Covid19

Articles related to the global Coronavirus pandemic 2019-2020

The Monster Enters: Covid-19, Avian Flu and the Plagues of Capitalism - book review

Mike Davis’ The Monster Entersupdates his earlier book on capitalism and pandemic disease to reflect on the current failure of the neoliberal state, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
The China syndrome: why Trump’s obsession could lead to war – long read

The US policy to counter the growing economic and political strengths of China have taken a dangerous turn, says Chris Nineham
Strikes, walkouts, and sickouts: how working-class Americans are organising in the time of Covid-19

Counterfire's Katherine Connelly interviews US writer and historian Chris Wright about how workers are organising to protect lives and homes in America today
Herd today, gone tomorrow? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Cummings, Covid and the reassertion of working class organisation
Cummings' contempt deepens Tory crisis - CounterBlast 25 May

One rule for them, another rule for us
Tories can be beaten over schools reopening

Lockdown has reinvigorated resistance to the Tory plan for education, with a return to school on June 1st being strongly challenged
Coronavirus: a collective problem that needs a collective response

Capitalist competition is arresting the fight against Covid-19, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
We won't send our children back until it's safe

This government are not to be trusted over their plans to reopen schools on June 1st, explains Jos Forester-Melville, a parent from the North East
TfL price hike: risk your life going to work and pay for the privilege

The fares and congestion charge changes will hit the very people being forced to go back to work in the capital the hardest, argues Shadia Edwards-Dashti
Neither a rigged market nor Vera Lynn will pick the crops

The crop picking crisis is revealing the fundamental failures of free-market capitalism and invoking national spirit won't fix it, argues Kevin Ovenden
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
This crisis has exposed the Tory class for what they're really like - CounterBlast 21 May

Is there a day that goes by that you don't just groan at something stupid the Tories have done again?
Stop the re-opening of York schools on 1st June

We cannot let our children be exposed to such risk for the sake of convenience, writes Corinne Pearson
Teacher speaks out against government plans for school opening

Sarah Kilpatrick, a secondary school teacher in Gateshead and Assistant Secretary of her NEU branch, looks at why fulfilling NEU's five tests are critical for the safe opening of schools
Lives before profit: learning from the struggle for health and safety in the 1970s

John Westmoreland conducted a series of interviews with workers on the front line struggling for health and safety in the 1970s
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
Liverpool defies Johnson's dangerous schools plan

Liverpool Council has taken a stand against the government's reckless plan to begin opening schools on 1st June, reports Don Davies
Why teachers won't go back until it's safe

Teachers have been working in the interests of children all through lockdown: the government hasn't, argues David McAllister
Laura Smith: why we should listen to our teaching unions

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

It's not the public that wants to end lockdown - it's the government, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Why we should be Matchwomen, not Little Matchgirls

There's nothing new in the ruling class sending working-class people to work in life-threatening conditions, argues Louise Raw
A failed government in a failed system – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on capitalism committing to its priorities and how we can fight back
Crisis capitalism: why state intervention is not socialism

Capitalism hasn't been suspended. Change that benefits ordinary people can only come by pressure from below, argues Dominic Alexander
Austerity reloaded: Tories want us to pay for crisis

The Tories are talking about more austerity and we need to shut it down, argues Kevin Potter
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
Let our ‘heroes’ live - don’t end the lockdown

Thank our key workers by listening to what they are saying, says Alia Butt
Why does Sadiq Khan say that Transport for London has no money?

Transport for London’s problems go back far further than the virus to Thatcherite spending cuts and austerity, argues Kevin Crane
Coronavirus statistics lay bare the dire racial inequalities of our society

We don't need another review of evidence, covid-19 has showed we need concrete action to tackle racial health inequality, argues Mona Kamal
Protect yourself: how to join a union

Unions have won us rights in our working place in the past, they can do so again, says Jane Clayton
The imperialism pandemic

Imperialism is part and parcel of global capitalism and it can be seen very clearly in the coronavirus crisis, writes David Bush in this repost from Spring Magazine
New research shreds Johnson’s 'Covid-secure' workplaces

The evidence regarding indoor work spaces and Covid transmission is clear, and it's not what the government is saying, argues Alistair Cartwright
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
It is not safe to reopen schools - Kevin Courtney on Sky News

The National Education Union's joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney spoke to Sky News on why the government's plan to reopen schools is reckless and irresponsible
Know your rights: if it’s not safe, don’t go back to work

If you're being made to go back to work and don't feel safe, know your rights and join a trade union, writes Tony Dowling
France: Fear, mistrust and anger as lockdown is lifted

Macron’s corruption-steeped failure to protect citizens while exhorting them back to work lies at the root of nationwide scepticism and profound anxiety, argues Susan Ram
What the people want: rent controls and job guarantees

Overwhelming support for job guarantees and rent controls demonstrate the government’s failures to support workers during this crisis, argues Alyssa Cassata
Johnson’s gamble will cost thousands more lives – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on Tory recklessness and the workers fighting back
To the slaughter: back to work in a pandemic

The reopening of workplaces with no regard for the safety of workers shows the deadly determination of capitalism to protect profits, argues John Clarke
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
VE Day: a struggle for the future

The Government are invoking a blitz spirit to promote their agenda when the reality for working people during WWII was much more radical, argues Chris Bambery
A Manifesto of resistance: to protect higher education during COVID times

Universities are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, this manifesto protects them post lockdown
After the lockdowns what sort of world economy will emerge?

With the global economy facing the biggest downturn in 150 years, there will be no return to 'normal', argues Michael Roberts
Coronavirus: a test for Europe

The pandemic is proving to be a test for European solidarity and is adding strain to an already fragile EU, argues Alan McGuire from Madrid
Teachers: why we won't be rushed back to school

As the government moves towards lifting lockdown, Alex Kenny from the National Education Union executive explains why school staff are not returning until it is safe
Fight for our lives this Thursday: Interview with Ramona McCartney of the People's Assembly

Counterfire's Tom Griffiths interviews People's Assembly Against Austerity's Ramona McCartney about an online rally on Thursday
No return to pre-lockdown air pollution

The lockdown is confirming just how damaging air pollution has been, we must demand a Green New Deal to make sure we don't go back, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Government failures laid bare by highest death toll in Europe - CounterBlast 5 May

News that the UK has the worst death rate in Europe is a grimly unsurprising indictment of Government inadequacy, argues Mona Kamal
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
Government and opposition: all in it together? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, Labour collusion, the dictates of capital and remembering WW2
Safety first: Tube workers fight for our lives

London Underground workers are ensuring that protecting lives comes first, explains Unjum Mirza, driver and Aslef union branch chair
Workers across the US strike on May Day for their lives

Workers from Amazon and other retail companies walked out on May day to demand protective equipment and hazard pay, reports Alyssa Cassata
Fight to fund health, not war

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham
After failing to meet 100,000 tests target, Hancock must resign

After a campaign of deceit and blame dodging to cover up brutal incompetence and disregard for lives, Matt Hancock must walk or be pushed, argues Shabbir Lakha
Capitalism: do not resuscitate

The global economic crisis rendered by the Covid-19 pandemic considered by Susan Newman
The government keeps moving their own goalposts - CounterBlast 1 May

As the government fails its own tests and scrambles to ‘get the economy going again’, we must demand that people are put before profit, writes Cameron Panting
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
A care worker speaks out on coronavirus and state of care homes

Behind the rising death toll lies a care system hanging by a thread, says care worker Victor Davis
Starmer's Labour: the opposition's gone missing

Kevin Potter explores whether Labour's attempt at constructive opposition is actually opposition at all
Cummings and Sage: 'following the science' was always herd immunity

It should be blatantly obvious that someone who effectively advocates the culling of a vulnerable section of the population should not be allowed anywhere near public health policy, argues Lucy Nichols
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
The crisis within the crisis: refugees and the pandemic

Already vulnerable refugees living in unsanitary and squalid conditions are now bracing for the worst from the global pandemic, writes Eleftheria Kousta
Workers take a minute's silence as defiance grows - CounterBlast 28 April

International Workers' Memorial Day actions are one more expression of growing workplace anger and popular solidarity with working people, writes Chris Nineham
Lockdown? This government should be locked up – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions
A minute's silence that will speak volumes - CounterBlast 26 April

On International Workers' Memorial Day, we will remember the avoidable deaths of thousands caused by government incompetence, writes Chris Nineham
Disproportionate BAME coronavirus deaths highlight Britain's systemic racism

The impact of Covid-19 on BAME groups is magnifying the pre-existing structural inequalities in society, argues Alyssa Cassata
Coronavirus is showing that war has never been about security

While thousands are dying from the pandemic, it is obscene that war machines are still grinding on, argues Lindsey German
The Tories are the real criminals - CounterBlast 25 April

The government is doing everything it can to deflect from its own failures and blame anyone else, writes Lucy Nichols
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
The Tories' complete disengagement from what is needed - CounterBlast 24 April

The Tories couldn't even keep their own website for testing running for more then a couple of hours, how are they going to deliver 100,000 tests a day by next week?
Workers’ Memorial Day: give our frontline workers the PPE they need

This year’s Workers’ Memorial Day is set to become a demonstration of solidarity with health and care workers fighting coronavirus, writes Richard Allday
Covid-19 testing: too little, too late - CounterBlast 23 April

Matt Hancock's trumpeting of new testing and tracing plans follows massive political failure on this critical issue, writes Alex Snowdon
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
'Our labour is essential, but our health is negotiable': a tube driver speaks out

A tube driver speaks to Counterfire about why management pressure to impose a new timetable and dangerous conditions threatens workers' lives
Tories fail to meet already inadequate standards - CounterBlast 21 April

The Tories have brought back their election spin team to cover up their hideous failings in this crisis, reports Shabbir Lakha
Tory thieves are falling out over the corona crisis: Counterblast 20 April

Sean Ledwith considers the tensions unfolding at the head of Government.
PPE and testing: not just another Tory scandal

Government failings are putting life-saving NHS staff at risk, and the latest PPE scandal is guaranteed to make matters far worse, argues Alia Butt
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
Hang your head in shame, Hancock - CounterBlast 17 April

The NHS is not a charity, the Tories shouldn't be boasting about people crowdfunding for it, says Penny Hicks
Profit over people still the mantra, as school meal vouchers don't reach families

Rightly lack of PPE and testing is making news, but amongst the other scandals is the school meals voucher programme, explains Helen Rutherford-Gregory
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
We are not expendable: interview with Chris Smalls

Counterfire's Alyssa Cassata interviews Chris Smalls, who led a walkout at an Amazon warehouse in New York to demand protective gear and hazard pay, for which he was fired
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
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
NHS workers without PPE dying isn't just a tragedy, it's indirect murder

Doctors and Hearses by Potent Whisper
Covid-19, lockdown, and civil liberties

As the crisis continues, we need to make sure that our rights are not permanently eroded, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Orbánism on the march: how power is seized

Hungary’s far-right regime is exploiting the pandemic like no other European state, warns Tamás Krausz
Transport workers are frontline workers too

Covid-19 is killing the workers who support London’s infrastructure, reports bus driver and Unite activist Joanne Harris
Inadequate PPE is a national scandal - CounterBlast 10 April

As the death toll rises, the government comes under massive pressure to deliver PPE, reports Alex Snowdon
Covid-19, the state and civil liberties: the case of France

In France Macron is rushing through legislation to give enforcement squads enhanced powers to control individual behaviour, reports Susan Ram
When capitalism turns caring for the vulnerable into a burden

The resurgence of DNACPR should be challenged, the idea that one life is more worthy than another could lead to dangerous consequences, argues Elly Badcock
It's always us and them - CounterBlast 9 April

The tide is turning, with the public and even the press seeing through the Tory failings over Coronavirus, says Chrissy Brand
In defence of Corbynism

Although a Corbyn-led government would undoubtedly have spared a great deal of tragedy, the gains made in the last five years are undeniable, argues Ben Myers
Locking down rights, ramping up hate: fascism and Covid-19 in India

In Modi's India, coronavirus crisis is just another reason to ramp up Islamophobia, using it to cover his inept handling of the pandemic, says Kalpana Wilson
Centrism’s pyrrhic victory - CounterBlast 8 April

Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign, but the conditions that gave rise to his popularity haven't gone away, argues Katherine Connelly
How to build your union at your workplace now: a practical guide

As employers exploit and neglect workers during the coronavirus crisis, Dave offers a practical guide to organising in your workplace now
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
Coronavirus is exposing the gaping class divide in Britain

Working class people are the worst affected by the health crisis and the government's response is geared toward protecting the rich, writes Richard Allday
Evidence of the Government's neglect is mounting - CounterBlast 7 April

The death toll soars in Britain through neglect and incompetence as the US spitefully blocks aid to countries all over the world, reports Shabbir Lakha
Victoria Park is the People’s Park: reopen it now

Closing parks is a counterproductive act of petty authoritarianism, argue Alistair Cartwright and Chris Nineham
NHS staff being denied proper PPE and testing is criminal - video

The government is failing NHS frontline workers and costing lives, says Alia Butt
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
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
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
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
We're not all in it together, your majesty - CounterBlast 5 April

The British state has rolled out its biggest weapon at this time of crisis in a clear ideological intervention, argues David McAllister
Right turn for Labour – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the election of Sir Keir Starmer and the continuing Covid-19 crisis
Do not resuscitate: how the Tories are targeting the weak and old

Elderly and disabled people being asked to refuse treatment shows the Tories are sticking with herd immunity and it's unacceptable, argues Lucy Nichols
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
Austerity has left the NHS unable to deal with this pandemic effectively - video

Mona Kamal speaks to Double Down News about the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic which has come at a time when the NHS is at its weakest
Null and void: sport in a time of Covid-19

The Coronavirus crisis has revealed so much about sport-as-business that is bad, argues Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football
Lockdown crisis in India: a people's perspective of Covid-19

With no access to state support, healthcare or testing, India's working and poor people have been completely abandoned by the government during the lockdown
The Matt Hancock Show: government spin and outright lies - CounterBriefing 3 April

The Tories are lying to us. Penny Hicks responds to the government’s daily briefing
Covid-19, the crisis and the European ideal

As Europe reels from being the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak, the EU is creaking at the seams and may not recover, argues Martin Hall
Tories find magic money tree after all - CounterBriefing 2 April

After demands from the public and eventually the press, the government are finally being forced to move on testing and PPE, reports Lucy Nichols
It’s not business as usual, Secretary - CounterBriefing 1 April

Thanking business at this time is grossly insensitive and irresponsible, argues Katherine Connelly
The virus makes you ill but it's the government that kills you

The Rhyming Guide to Covid-19
Coronavirus, competition and the universities

The coronavirus has exposed serious flaws in the university system, writes Dragan Plavšić
Striking for our lives: international industrial action during Coronavirus

While capitalism allows callous employers to prioritise profits over people in the face of the coronavirus crisis, workers and trade unions have been fighting back on an international scale, argues Alyssa Cassata
The deadly Tory game of catch-up - CounterBriefing 31 March

The government are full of praise for citizens and health staff but their actions show them up, argues Shabbir Lakha
Working people shouldn't be penalised for staying at home

From sick pay you can't live on to bad credit scores, the government is pushing working people further into financial difficulty, writes Laura Smith
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
Assange, coronavirus and the death sentence in our prisons

Prisoners should not face a death sentence as the virus runs through the jails, argues John Rees
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
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
The government is prioritising protecting profits - CounterBriefing 28 March

The government should be reorienting production to the urgent needs during this crisis, but instead they’re interested in saving profits, argues Penny Hicks
The elephant locked in the room - CounterBriefing 27 March

From the inevitable effects of austerity to the prime minister falling ill, the Tories are going through a rough patch of exposing their own failings, writes Lucy Nichols
Millions clapped for our NHS in a show of mass solidarity - video roundup

Millions of people around the country mobilised en masse in from their homes in a moving tribute to the NHS and brave healthcare workers
The politics of pandemics in fiction: page and screen

Counterfire authors explore what we can learn about our current crisis from crises in fiction
The right are worrying themselves into helping the left cause

It seems the right is so worried about the left having better solutions they are inadvertantly writing articles in favour of socialism, finds David McAllister
Sunak steps up to sell the self-employed short - CounterBriefing 26 March

Rishi Sunak replaced an increasingly haggard Boris Johnson to deliver a programme of woefully inadequate support for the millions of self-employed, reports Morgan Daniels
Dominic Cummings vs the people - podcast

Following his article Coronavirus: the politics of Cummings' cull, Sean Ledwith speaks to Parallax Views
Supply chains: a neoliberal crisis

Alastair Cartwright explains how the current economic system is prone to failure and what needs to be done to change it
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
As the coronavirus death toll rises, so does the government’s ineptitude - CounterBriefing 24 March

Despite the confident front, Boris's lockdown address is full of holes and the measures taken are inadequate and behind time, argues Shabbir Lakha
Boris Johnson's lacklustre lockdown skips key measures - CounterBriefing 23 March

Boris Johnson's lockdown is weeks late, only after public pressure, and ignores the central questions around testing and necessary support for millions, argues David McAllister
Coronavirus in Gaza: End the Siege

The people of Gaza are already fighting for survival, in the present situation the Coronavirus will mean a death sentence for them
Tory arrogance is threatening our lives - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the unfolding crisis and its implications
Coronavirus, the market and the state

The state and the market are opposite sides of the same capitalist coin, writes Dragan Plavšić
Johnson squandered precious time to deal with Covid-19, NHS workers demand urgent action

Austerity has put the NHS in dire straits, and government inaction now is limiting the NHS further in its ability to tackle the outbreak, writes Mona Kamal
Macron and the shockwaves

There’s everything to fight for as Covid-19 redraws the lines of class war in modern France, observes John Mullen
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
Coronavirus and anti-racism: no scapegoating, no excuses

This UN Anti-Racism Day, we must make sure that Coronavirus doesn't make any space for racism, writes Lucy Nichols
No more gambles, put people first - CounterBriefing 20 March

Our pressure on the government is working and we must push harder, argues Shabbir Lakha
Coronavirus: the politics of Cummings’ cull

Not as stupid as was hoped, ordinary working people can resist Cummings and his super-weirdos, writes Sean Ledwith
Gordon Brown is not our saviour

As per the script, Gordon Brown has made an attempt to stamp his forgettable, but pernicious, brand of neoliberalism onto the current crisis, writes Morgan Daniels
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
Protest shut the schools, now demand mass testing - CounterBriefing 18 March

In the first CounterBriefing, Katherine Connelly responds to the government's u-turn on school closures after pressure from below
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
The People vs The Government - People's Assembly statement

The People's Assembly Against Austerity's statement on the coronavirus crisis and the demands we're making
Branson's pickle

Richard Branson tries to be a poster boy for capitalism's supposed humanity but in truth he respresents its worst depravity, argues Morgan Daniels
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
Counterfire during the Coronavirus: letter from the editor

A letter to our readers from Counterfire's editor, Katherine Connelly
Lessons from the Spanish flu of 1919: internationalism and people before profit

Internationalism and collective action of the working people is the way to resolve pandemics argues John Westmoreland
Covid-19: Shut the schools now

As coronavirus spreads, the long-term consequences of not closing schools are likely to be devastating
Coronavirus, climate, and capital: capitalism's destructive irrationality

Capitalism is subjecting itself to great strain and we must be prepared to help it on its way, writes John Clarke
Coronavirus, the market and who controls society? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on COVID-19 and its impact
US sanctions on Iran are fuelling the spread of coronavirus

Trump's sanctions on Iran are limiting the country's ability to deal with the coronavirus outbreak effectively and it's costing lives, writes Jonathan Maunders
Coronavirus, science, and politics

Some notes on Coronavirus, science, and politics by John Rees
Italian workers strike for safety

Workers pull together in stand against virus, reports Giuseppe Franci
Lewisham Hospital workers walk out and demand to be paid and protected

The coronavirus crisis exposes the rot at the heart of Tory policy on the NHS as workers on the frontline of combating the pandemic are the worst treated, reports Tom Griffiths
Coronavirus: keep calm and carry on is not a policy but an abdication of responsibility

Government response is a key factor in how the virus is affecting populations and we will all pay for the inertia of our own, argues Kevin Potter
Sunak just proved you can spend big but still back the rich

The budget big spend offers nothing to working people argues Chris Nineham
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: 8 demands we should make on the government

Any effective response to the virus outbreak will require radical solutions that put human lives before profits and markets, argues Alistair Cartwright
Coronavirus – the trigger for a slump?

Michael Roberts explains why Coronavirus has destabilised the global economy
Class and the Coronavirus

We have to challenge the government’s response to Coronavirus which threatens to hit the poorest hardest and fails to address the structural problems around public health, argues Katherine Connelly
Coronavirus: how effective are facemasks?

In his second note on the political economy of the imminent Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis looks at the antinomies of facemasks
Notes on the political economy of the imminent Covid-19 pandemic: Conspiracies

Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis addresses the conspiracies surrounding China's response to the spread of Covid-19
Chinese are not a virus; racism is

Solidarity, not stigma or division, is the key to beating this coronavirus, argues Lawrence Wong

Covid19

Covid19

Mike Davis’ The Monster Entersupdates his earlier book on capitalism and pandemic disease to reflect on the current failure of the neoliberal state, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh

The US policy to counter the growing economic and political strengths of China have taken a dangerous turn, says Chris Nineham

Counterfire's Katherine Connelly interviews US writer and historian Chris Wright about how workers are organising to protect lives and homes in America today

Lindsey German on Cummings, Covid and the reassertion of working class organisation

One rule for them, another rule for us

Lockdown has reinvigorated resistance to the Tory plan for education, with a return to school on June 1st being strongly challenged

Capitalist competition is arresting the fight against Covid-19, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

This government are not to be trusted over their plans to reopen schools on June 1st, explains Jos Forester-Melville, a parent from the North East

The fares and congestion charge changes will hit the very people being forced to go back to work in the capital the hardest, argues Shadia Edwards-Dashti

The crop picking crisis is revealing the fundamental failures of free-market capitalism and invoking national spirit won't fix it, argues Kevin Ovenden

The revelations about Boris Johnson’s chief adviser breaking lockdown rules should be the end of his career, writes Sean Ledwith

Is there a day that goes by that you don't just groan at something stupid the Tories have done again?

We cannot let our children be exposed to such risk for the sake of convenience, writes Corinne Pearson

Sarah Kilpatrick, a secondary school teacher in Gateshead and Assistant Secretary of her NEU branch, looks at why fulfilling NEU's five tests are critical for the safe opening of schools

John Westmoreland conducted a series of interviews with workers on the front line struggling for health and safety in the 1970s

Tube driver and ASLEF branch chair Unjum Mirza describes the growing conflicts over worker and passenger safety on London Underground

Chaotic leadership vs calm public: how reality was different from Contagion's plotlines, says Chris Nineham

Marion Macalpine reports from the recent Hackney Keep Our NHS Public meeting on migrant health and welfare during the lockdown

Liverpool Council has taken a stand against the government's reckless plan to begin opening schools on 1st June, reports Don Davies

Teachers have been working in the interests of children all through lockdown: the government hasn't, argues David McAllister

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

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

It's not the public that wants to end lockdown - it's the government, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

There's nothing new in the ruling class sending working-class people to work in life-threatening conditions, argues Louise Raw

Lindsey German on capitalism committing to its priorities and how we can fight back

Capitalism hasn't been suspended. Change that benefits ordinary people can only come by pressure from below, argues Dominic Alexander

The Tories are talking about more austerity and we need to shut it down, argues Kevin Potter

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

Thank our key workers by listening to what they are saying, says Alia Butt

Transport for London’s problems go back far further than the virus to Thatcherite spending cuts and austerity, argues Kevin Crane

We don't need another review of evidence, covid-19 has showed we need concrete action to tackle racial health inequality, argues Mona Kamal

Unions have won us rights in our working place in the past, they can do so again, says Jane Clayton

Imperialism is part and parcel of global capitalism and it can be seen very clearly in the coronavirus crisis, writes David Bush in this repost from Spring Magazine

The evidence regarding indoor work spaces and Covid transmission is clear, and it's not what the government is saying, argues Alistair Cartwright

Physical distancing restrictions are not simply a matter of preserving NHS capacity, they are about saving lives, says Red Elmahdi

The National Education Union's joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney spoke to Sky News on why the government's plan to reopen schools is reckless and irresponsible

If you're being made to go back to work and don't feel safe, know your rights and join a trade union, writes Tony Dowling

Macron’s corruption-steeped failure to protect citizens while exhorting them back to work lies at the root of nationwide scepticism and profound anxiety, argues Susan Ram

Overwhelming support for job guarantees and rent controls demonstrate the government’s failures to support workers during this crisis, argues Alyssa Cassata

Alex Snowdon on Tory recklessness and the workers fighting back

The reopening of workplaces with no regard for the safety of workers shows the deadly determination of capitalism to protect profits, argues John Clarke

Counterfire interviewed a care worker from a home in Yorkshire about the Covid-19 issues that are affecting these workplaces across Britain

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

The Government are invoking a blitz spirit to promote their agenda when the reality for working people during WWII was much more radical, argues Chris Bambery

Universities are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, this manifesto protects them post lockdown

With the global economy facing the biggest downturn in 150 years, there will be no return to 'normal', argues Michael Roberts

The pandemic is proving to be a test for European solidarity and is adding strain to an already fragile EU, argues Alan McGuire from Madrid

As the government moves towards lifting lockdown, Alex Kenny from the National Education Union executive explains why school staff are not returning until it is safe

Counterfire's Tom Griffiths interviews People's Assembly Against Austerity's Ramona McCartney about an online rally on Thursday

The lockdown is confirming just how damaging air pollution has been, we must demand a Green New Deal to make sure we don't go back, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

News that the UK has the worst death rate in Europe is a grimly unsurprising indictment of Government inadequacy, argues Mona Kamal

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

Lindsey German on Covid-19, Labour collusion, the dictates of capital and remembering WW2

London Underground workers are ensuring that protecting lives comes first, explains Unjum Mirza, driver and Aslef union branch chair

Workers from Amazon and other retail companies walked out on May day to demand protective equipment and hazard pay, reports Alyssa Cassata

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham

After a campaign of deceit and blame dodging to cover up brutal incompetence and disregard for lives, Matt Hancock must walk or be pushed, argues Shabbir Lakha

The global economic crisis rendered by the Covid-19 pandemic considered by Susan Newman

As the government fails its own tests and scrambles to ‘get the economy going again’, we must demand that people are put before profit, writes Cameron Panting

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

Behind the rising death toll lies a care system hanging by a thread, says care worker Victor Davis

Kevin Potter explores whether Labour's attempt at constructive opposition is actually opposition at all

It should be blatantly obvious that someone who effectively advocates the culling of a vulnerable section of the population should not be allowed anywhere near public health policy, argues Lucy Nichols

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

Already vulnerable refugees living in unsanitary and squalid conditions are now bracing for the worst from the global pandemic, writes Eleftheria Kousta

International Workers' Memorial Day actions are one more expression of growing workplace anger and popular solidarity with working people, writes Chris Nineham

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions

On International Workers' Memorial Day, we will remember the avoidable deaths of thousands caused by government incompetence, writes Chris Nineham

The impact of Covid-19 on BAME groups is magnifying the pre-existing structural inequalities in society, argues Alyssa Cassata

While thousands are dying from the pandemic, it is obscene that war machines are still grinding on, argues Lindsey German

The government is doing everything it can to deflect from its own failures and blame anyone else, writes Lucy Nichols

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

The Tories couldn't even keep their own website for testing running for more then a couple of hours, how are they going to deliver 100,000 tests a day by next week?

This year’s Workers’ Memorial Day is set to become a demonstration of solidarity with health and care workers fighting coronavirus, writes Richard Allday