris Nineham
William Morris: father of socialist ecology

William Morris is one of the greatest environmentalists of the socialist tradition and his work becomes more relevant by the day, writes Gabriel Polley
The outlaw government must go!

John Rees on the next step to elect a socialist government
Why we all have to support the climate strike

On 20 September, it is essential that socialists and trade unionists support the climate strike, writes Richard Allday
Power to the People

Democratic rights don’t fall from the sky, they are fought for and won, insists Alex Snowdon
Labour’s Brexit slide

Labour must distance themselves from the status quo and instead fight for radical change in the interests of working people, argues Martin Hall
Labour and a ‘national government’: how to dash the hopes of millions

Looking back at the last time Labour joined a national government, John Westmoreland argues it would be a mistake for Labour to consider it now
The Corbyn Project: Dreams and Dangers

In this new timely book, John Rees analyses the Corbyn project from the moment Corbyn became Leader of the Labour Party in 2015 till today
“Life-long member of the non-pretty working classes” - All Woman review

In All Woman, Kathy Burke has tackled ‘beauty’ and ‘motherhood’ and next up is that big messy hot potato of ‘relationships’, writes Sofie Mason
How socialists should commemorate Peterloo

Peterloo presents us with unfinished business, argues John Westmoreland
Can the Working Class Change the World? - book review

If the working class is to change the world, it needs serious strategies to find unity and overcome divisions, not woolly moralism, argues Richard Allday
The Coming of the American Behemoth - book review

Roberto’s The Coming of the American Behemoth argues that fascist-like processes arose from the essential workings of monopoly capitalism in 1930s America, finds Martin Hall
Dirty tricks: the British State and the left

Recent attacks on Corbyn are part of the British state's long history of undemining the left, writes Chris Nineham
From Commune to Capitalism - book review

A valuable analysis of China’s turn to neoliberalism since the late 1970s needs to be put in the longer context of Chinese state capitalism, argues Sean Ledwith
Trump hates the Squad’s politics as much as their colour

Trump's appalling racist attacks on the four Congresswomen is just as much about their radical left wing politics, argues Kate O'Neil
Socialists should be trying to unite working people, not divide them - a reply to Paul Mason

Responding to Paul Mason's latest article, Shabbir Lakha argues that the left needs to be trying to unite working people against austerity, not divide them over Brexit
The problem with citizens’ assemblies

As a citizens' assembly to deal with climate change is announced, Elaine Graham-Leigh looks at the idea’s limitations
Labour Country: Political Radicalism and Social Democracy in South Wales 1831-1985, and Stories of Solidarity - book review

Two books on the working-class history of Wales provide valuable accounts of a rich tradition, but neglect some radical aspects, argues Chris Bambery
A Suffragette in America: Reflections on Prisoners, Pickets and Political Change - book review

Katherine Connelly’s edition of previously unpublished writing by Sylvia Pankhurst shows her deepening socialist politics, finds Lindsey German
Take the fight to the Tories: they are unfit to govern - Counterfire freesheet June 2019

Tory meltdown, the crisis in British Steel, how we should remember D-Day, a Marxist analysis of Game of Thrones and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Marxism made easy

Despite the nonsense that gets talked about it, Marxism is a clear, powerful, and relevant philosophy, argues Morgan Daniels
Marxism in 30 minutes with John Rees - video

John Rees gives a presentation explaining what Marxism is and why it's still relevant at a London Counterfire public meeting
Dump Trump: Protest the State Visit, June 3/4/5 - Counterfire freesheet May 2019

Protest against Trump's state visit, austerity and record levels of inequality, Algeria in revolt, Marxism made easy, Palestine, eco-demands and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
We need the labour movement to win the fight against climate change

The fight for workers' rights and jobs goes hand in hand with the fight against climate change, so we need the environmental movement and trade unionists to work together, writes Richard Allday
Limerick 1919: all power to the Irish soviets

Marking the centenary of its emergence, Sean Ledwith looks at the history of the Limerick soviet
Bernie Sanders 2020: what difference can he make this time?

Bernie Sanders is running for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election, what difference can he make this time?
Creggan and the death of Lyra McKee

The republican movement must not revert to futile militarism but build an alternative mass class-based politics fighting for a socialist Ireland, argues Vincent Doherty
Capitalism and climate change - can we avert disaster? - video

At a London public meeting, Elaine Graham-Leigh explains why climate change is a product of capitalism and the solution has to be one that confronts the system
World in Crisis: A Global Analysis of Marx’s Law of Profitability - book review

Marx’s law of profitability is shown in World in Crisis to explain today’s long depression, but ending capitalism requires a political strategy, argues Dominic Alexander
Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism - book review

Leary’s Keywords insightfully updates a classic critique of the use of language by power, to understand the vocabulary of neoliberal capitalism, finds Oliver Eagleton
Tony Benn: socialist, comrade, friend

An obituary written at the time of Tony Benn's passing by John Rees on a life well lived
Marx and the meaning of private property

Marx's stance on private property is far from the horror we're told it is, writes John Westmoreland
Climate Leviathan and A Foodie's Guide to Capitalism - book reviews

Two books on environmental crisis say that anti-capitalist politics are needed, but mistakenly reject the existing revolutionary tradition, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Counterfire media reaches 100k, now help us do better

This is a time of great possibility for the left, but only if we are prepared to stand our ground
How to deal with defectors – keep left

We shouldn't be intimidated by the splitters, we need to work to make Labour decisively turn its back on its failed Blairite past, argues David Swanson
Old Gods, New Enigmas: Marx’s Lost Theory - book review

Mike Davis punctures many myths about Marx and shows how important the history of working-class struggle remains for today, finds Dominic Alexander
The revolutionary life of Sylvia Pankhurst - Counterfire Media Podcast

Tom Lock Griffiths talks to biographer and activist Kate Connelly about Sylvia Pankhurst and why the militant socialist and suffragette is still powerfully relevant today in this episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast
What would a ‘Green New Deal’ look like in Britain?

A Green New Deal, now a popular idea in Britain as well as the US, can help to merge environmental struggle with class struggle, argues Jago Corry
Nostalgia for the future: Luigi Nono - book review

This excellent edition of Luigi Nono’s writings offers an invaluable insight into the unity of thought of one of the twentieth century’s greatest musical minds, writes Richard Pratt
Marx in Engels' words

Following the attack on Marx's grave in Highgate, we reprint a transcript of Engels speaking at his graveside on why he is worth remembering
Marxism and the Brexit crisis

The Brexit crisis is best understood through a strong methodological framework, argues John Rees

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Socialism

Socialism

Four recently joined Counterfire members explain why they became members

After recently quitting Labour, Paddy O’Keefe describes the toxic atmosphere of smears and bullying which is hounding dedicated socialists out of the party

Contributors to Socialist Register 2021, on digital capitalism, show that the system hasn’t changed its essential nature, and scepticism is needed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

Introduced by Lindsey German at Counterfire's Revolution! festival

Yonas Makoni discusses Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers and the US state as part of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival

The extreme weather experienced across the globe recently is a direct result of a climate crisis caused by the capitalist mode of production and activists must pressure world leaders to act, writes Nathan Street

Katherine Connelly and Rachel Holmes discuss the radical tradition of the struggle for women's liberation at Counterfire's Revolution! Festival of Marxist Ideas

The Tories are trying to further divide the working class by fuelling culture wars, socialists must fight back on our own terms, argues John Westmoreland

To mark Pride month, Anja Ilić speaks to Kevin Ovenden about the radical roots of the gay liberation movement and the struggle today

With a record breaking heatwave sweeping North America and the continued failure of world leaders to take action, Nathan Street explains the socialist strategy for combating climate change

United against the Tories, why solidarity with Palestine is critical, a socialist guide to combating climate change and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

Unite members call for a single left candidate to defeat the right in the General Secretary election.

Trade unionist Pedro Castillo’s narrow lead in Peru’s Presidential elections opens up the prospect for radical change, but the right won’t back down quietly, argues Jonathan Maunders

In 32 Counties, Kieran Allen shows that Irish unity is back on the agenda, if an anti-sectarian socialist politics can transform south and north, finds Chris Bambery

The post-war experiences of the young E.P. Thompson working on a railway in Tito’s Yugoslavia cannot be taken at face value, finds Dragan Plavšić

On International Workers' Day, Chris Bambery recalls the General Strike of 1926, the power of the working class and the lessons to be learnt in the struggle today

Bellamy Foster’s Return of Natureshows that ecological science and socialism have developed together from Marx and Engels’ writings, finds Dominic Alexander

The revolutionary life and politics of Fred Hampton, and the violence of the state against him, provide timely lessons for the movement today, writes Shabbir Lakha

As what's seemed like a never-ending lockdown approaches some sort of close, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman has been reading up on the sport we’ve lost and what sport might become

Lindsey German looks at the role of the individual and collective organising in the struggle for women's liberation

Elaine Graham-Leigh discusses the origin of women's oppression in the development of class society and what that means for the struggle for liberation

The victory for the Shrewsbury 24 lays bare how the state conspired to lock up striking workers in the 70s, reports John Westmoreland

Counterfire's event commemorating the Paris Commune 150 years on and its relevance today

On the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune, we repost this article by renowned Marxist CLR James from 1946 on Marx and the Commune

Ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune, John Westmoreland looks at the first working-class government and why it's an important historical milestone

Anas Sarwar is following Sir Keir Starmer’s footsteps in expunging every vestige of progressive thought in the Labour Party, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

Feyzi Ismail discusses the role of socialist organising in the struggles for women's liberation

For international women's day, we republish this piece by Katherine Connelly on its origins in socialist and feminist movements led by working class women.

In the first of a series on women and socialism, Terina Hine looks at the history of how women have made gains through worker militancy

Katherine Connelly looks at the struggle against women's oppression in this extract from Marxism and Women's Liberation

In Latin America popular movements rejecting neoliberalism are fusing with a left electoral resurgence to make a second ‘Pink Tide’ possible, argues Jonathan Maunders

Chris Bambery analyses the Catalonia election which put pro-independence parties ahead of unionists, the crisis for Madrid and the challenges ahead for the left

Rather than Starmer’s bland patriotic appeal, Kevin Ovenden argues for the revolutionary tradition of winning broad support for socialists through building mass movements

As Biden is inaugurated, Kate O’Neil asks DSA activist and author Saman Sepehri what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the American left

In the lead-up to Biden’s inauguration, Kate O’Neil asks DSA activist and author Saman Sepehri what this month’s historic events in the US mean for the American left

With the growing division within the union, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica discusses how socialists should relate to national independence struggles

Following our first round of testimonies, four more new Counterfire members give their reasons for joining

Elaine Graham-Leigh traces the roots of women's oppression in this excerpt from Marxism and Women's Liberation

Avoid the lockdown blues with Morgan Daniels' pick of radical Chrismas songs

Four new Counterfire members explain their reasons for joining

The Queen’s Gambit offers an engaging critique of official Cold War narratives and Western individualism, finds Nathan Street

John Rees discusses a Marxist view of trade unions and how revolutionary socialists should organise

The story of the American trade-union militant turned socialist leader, Eugene Debs, remains important and is stirringly told in a new graphic biography, finds Sean Ledwith

In our continuing series on left strategy, Chris Nineham from Counterfire responds to Laura Smith and John McInally

On the bicentenary of Engels' birth, Lindsey German looks at his life as a socialist revolutionary, activist and theoretician

As El Diego leaves us, Enrico Tortolano pays tribute to the boy from the barrio who never forgot where he came from

The life long comrade of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels made a huge contribution to socialist ideas and to revolutionary activity. Lindsey German looks at his legacy

As part of our series on the future of the left in and out of Labour, Laura Smith outlines a path forward

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

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

Dragan Plavšić explains why the Labour Party fails as a party that was founded to represent the working class

Dragan Plavšić replies to criticisms of his recent article ‘China: a socialist force for good or an imperial superpower in the making? An historical evaluation’

Katherine Connelly interviews Dana Mills, author of a new biography on Rosa Luxemburg, on her crucial contribution to revolutionary thought

Lindsey German speaks at a mass online rally in defence of Jeremy Corbyn

Unjum Mirza gives an introduction to the revolutionary life of CLR James, a Marxist, historian, novelist, playwright, and cricket lover

Alex Snowdon dissects the root of Labour's failures as a party that's meant to represent working people

A presentation on the revolutionary life of singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson by Tayo Aluko

Driven by mass popular resistance, the election of Movement for Socialism signals a major victory against the coup leaders and their neoliberal backers in Washington, writes John Clarke.

Sean Ledwith recounts the socialist revolutionary Walter Rodney's many accomplishments and intellectual prowess

As well as founding the Notting Hill Carnival, Claudia Jones lived a revolutionary life fighting for black liberation and socialism, writes Lucy Nichols

As part of a discussion on the next steps for the left after the rightward shift of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer, Mike Wayne looks at the need for a new party of the left and the importance of revolutionary organising

Dragan Plavšić considers what China’s modern history tells us about the nature of the Chinese state today

The extreme weather and wildfires ripping through parts of the US show clearly why we need fundamental change to stop the climate crisis, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

In the tenth part of a series of explainers, Dragan Plavšić examines the roots of imperialism and how to oppose it

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Chris Nineham looks at the prospect of revolution in the present day

On the 50th anniversary of Salvador Allende’s election, Mike Wayne looks at a declassified CIA report that shows how quickly plans were laid to stop him at all costs

In the ninth part of our explainer series, Katherine Connelly looks at the continuing possibility of revolution for transforming society today

In the eighth part of a series of socialist explainers, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica analyses what went wrong in post-revolution Russia

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Lindsey German discusses what the working class is today and what that means for socialists

In the seventh part of a series of socialist explainers, Elaine Graham-Leigh analyses where oppression comes from and if it can be overcome

Celebrating a decade of books published by Counterfire

In the sixth part of a series of socialist explainers, Morgan Daniels looks at the prospect of achieving socialism through Parliament

In the fifth part of a series of socialist explainers, David McAllister explains what the working class is and why it's central to transforming society

On the 150^th anniversary of the Paris Commune, we repost this article by renowned Marxist CLR James from 1946 on Marx and the Commune

On the 50^th anniversary of Salvador Allende’s election, Mike Wayne looks at a declassified CIA report that shows how quickly plans were laid to stop him at all costs