Fighting for the NHS: victory in Wales
The Tories may clap, but they had brought the NHS to its knees before Covid-19. The campaign to save an A&E in South Wales shows how communities can defeat cuts and role back austerity.
Review: The World Transformed 2019
Seb Cooke writes on his experiences at The World Transformed festival in Brighton.
Local elections fail to mobilise enough voters hungry for change
The local election results have not been a disaster for Labour. Despite the collapse of the UKIP vote, the Tories lost seats.
Claiming the scalp of a nasty little shit
The fall of Toby Young is a victory for the movement against sexual abuse of women, argues Seb Cooke.
Why the Tories live in fear of a new election
Seb Cooke looks at what we can expect if a new election is held in the near future.
How class struggle can bridge the Brexit divide
Seb Cooke argues that only a sense of shared struggle can unite different sections of working class which were divided over last year’s referendum vote.
Catalonia: crisis puts the working class centre-stage
Seb Cooke argues that the level of ongoing mass struggle will determine the result of the current stand-off in Catalonia. ‘It was the red vision of the revolution, which, inevitably, would one day carry them all away, on some bloody evening at the century’s approaching end.’ This is how Emile Zola describes a march of […]
Islamophobia in Europe: fuel for the far right
As the encroachment of far right parties grows throughout Europe, with the deployment of overtly racist rhetoric creating those who are deemed ‘real’ Europeans and those deemed a threat, Seb Cooke argues an authentic movement against fascism can only come from working class resistance. The far right and fascists of Europe were celebrating on Sunday […]
Why socialists should oppose the single market
There has been much talk of a post-Brexit “transition period” , that prioritises the UK staying in the single market. Seb Cooke puts the view that this could both strengthen capital and weaken the left. The argument surrounding the so-called Brexit “divorce bill” may seem fairly inconsequential, but it does tell us something about the […]
The real cost of the Tory-DUP deal
Seb Cooke comments on the deal struck between the Tory party and the Democratic Unionists. The UK government’s attitude to Northern Ireland, which is revealing itself as the Tory-DUP deal takes shape, should concern us all. On Tuesday of this week, Secretary of State Damien Green was asked whether he thinks the DUP deal – […]
revolutionary reflections | How Trump took the Midwest: Conversations with a worker from Michigan.
During the first few months of 2017, Sebastian Cooke conducted a series of interviews about the US election with David Koch, a labour activist and retired worker from central Michigan. David was involved in the election from start to finish and his experience provides a fascinating insight into the vote and its aftermath. This is a write up of those interviews, […]
Cardiff Corbyn rally shows how to develop confidence during the election campaign
Seb Cooke reports from Corbyn’s rally in Cardiff yesterday.
Those who got it wrong in Stoke don’t have the answers for the Labour party
Despite dire warnings about Labour’s prospects in the Stoke by-election, they succeeded in retaining the seat.
Is a People’s Brexit possible?
How do we respond to the right wing chorus over Brexit and the threat of Farage to organise a 100,000 strong march? Should we line up with the pro-EU centre of British politics that would like to overturn the referendum result? Seb Cooke argues here that we can only undermine Theresa May’s ‘Brexit for the […]
Tory conference: donning a Trumpian mask
Seb Cooke assesses the changes and continuities in Tory policy following Theresa May’s first conference as leader, and what this means for the left.
Tim Farron – no friend to refugees
Seb Cooke discusses why Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is no friend to refugees Tim Farron gave a speech at the Lib Dem conference on Tuesday where he told a story about the time he was handing out water to refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos. In his story, as he […]
Owen Smith versus Jeremy Corbyn – slick politicians versus the people
Seb Cooke comments on the battle for the Labour leadership.
Chilcot was vindication for everyone who opposed the Iraq War
Seb Cooke discusses how the movement that opposed the Iraq War in 2003 has been vindicated in the findings of yesterday’s Chilcot report If you’re on the left in Britain and anywhere in your late-twenties or thirties, chances are you came into politics via the Iraq War. On the 15th February each year, people of […]
Five reasons why everyone should get behind Jeremy Corbyn right now!
Seb Cooke lays out the importance of the battle to keep Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party. 1. Anti-Racism. Jeremy Corbyn is leader of the Labour opposition in the UK Parliament. What he says makes news and has a big impact on the left and to a lesser extent society in general. It matters […]
Junior doctors strike: 5 reasons Hunt’s contract offer could be rejected
Following talks with the BMA, the government is presenting the recently offered contract as a done deal. But, argues Seb Cooke, it’s a bad one that the junior doctors would be justified in rejecting. If they do, we need to be ready to support them.
Junior doctors strike: away from the table, back to the streets
Jeremy Hunt and the Tories were on the ropes. Now is the time to press the advantage, not return to negotiations, writes Seb Cooke.
Welsh Labour keep going, UKIP breakthrough
Seb Cooke reports on the results of the Welsh Assembly elections, which saw UKIP gain seven seats. He argues that the task for socialists has to be to build a stronger radical left that can relate effectively to issues such as steel, fight racism and utilise Corbyn over anti-austerity The Welsh Assembly is made up of […]
TV Review: Happy Valley
Violence against women is central to this popular quality crime series says Seb Cooke. Happy Valley burst onto the scene a couple of years ago. At the time, British crime drama was caught napping, largely unaware of what was going on in other parts of the world. Without the series, the genre would probably be […]
Review: Making a Murderer – the stain of blood marks the white exterior.
Seb Cooke reviews the popular Netflix series, which raises questions that are uncomfortable for those in power and a call to arms for those who are not.
Corbynmania comes to Cardiff
#Jezwecan – but only if we fight! Know-it-all lefty Seb Cooke checks out Corbynmania and looks to the battle ahead.
Jeremy Deller on the impact of industrialisation
‘All That Is Solid Melts Into Air’ is a multimedia exhibition by artist Jeremy Deller that attempts to demonstrate the impact of industrialisation on the British workers’ culture and psyche.