Hong Kong: Silence is not an option
When the question of trade unions in China would come up, some of us were fond of saying that there is an independent, democratic trade union movement in the country. It is called the Hong…
Solidarity
Beyond refugees: What the Left needs to say and do about Afghanistan
Pictured: The German language version of the newsletter Fascism, published to fight against the Nazi and Fascist regimes by the International Transport Workers Federation. Calls on Britain and other wealthy countries to take in Afghan…
Socialists in the age of Scylla and Charybdis
You will no doubt be familiar with the expression ‘between a rock and a hard place’. That phrase, apparently, has its origins in labour history. According to one online source, ‘the phrase originated in America…
The BBC, Barry the Owl and the death of a union leader
Last Friday, the BBC News website ran a story with this headline: “A beloved owl who became a well-known resident in New York’s Central Park has died.” The story went on to say that “Barry…
From Vostok to laughing stock: Billionaires in space
On 12 April 1961, the first human blasted off into space. It was an amazing achievement and was a display not only of the remarkable technological prowess of those who designed and built the spacecraft,…
It’s time for Georgia to choose
Two weeks ago, far-right thugs attacked the LGBTI community’s ‘March for Dignity’ in Tblisi, Georgia. Dozens of people, mostly journalists, were badly beaten. It was a tragedy that could easily have been foreseen — and…
Cuba: Time for real solidarity from the British left
If you’re a British trade unionist or a member of the Labour Party, where might you go to find news about Cuba? An obvious choice is the Morning Star, a newspaper largely funded by trade…
What is the purpose of socialist organisations?
Two news stories from the USA this week grabbed my attention. The first was the astonishing victory of a woman named India Walton in a Democratic Party primary in the city of Buffalo. With no…
Barbarossa and the Left after 80 years
This week marks the eightieth anniversary of the Nazi German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. It was one of the most successful military operations of modern times. German forces advanced deep…
The statue wars
Some people – and by that I mean some Tories – have whipped themselves up into a frenzy over the issue of statues. The pages of newspapers like the Daily Mail and Daily Express are…