There is no Planet B: how do we stop climate change?
How do we stop climate change? Nancy Lindisfarne assesses The Burning Question. The Burning Question: We Can’t Burn Half the World’s Oil, Coal and Gas. So How Do We Quit? Mike Berners-Lee and Duncan Clark, 2013 ISBN 9781781250457 From £6.99 ‑ £9.99 There are now plenty of books about climate change. This is a […]
Yes campaign falls short, but its legacy must endure
Pete Cannell reflects on a momentous referendum campaign, the significance of which goes far beyond the result. The enduring legacy of the last few weeks and months in Scotland will be the energy, clarity and vision of all those grass roots campaigners who campaigned for a Yes vote. This is what a mass movement looks like. […]
The class divide is clear to see over the Scottish independence referendum
Hanif Leylabi gives his impressions of #indyref day The energy and debate generated by the referendum was clear from the moment my train pulled up at its first Scottish stop. The sheer volume of campaign stickers tells you that this referendum has engaged and involved huge swathes people, including those who have never voted before. What was also immediately […]
Huge turnout as Scots head to the polls
Graham Campbell reports from Glasgow George Square last night was like Glastonbury. 10,000 people filling the square and a joyous party atmosphere: mostly, but not exclusively younger people. Bands and pipers played, reels were danced. Today’s voting has been amazing. The turnout is so high at Alexandra Parade, Dennistoun there was a queue akin to […]
Confidence and empowerment against pessimism and cynicism in Scottish referendum
Ahead of tomorrow’s historic Scottish independence referendum, Nicholas Cimini tackles some of the arguments coming from the left in support of No In support of a No vote in tomorrow’s independence referendum, there are some Labour supporters, and others on the left, who warn against the dangers of identity politics and Scottish nationalism, stressing the […]
The Premier League’s crackdown on social media is about policing access to football
The corporate interests that run football are trying to stamp out social media and illegal livestreaming. But this will come with a higher price than they realise, writes Mark Bergfeld Who doesn’t remember Robin van Persie’s gravity-defying goal against Spain at this year’s FIFA World Cup? Oh, you didn’t see it? Don’t worry – you […]
Secret diary of a NHS nurse
In the first of a new series that looks at what it’s like on the ground for NHS workers facing cuts and privatisation, our correspondent under the pseudonym “the secret nurse”, describes her experience applying for NHS funding and her shock at the entrance of Richard Branson into healthcare I have been a healthcare assistant and […]
Climate activism in the UK: Broadening, deepening, radicalising
As we prepare for an important conference on climate jobs and an international wave of climate demonstrations this weekend, Tabitha Spence takes a look at developments in the climate movement here in the UK. The year 2014 is proving to be significant for radical climate activism in the UK. The number of people getting involved […]
Something’s going on in Scotland
Pat Smith, from the International Socialists Scotland and the Radical Independence Campaign in Edinburgh, makes a case for why socialists should support Scottish Independence (Originally published in the autumn 2014 issue of the rs21 magazine) Something quite remarkable is happening in Scotland. Most active socialists in Scotland, outside of the Labour Party, have been involved […]
Review: ‘Late Turner’ shows an artist ahead of the tide
A new exhibition at the Tate Modern shows a visionary painter who anticipated much modern art, argues Colin Wilson A few years ago, in a particularly sentimental episode of Doctor Who, the doctor met Van Gogh. There is no evidence of Turner encountering a time lord, but that he travelled to the mid-twentieth century and back […]
Trafficking and sex work in Latin America: are women really being rescued?
Jessica Gutiérrez is a therapist working with survivors of sexual violence based in Buenos Aires. She describes how her experience of a brothel raid in Mexico radically altered her views on trafficking for sexual exploitation. (photo: an “operativo de rescate” [rescue operation] in Chiapas, Mexico, 2010 – see Spanish language report in Prensa Libre) A few […]
Trouble in Toryland as the referendum gets rocky
The possibility of Scottish independence has got our rulers in a tizzy, writes Anindya Bhattacharyya. What a weird week it’s been. Monday night saw YouGov’s announcement that its latest Scottish referendum poll had the Yes camp on 51%. This sparked jubilation among independence campaigners. But the reaction of political establishment south of the border was little short […]
The birth of Palestinian Resistance and the 1936 uprising
In the fourth installment of Neil Rogall’s series on the history of Palestine he looks at a long history of Palestinian resistance to occupation that culminated in the Arab revolt of 1936 Read part 1 of this series, The Origins of Zionism, here. 1936 witnessed the beginning of the largest and longest Palestinian revolt against […]
Campaigners in west London mark the closure of two A&E facilities – pictures
(photo report by Steve Eason) The A&E departments at Hammersmith hospital and Central Middlesex hospital were shut down on Wednesday as part of a programme of “improvements” recommended by the Clinical Commissioning Group. To mark the closure protesters from Save Our Hospitals went first to Hammersmith hospital and then on to Central Middlesex. Speakers included campaigners from […]
Pride: How solidarity in struggle changed the world for British LGBT people
The new film Pride shows the solidarity between the miners and a group of lesbian and gay supporters during the strike of almost thirty years ago. Struggle can change the world in ways we never thought possible, writes Luke Evans. Full disclosure; I am neither gay nor a miner. I also feel compelled to state that I […]
The Russian far right and its role in the Ukraine conflict
Moscow based socialist and rs21 member Nestor Bakunin has written an article at The Project detailing the state of Russia’s far right and its involvement in the Ukraine conflict. He writes: While those on the left who consider Kiev to have a fascist government depict the separatist movement as an “antifascist” resistance, there are others who […]
Groundhog day for the eurozone?
Estelle Cooch looks at whether the economic optimism pushed by politicians lives up to the headlines. First published in the autumn 2014 edition of the rs21 magazine. On the 14th August amidst much cheering from the media and economists the eurozone emerged from its longest ever recession. In other words the gross domestic product (GDP) […]
Independence referendum is transforming Scotland’s political landscape
Scotland goes to the polls a week today. The independence referendum has helped to transform the political landscape in Scotland. Leading activists in the Radical Independence Campaign, Suki Sangha and David Jamieson, explain the significance of RIC to rebuilding the left. First published in the autumn 2014 issue of the rs21 magazine. Just three years ago the […]
The changing face of imperialism
Ukraine and Syria have put imperialism back at the top of the political agenda. Rob Owen traces the theory of imperialism and charts the trajectory of US imperialism in recent years.
NUT executive passes up opportunity to join 14 October public sector strike
Andy N, an executive member of Birmingham NUT, writes in a personal capacity on a poor decision by the teaching union’s national committee The National Union of Teachers (NUT) executive committee decided last Friday against calling its members out on strike alongside other public sector unions on 14 October. Some 1.3 million workers in GMB, […]
Autumn rs21 magazine out now
The new edition of the rs21 magazine is out now. Since the last issue of the rs21 magazine came out there has been an explosion of protest globally in response to Israel’s latest assault on Gaza. In this issue a series of authors attempt to grapple with the question of what imperialism means today and […]
On being comrades
On a night out drinking and suffering from the resulting inebriated disposition, Karl Marx and his friends Edgar Bauer and Wilhelm Liebkneckt started smashing up a number of street lanterns using a pile of paving stones. Bauer in his drunken state had, prior to this act of wanton hooliganism, tripped over them. They were then […]
The origins of the Iron Wall: Zionist settlers during the mandate
In the third part of his series on Palestine Neil Rogall looks at the influx of the Zionist settlers and the politics that they developed. Read part 1 of this series, The Origins of Zionism, here. In 1922 the British received a ‘mandate’ to govern Palestine from the newly created League of Nations. This was […]
New terror laws – nothing but racist propaganda
Civil liberties are eroded and Muslims scapegoated – and all without evidence writes Lois JC On Friday the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre or JTAC upped the UK’s terror threat level to ‘severe’. This is the second highest risk level based on their own measurements, and means that the chance of a terror attack on UK […]
Ebola: protests, profits and the role of Big Pharma
Sophie Williams writes on the politics behind a deadly virus that has infected thousands. Sophie is a medical student and health activist based in London The outbreak The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has infected and killed more people since its start in December than any previous outbreak. There have been more […]
Antifascist demo in Cricklewood sees off squad of racists – pictures
(pictures and captions by Steve Eason) Some 130 protesters from North West London United and the Anti-Fascist Network easily outnumbered a crew of 18 fascists who called themselves the South East Alliance. The only repeatable comment from the fascists was: “We’ve only been in Cricklewood five minutes and we don’t like it.” The crowd on our side included local UAF activists, workers in the RMT […]
After Rotherham – how can we protect every child?
We need a consistent and effective response to child abuse. But, writes Christine Bird, that means thinking the issues through, and rejecting racism and hypocrisy.
The Climate of Concealment
Why do the police always respond so defensively when misconduct is revealed?
The politics behind the ice bucket challenge
The ice bucket challenge has gripped people across the world and apparently raised more than $80 million for motor neurone disease, but asks Dominic Jones, what does it say about the state of medical research that it relies on people emptying water over their heads for funding The past few weeks has seen the ice bucket […]
Nine years since Hurricane Katrina: has anything changed?
Nine years on from the devastating Hurricane Katrina, Lois JC, who visited New Orleans last year to see how the city had changed, writes on the lasting impact of the disaster.