Unite after the General Secretary election
Unite member Kate Bradley reflects on her experiences campaigning for grassroots socialist Ian Allinson in this year’s Unite General Secretary election.
Cardiff Corbyn rally shows how to develop confidence during the election campaign
Seb Cooke reports from Corbyn’s rally in Cardiff yesterday.
revolutionary reflections | Perspectives on the crisis
Today the world is gripped with a sense of crisis to a degree that is as a great as in living memory. In this piece Sebastian Cooke provides a perspective on the nature of the crisis and how we should respond politically. A pdf of this piece can be accessed below: Perspectives on the crisis […]
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.
Why is Donald Trump the president of the United States?
Amy Gilligan and Dominic Jones crunch the numbers to understand what happened in November’s election in the United States To the surprise of most observers, Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election in the United States. It is clear that an important task at the present time is to oppose his policies and the political […]
Some Thoughts Ahead of the Copeland By-election
The Copeland and Stoke by-elections on Thursday 23 February are drawing national media attention and speculation about what they mean for Corbyn, Brexit and UKIP.
Interview: on the resistible rise of Norbert Hofer
Today (4 December), Austrians go to the polls again to elect their president. Earlier this year, the candidate of the far-right Freedom Party, Norbert Hofer, was narrowly defeated by the former Green candidate Alexander Van der Bellen. However, the Freedom Party successfully challenged the vote in the courts, and there is now a re-run. The […]
US Election: Why Clinton lost and Trump won
Writing from the US, Bill Crane examines the reasons behind Trump’s victory in the US elections and what the future could hold. “Do not weep, do not laugh, do not condemn, but understand.” – Baruch Spinoza Shock. That’s the only word that came to my mind as I numbly watched the returns come in and […]
The Rise of Donald Trump, ‘Anti-Politics’ and the Left
Bill Crane argues that while Trump is a clear threat, this must be understood within the history of American politics. Donald Trump’s race for President of the United States has shocked the mainstream political establishment. Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul most famous as a TV star with his successful long-running reality series The Apprentice, […]
US elections: “Bernie has suddenly given all of us a national stage”
Continuing our series of interviews with socialists in the US discussing the upcoming elections, we spoke to Nivedita Majumdar, Sanders supporter and secretary of the Professional Staff Congress, the faculty and Staff union of the City University of New York. This interview represents her personal views. Where now for the Sander’s campaign – will it […]
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 […]
A grudging vote for Labour in the London mayor elections
Anindya Bhattacharyya explains why to humiliate Zac Goldsmith in tomorrow’s London mayoral election, a grudging vote for Sadiq Khan is needed. There are elections across Britain tomorrow – for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, various councils in England, among others. London will be voting for its mayor – with Labour candidate Sadiq Khan the favourite […]
US elections: Charlie Post on Sanders, Clinton, and the tasks of American socialists
Charlie Post, a long-time US socialist and active in his faculty union at the City University of New York, talks to rs21 about Sanders, the dangers of ‘lesser-evilism’, and the post-election challenges for American socialists. Also check out responses from Elizabeth Schulte and Alan Maass.
France: How close is fascism?
Already stressed by economic stagnation since the onset of the banking crisis in 2008, and by the interminably threatened, but repeatedly averted, collapse of the Euro, Peter Fysh asks can the French political system survive racist exploitation of the refugee crisis and the shock of deadly terrorist attacks at each end of 2015? In the […]
Understanding Ankara: why many see blood on the hands of the Turkish state
The bombing in Ankara was the deadliest in modern Turkish history. In a country where the state regularly uses violence against protesters, and with an election approaching, much of the left argue that the government bears much of the blame. Phil Buyum Jackson explains the background to the attack and describes events since the bombing. 106 people were […]
Greek elections are no victory for the left, as Tsipras opens the door to austerity
Should we be cheering Syriza’s recent electoral success? Leandros Fischer responds to six key questions about the election, arguing that Syriza has promised things it can’t deliver – demoralising many of its supporters while the Nazis continue to grow. 1. Why did Syriza get 35 percent of the votes, despite the fact that Alexis Tsipras has agreed […]
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.
The limits and opportunities of the Corbyn campaign
Corbyn deserves our support, but we must recognise the Labour Party for what it is and build an autonomous social movement. This means supporting him as the Left and from the Left and accepting that social struggle is the basis of political change.
Five reasons why tomorrow’s Tower Hamlets election matters
Rabina Khan would be a mayor for women and a mayor against austerity, writes Andrew Ward Tomorrow morning brings the mayoral election in Tower Hamlets. The two frontrunners are Labour’s John Biggs and independent candidate Rabina Khan. Here is why a victory for the latter matters for left-wing politics in the East End, but also beyond. […]
Green Party: the place to start rebuilding the left?
The Green Party vote last month was four times higher than 2010. How should the left relate to the Greens? Ollie V from Sheffield argues that building the Greens is the best way of cracking the neo-liberal consensus. The Green surge took off as it became clear that Labour wouldn’t present a thematic alternative to austerity and racism, and at […]
5 things Londoners can do to help Rabina Khan get elected in Tower Hamlets
In Tower Hamlets, following the removal of the last elected mayor from office in very worrying circumstances, Independent candidate Rabina Khan is running for Mayor. It will be either her or the Labour opposition that wins. Sybil Cock and Andrew Ward explain what you can do to help a left-of-Labour candidate win the first election […]
Notes from the new world of Scottish politics
Neil Davidson analyses the historic election results in Scotland. If the SNP is to face an opposition from the left, rather the racist right, then unity of both purpose and organisation will be required.
Labour begins its post-election “fight for Britain” – by defending austerity in Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets council demonstrates that an alternative to austerity is possible. It’s a path that could rebuild Labour’s fortunes, but as the party lurches back to the right and suspends a leading left-winger, it’s one they refuse to take, argues Adam Ward. Labour have just lost an election to the Conservative Party. In their heartlands they were trailed closely […]
#GE2015: Was Labour too left-wing?
Barnaby Raine takes on the battle for interpretation over Labour’s failure. David Cameron possesses a deeply irritating ability to win. He performs as an archetype of his class; arrogantly he assumes victory, then the country expresses its tentative disgust with him and then he ‘rolls up his sleeves’, acts the worker bee for 30 seconds, […]
Despair in England – hope in Scotland
rs21 first reaction to the UK General Election results. This is just the beginning of ongoing analysis. We hope readers will send in comment and pieces in the coming days. Against all predictions, the Tories have won a majority, and David Cameron will be Prime Minister again. This will feel like a punch in the stomach […]
Election results: rolling coverage
Welcome to our election night coverage, which we’re planning to continue till 7am. rs21 stands in the tradition of socialism from below. In our view protests, strikes and demonstrations – and ultimately, revolutions – are what really bring change in society. Sometimes, elections can play a part in that process, mobilising people and giving them […]
Stop the Tories clinging on to power
[UPDATE: The People’s Assembly Against Austerity has called a demonstration on Saturday 9 May at 1pm at Downing St if the Tory coup happens, which we are more than happy to support. Please attend and share the Facebook event.] There is a very real risk of the Tories clinging on to power in the event of a […]
How should the left vote in the General Election?
Graham Campbell makes a case for how the left should vote tomorrow. Here I will argue for a policy of tactical, selective and conditional critical support for anti-austerity candidates and for parties that revolutionaries don’t normally advocate voting for. I want to start off by advocating a multi-layered approach to the UK general election before going onto the […]
Twelve reasons why the Lutfur Rahman judgment should worry you
The mayor of Tower Hamlets in east London was removed from office last Thursday by an election court on multiple charges of election fraud.
#BBCdebate: a political earthquake is about to happen in Scotland
Neil Davidson continues analysis from last night’s debate and argues that the coming election is a question of whether Labour are going to be either totally annihilated or just completely crushed in Scotland.