Covid19

The Tories are failing in the most basic principle of government, to keep its people safe, and its uniting people against them, writes Terina Hine

As devolved administrations move further from Westminster, now is the time to advance popular demands like rail renationalisation, says Jan Culley

Threatened with redundancies which will effectively close the plant, workers have voted overwhelmingly to fight back with strike action, reports Richard Allday

Structural racism is why ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to the virus, and it's a feature of class society not separate from it, argues Yonas Makoni

Now in a Tier 3 lockdown, Manchester protesters call out Tory incompetence and demand proper support, reports Lucy Nichols

The Tories are punishing working class children for being poor and we can't let them get away with it, argues Caitlin Southern

With a government this divided, we can win many more concessions and ones which benefit workers not businesses, argues Chris Nineham

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

The government’s Tier system of local lockdowns is deliberately pitting regions against each other and avoiding an effective national strategy with the necessary financial support

Manchester continues to resist Tory plans for an ineffective local lockdown with inadequate financial support, reports Chris Neville

Staff and students at universities are taking on managements and the government amid sharply rising cases across campuses

Lindsey German on the Tories’ ever-escalating Covid crisis, anti-austerity and Labour’s warped security values

French health and social care workers stage mass protests for better staffing, pay and conditions as a second wave of Covid-19 engulfs the country, writes Susan Ram

Students in Bristol have called a rent strike over conditions of learning and living which the university promised and failed to deliver on, reports Jago Corry

The rift which has opened up between the government and scientific advisors further amplifies Johnson’s negligence, argues Alex Snowdon.

Why we need a zero-Covid strategy, resistance on the frontline, carnage in America and a new direction for the left in this month's Counterfire bulletin

The government’s woefully inadequate handling of the pandemic is expanding the wedge between the nations of the union, argues Dr Stuart Cartland

Protecting people's lives and preventing hardship are not an either/or, what we need is the political will to do both, argues Chris Nineham

Speaking at a recent Counterfire public meeting, David Bush explains the multi-layered crisis facing the US and why the election isn't going to be the end, whatever the outcome

The government should be trying to save jobs instead of its crass attacks on those working in the arts and culture sector, argues Floyd Codlin

The government has simply not prepared the NHS for the second Covid wave combined with a winter crisis, warns Caitlin Southern

Boris Johnson’s briefing on the latest restrictions reveal only that the government is ignoring the science and has no plan, writes Terina Hine

Speaking at a recent Counterfire meeting, Chris Smalls describes the conditions at Amazon and how he's a part of organising workers against a rigged system

As the crisis in universities continues to escalate, these are the key demands students are making of their institutions

As the pandemic enters its inevitable second wave, universities across the country have gone ahead with bringing students back to halls and into face to face teaching, despite warnings from health care professionals and against the better judgement of the UCU. 

This has been a poorly-concealed attempt to justify the extortionate cost of a year’s study, and to appease the landlords who want to make a fortune on the private rents. 

Students are being trapped in isolation in their vastly overpriced accommodation, unable to buy food and struggling to access mental health support. This is unacceptable. The university heads of staff and the government had all summer to plan how best to send students back to University, and were advised of the risks this may bring by the UCU, NUS, Independent SAGE, and the government's own advisors. 

We feel let down, both by the government and university managements. 

We have three demands to make of managements to protect our dedicated lecturers and the whole of the student body, and to stop the spread of the virus more generally. 

1No more in person teaching - protect our lecturers and students 

2 Students should be allowed to return home – no-one should be trapped in halls

3An immediate rent holiday - we should not be paying to be locked down. 

Students and lecturers unite to confront government failure to keep universities safe, reports Lucy Nichols

The failures of this government to control the pandemic have pushed schools and communities into an extremely difficult and dangerous situation, writes Sarah Kilpatrick

The lockdown needs to go national, but this needs to come with ramped up testing and other measures the government has failed to deliver, argues Alex Snowdon.

As a second wave of Covid-19 powers through France, a beleaguered president bent on re-election invokes a familiar Islamophobic trope, says Susan Ram

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

In his speech to Tory party conference, Johnson offered no route out of the catastrophe his government is causing, argues Terina Hine

IKEA’s firing of an Usdaw rep for challenging the withdrawal of sick pay during a pandemic was met with protests in Glasgow and other stores, reports Chris Neville

The government’s privatisation of public services is at the heart of the Test and Trace failures and it’s costing lives, argues Lucy Nichols

The financial priorities of the neoliberal university have fuelled the COVID crisis and the antidote is solidarity between lecturers and students, argues Dragan Plavšić

More than a technical glitch, the NHS Test and Trace failure shows how little this government care about protecting lives, argues Adriana Cooley

It’s not just the potential of a repeated exams fiasco next year but the role of exams in education altogether that needs to be challenged, argues John Westmoreland

Lindsey German on POTUS, Johnson’s Tories and the political use of migrant-bashing

With the mounting crisis in universities over rising Covid cases, students and lecturers must agitate together for safe learning, argues Lucy Nichols

The government is still pursuing ‘herd immunity’ when we should be aiming to eliminate the virus to stop its spread, argues Caitlin Southern

The government is once again scapegoating ordinary people to cover its own failures, argues Alex Snowdon

The ruling class is ruthless in trying to exploit crises, but we shouldn’t underestimate the turmoil it's in and the opportunities to advance the struggle, argues Chris Nineham

Workers in the arts and culture sector are facing wholesale job and pay cuts - it's time to fight back, argues Floyd Codlin

At a Bristol Counterfire meeting, Chris Nineham, Kerry-Anne Mendoza and Tom Mills discuss the state of the British media and how the left can challenge the mainstream narrative

Even his own MPs are now losing faith in the Prime Minister’s ability to manage the second wave of the pandemic, writes Sean Ledwith

Boris Johnson's latest measure falls way short of the mark and will do nothing to stop the impending unemployment tsunami, argues Terina Hine

The new term has seen universities plunged into Covid-chaos. John Westmoreland spoke to UCU activists about what’s happening and the action we need

Blaming students is a cynical move to distract from the deeper causes of the recent outbreaks, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

As the number of schools with coronavirus cases continues to rise, a primary school teacher at a London school tells us what it's like on the frontline

Lindsey German on a Tory party that cannot cope and a pitiful pseudo-opposition

British Gas is planning to 'fire and rehire' its employees on worsened terms and conditions and to end union recognition, reports Chris Neville

After the government U-turn on being able to work from home, the PCS Union offers another example of the power of popular pressure, argues Floyd Codlin

A left in thrall to Starmer's Labour risks irrelevance, argues Chris Nineham

Protests and strikes are on the rise across France against deteriorating working conditions, job losses and Macron’s woeful response to the Covid crisis, writes Susan Ram

A rushed ‘return to normal’ is driving up the infection rates and, increasingly, the death rate, writes Alex Snowdon 

Students all over the world took part in the first climate strike since the pandemic broke out, reports Jamal Elaheebocus

The government has failed teachers and students and they have no Plan B as cases continue to rise

Universities are risking student and staff lives by continuing the push to return students to unsafe campuses and maintain some face-to-face teaching

Sunak’s scheme will mean millions are made jobless and the movement should reject it, argue Susan Newman and Chris Nineham

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

The first of a fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

The government is still committed to putting profit before lives. We need to organise to force adequate safety measures argues Katherine Connelly

The government’s measures to deal with a second wave remain inadequate; it’s crucial the left pushes for serious action that puts safety first, argues Lucy Nichols

Lindsey German on the spiralling Covid crisis and how class remains our compass point

Susan Ram interviews Danièle Obono, an MP with La France Insoumise on the anti-racist movement after she was racially attacked by a French magazine

As part of a discussion on the next steps for the left, Lindsey German looks at the election defeat, the coronavirus crisis and how socialists should organise

Rising case numbers show that the government is failing to act decisively on the pandemic, argues Alex Snowdon

As coronavirus infection rates soar, and hundreds of schools are hit by cases, Counterfire demands government action.

Parents and teachers warned of the dangers of full-scale school reopening but were ignored by the government. We must continue to fight for safety first, argues Corinne Pearson

Dragan Plavšić considers the growing opposition to universities re-opening as infection rates rise

Still no signs of the government having a coherent strategy, writes Matthew Giles

Members of Aslef working on the tube have voted by a huge margin for strike action to defend jobs, terms and conditions and pensions, reports Unjum Mirza

Real preparations for the second wave must be the demanded of the whole movement, writes Chris Nineham

Housing activists are again building pressure on the government to not end the eviction ban on 20 September as planned, reports Shabbir Lakha

The devastating consequences of Fortress Europe are being laid bare in the horrific burning down of Moria refugee camp and its aftermath, writes Eleftheria Kousta

After clapping for essential workers, BHCC is rewarding its repairs and maintenance workers by not giving them sick pay during a pandemic, reports Liv Singh

Lindsey German on the return of Conservative sleaze and Keir Starmer’s unfit-for-purpose Labour Party

Activists report from around the country as health workers take to the streets to demand fair pay

With an alarming rise in the infection rate, radical measures are required to combat coronavirus, argues Alex Snowdon

As we head into a second wave, students and academic staff must put pressure on the government and university management to keep people safe, argues Lucy Nichols 

Lindsey German discusses the state of education and what the alternatives could look like

With a second wave on the horizon and continuing government incompetence, we need to fight for health workers' rights now, writes Alia Butt

While the government is in disarray and Starmer fumbles, the opposition is building in workplaces, writes Chris Nineham

University staff are pushing back against the callous actions of universities and the government putting staff and students at risk

The government is trying to scapegoat young people, but it's their drive back to work and schools that is behind the rise in infections, argues Caitlin Southern

The Prime Minister who bungled the first wave of coronavirus cannot be trusted to tackle the second, suggests Sean Ledwith

Branch Solidarity Network's September bulletin on the return to universities and why face-to-face teaching isn't safe

The government’s new end date for the eviction ban is fast-approaching amid a growing housing crisis, now’s the time to resist argues Norbert Lawrie

As the infection rate remains high, the government continues to put the interests of its own class above the interests of the majority, argues Caitlin Southern.

Many months of Tory government failures on testing and tracing are doing serious damage, writes Alex Snowdon 

The author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music and founder of south London music collective Slovo speaks to Mayer Wakefield

Lindsey German on the Tory return to work and Trump’s bid for a second term

As we enter a hot autumn on the London Underground, Unjum Mirza reports on an important step from the RMT's engineers

Tory attempts to square the circle of profits and public safety are becoming increasingly desperate, argues Lucy Nichols

Pressure from below has forced the Johnson government into crucial retreats on exam grades and face coverings, writes Sean Ledwith

As ASLEF ballots London Underground workers for strike action, Counterfire interviewed union rep Karen Baker

Parents want their children back in school, but government planning doesn't guarantee it will be safe, argues Corinne Pearson

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

Report shines new light on the abuse of DNR orders and the sickening neglect of those deemed expendable, argues Caitlin Southern.

As the government and media continue to mislead us over the refugee crisis, the reality of what they have to endure tells a different story, argues Norman Wood.

Lindsey German on a political crisis that’s far from over

As lockdown measures continue to ease, we interviewed the TUC’s Shelly Asquith on the need to to protect workers’ health and safety and to confront bosses who shirk their responsibilities.

Ending the furlough scheme prematurely would be economically reckless and would put millions of jobs at risk, argues Terina Hine.

Polls in Scotland show a consistent lead in favour of independence as the Tory Covid failures are laid bare, argues Chris Bambery

Protesters gathered in Wandsworth to demand no more public contracts be given to Serco, reports Peter Bird

Tower Hamlets continue their strike action against the unfair contracts being imposed on them by the council, reports Sybil Cock from the picket line

A far-right government and its ‘muscular’ leader provide an object lesson in how not to fight the pandemic, writes Susan Ram

The chancellor’s plans work for his class, not ours, writes Chris Nineham

Students, particularly those from working class backgrounds, are the victims of the government’s exam shambles, argues John Westmoreland

The moral duty of the government should be to save lives not risk them, argues Sean Ledwith

The drive to get people back to work is responsible for a rise in infections, not individual behaviour, argues Kevin Potter

The August issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision making the case for Aslef members to vote yes for strike action in the upcoming ballot

Privatisation and underfunding of the NHS has exacerbated the Tories' mishandling of the pandemic, argues Caitlin Southern. 

As the Tories refuse a pay rise for NHS staff, health workers around the country take to the streets to demand fair treatment.

Boris Johnson’s Tory government should be held responsible for the scale of the coronavirus crisis, not ordinary people, argues Alex Snowdon

In this discussion paper, Kevin Ovenden focuses on trade unionism now and in history, with a particular emphasis on rank and file organisation

Caitlin Southern on why you should support the protests around the country this Saturday for NHS pay justice

In spite of the coronavirus lockdown, many rode out in solidarity for the Big Ride for Palestine, writes Lucy Nichols

Trump and Microsoft combine to escalate tensions with China in the run up to the presidential election, writes Shabbir Lakha

Big pharma profits from disaster, as capitalism shows its inability to act in the public interest, argues John Clarke

Alex Snowdon on a persistent Covid-19, feckless Tories and campaigning for carers

The Tories are scapegoating ordinary people for obesity to deflect the blame from a system which fails to protect people’s health, argues Caitlin Southern

New lockdown measures introduced in Great Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire are an incoherent farce, argues Chris Neville.

As the UK reels under the double impact of the pandemic and recession, the Brexit deadline is coming over the horizon, argues Martin Hall

The first wave of the pandemic isn’t yet over and in a growing number of places, the second wave is already here, writes Jamal Elaheebocus

Alex Snowdon on the impending economic crisis and Blairism’s place in history

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

Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change

Johnson’s government is gambling that reports of a vaccine will distract us from their disastrous handling of the pandemic, argues Sean Ledwith

The government's public sector pay rise has denied any reward to the nurses on the frontline they've been clapping for, writes Mona Kamal

As competition increases for defence funding, Cummings' involvement has reignited concerns over the UK’s defence strategy, argues Terina Hine

Lindsey German on Covid and the distortions of the Tory spin machine  

Nearly two months on from George Floyd’s brutal killing, the struggle against racist police violence is contending with a catastrophic resurgence of Covid-19, writes Susan Ram

Lindsey German speaking at the People's Assembly's Tolpuddle Martyr's Festival event on the struggles we face and the need to organise

Caitlin Southern reports on the NHS Staff Voices Conference which brought together workers from across the service and around the country

The prime minister has recklessly heralded a renewed push back to the workplace for millions of people, writes Alex Snowdon 

Starmer refusing to back a wealth tax shows he’s not going to fight against the Tories putting the cost of the crisis on working people, argues Shabbir Lakha

Dr Mona Kamal speaking at the Arise Festival closing rally on the NHS and the pandemic

Despite scientists warning of the danger of a second wave, the government continues to leave the NHS unequipped and underfunded, writes Alia Butt

Michael Gove and Boris Johnson are desperate to get us back to work. 'Work from home if you can' has morphed into 'get to work unless you really can't', says Chris Nineham

The betrayal of workers in Tower Hamlets cuts deeper as it is brought about by Labour council and Mayor, reports Lucy Nichols

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

If Tower Hamlets council get away with slashing their workers' pay and conditions, councils across the country could follow suit, argues Chris Nineham

The chancellor's plan for recovery is doomed to fail, argues Michael Roberts

The third issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision covering the fight ahead on the London Underground, the jobs slaughter, funding cuts, Black Lives Matter and more

World leaders like Trump and Johnson trying to get back to business as usual while the virus continues to spread are deliberately sacrificing public health, writes John Clarke

The opposition to Britain’s role in facilitating the destruction of Yemen spilled onto the streets of London for a second week, reports Maddalena Dunscombe

People want fundamental change coming out of this crisis and neither the piecemeal Tory measures nor Labour's weak response are adequate, writes Lucy Nichols

Boris Johnson’s attempt to shift the blame for the impact of Covid-19 in care homes on to workers is a gross denial of responsibility, argues Victor Davis

Lindsey German on post-Covid reconstruction and the politics of free speech  

The future of the NHS is in danger and it can only be defended through collective action, argues Lucy Nichols 

The coronavirus crisis is disproportionately impacting women who have already been hardest-hit by ten years of Tory austerity, argues Karen Buckley

Focused on boosting profits for their mates, health is just not on the Tories’ agenda, argues Penny Hicks

Counterfire spoke to an ambulance worker about the serious failures of management in response to coronavirus

Today Rishi Sunak released a budget full of platitudes that make a huge effort to avoid the major economic issues facing society, argues Chris Nineham

The decision to deny the return of Venezuela’s $1bn gold deposit is deliberately risking lives in a pandemic for the sake of regime change, argues Sean Ledwith

Sunak’s budget is nothing but an attempt to get the economy back to business as usual, writes Susan Newman

In the context of polling showing historic levels of support for independence, Jonathon Shafi looks at the class politics driving the surge, and the consequences

The government will pass the blame anywhere they can but now, more than ever, we must fight for an economy that works for us, argues Richard Allday

As pressure from a number of fronts increases, Macron's position weakens, argues John Mullen

Lindsey German on government idiocy, Black Lives Matter and Starmer’s Thermidor

Protesters demanded an end to Britain's role of facilitating the war on Yemen that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, reports Lucy Nichols

Tower Hamlets workers went on strike to oppose the Council's plans to sack them and rehire them on worse contracts, reports Sybil Cock 

The government’s push to reopen pubs, restaurants and much else this weekend is irresponsible and premature, writes Alex Snowdon 

The NHS isn't failing, its been under attack through austerity and stealth privatisation for years, says Alia Butt

While new Covid infections and deaths continue, it is disgraceful that the Tories are patronisingly telling us to be sensible, says Penny Hicks

The new haphazard approach of leaving local areas to impose their own small lockdowns shows callous disregard for lives, argues Lucy Nichols

Boris Johnson’s pathetic attempt to compare himself to Roosevelt will fool nobody as the gap grows between his rhetoric and reality, argues Sean Ledwith

As the economic turmoil starts to bite, Goldstar Transport workers show how to organise to fight back, reports Richard Allday 

Lindsey German on Labour, the left and taking on the Tories

We repost Branch Solidarity Network's interview with two Goldsmiths staff members involved in the dispute and the BSN June 2020 bulletin

In a week where the Tories are covering for corruption and risking working people’s lives, Keir Starmer is attacking the left instead of the government says Penny Hicks

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

British Airways has cynically taken money to keep their workers' jobs secure but has used the opportunity to attack them instead, reports John Westmoreland

Boris Johnson is lifting the lockdown when it is patently unsafe to do so, and the opposition's going along with it, writes Shabbir Lakha

Donald Trump's approval ratings are low, but can that be converted into an election defeat? Kate O'Neil looks in more detail

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

UCU members report on the fightback at universities under attack by management and have put forward a model motion to show solidarity

The Tories have lowered their covid temperature gauge after already easing the lockdown, what are they playing at?

Michael Roberts takes a look at economic implications of the government's failures

Jillian Primiano, a registered nurse, speaks to Spring Magazine about fighting COVID-19, racism and health, and the movement for police abolition

Boris Johnson’s hope that the return of the Premier League will distract us from his criminal incompetence is likely to be misplaced as a new generation of politicised black footballers emerges, writes Sean Ledwith

The ruling class will use the same tricks as in 2010 to justify more austerity. Susan Newman argues that nothing less than total economic transformation will do.

Marcus Rashford's intervention tipped the balance and pushed the government into concessions on free meals showing movements can win without the Labour machine, argues Shabbir Lakha

The closing of schools to the majority of children has given us pause for thought. We can't go back to doing things the same way, argues Karen Parkin

The coronavirus and deepening economic crisis is being used as a pretext by Trump to scale up tensions with China, writes Lindsey German

When the Tories are caught between their donors and the polls, we deserve better than the present docile opposition, argues Chris Nineham

The announcement to wider reopen Welsh schools on 29th June indicates a failure to prioritise the safety of teachers and communities, argues Kevin Potter

Teachers and parents have successfully pushed the government back, writes Shabbir Lakha

Johnson’s attempt to demonise protesters in Bristol reveals his true colours, argues Lucy Nichols

Lindsey German on fighting oppression and the continuing Covid crisis

It's the government endangering people's lives, not protesters, argues Shabbir Lakha

The same care workers the Tories have been clapping are now having their pay cut in the middle of a pandemic, says Penny Hicks

Teachers are working hard to support children returning to school in difficult circumstances, writes Alex Snowdon

Shabbir Lakha speaks on a People's Assembly platform on Black Lives Matter protests, racism and the pandemic in Britain and how we fight back

The awful milestone of 40,000 officially recorded deaths shows why the government is reckless in lifting the lockdown, writes Alex Snowdon 

The report into disproportionate BAME deaths from Covid-19 confirms that structural racism is at the heart of the problem, writes Lucy Nichols

Covid-19 is yet another crisis to haunt Bolsonaro argues Orlando Hill (in London) and Lilian Hill (in Rio de Janeiro)

After being told to return kids to schools, Parents and Unions had other ideas, finds Tony Dowling

Government claps for key workers ring hollow as they force through the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill, writes Alia Butt

Lindsey German on the Covid-19 lockdown, Tory mendacity and the US revolts  

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