Socialism the podcast: 2020 episodes

2020 began with strike waves in France and Northern Ireland. Highlights were our socialist responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, US-China relations and the world economic crisis. Plus two mini-series, on the life and ideas of Leon Trotsky and Friedrich Engels.

May elections: Tories and Labour's Khan both vying to slash public services

Transport investment has been on the basis of vanity projects and expensive outsourcing

Peace and Justice Project - no way forward for socialism

Corbyn raised that he wants to build on ideas in Labour's 2019 manifesto.

USA in crisis - the need for a socialist alternative

The period running up to Joe Biden's inauguration was marked by unparalleled turmoil and crisis.

News in Brief

At the same time as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published its 2020 report showing that Britain's poor got poorer due to furloughing and job losses, etc, while the rich prospered - Boris Johnson reshuffled his government and appointed Kwasi Kwarteng as the new business secretary.

Millionaire tendency regains control of Scottish Labour

The resignation of the nominally left Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard will, in all likelihood, result in the Blairites winning back the leadership of the party in Scotland.

Vaccine confidence - a worker's response

A successful vaccination programme, if effectively delivered, gives millions of people hope of an easing of Covid-19 restrictions over the course of 2021.

Trump Twitter ban: only independent workers' voice can defeat right

First the election, now his Twitter account - it's bad news all round for bigot-in-chief Donald Trump

Make the super-rich pay, not the poorest

In the last week the real number of deaths from Covid has gone over 100,000, and the UK has recorded the highest per capita death toll in the world

The Tory blame game: scapegoating the working class - 100% pay for all now

As the Covid-19 pandemic hits tragic, record-breaking numbers in the UK, the Tory narrative of blaming the public for the crisis is in full swing

Covid: Bosses chase profit and put workers in danger

Any lingering illusion that the government's strategy for handling the Covid pandemic was aimed at protecting the entire population, without fear or favour, has been well and truly shattered.

Latest Socialism podcast: The outlook for class struggle in 2021

The pandemic was a world-shattering turning point. All the weaknesses of capitalism were laid bare in 2020. But in few countries more so than Britain.

Global capitalism at most dangerous conjuncture since the 1930s

The pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe, causing over two million deaths and unleashing enormous economic and social crises

Fully resource the vaccination programme now

The Covid death toll is over 80,000 and rapidly rising. A successful vaccination programme couldn't be more urgent. Over two million people, in four priority categories, have received a first dose of

Covid vaccine nationalism threatens pandemic response

Without a global vaccination programme, the Covid-19 virus will continue to circulate among the world's poorest countries, and possibly mutate into a new strain requiring a new vaccine

Our health and livelihoods before their profits

100% pay now!: The health crisis is now worse than at any time since the start of the pandemic. More people are in hospital and more are dying daily.

Bosses earn workers' annual wage in three days

Within the first three days of 2021, the already super-rich bosses of the 'FTSE 100' companies earned more than an average worker's annual salary.

Unison get sec election shows left can win NEC

The result of the Unison GS election shows the mood for change in the biggest public sector union

Judge rules against Julian Assange's extradition but refuses bail

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange won a partial victory in his long battle to avoid extradition

Workers' action wins Tory U-turn on school safety

A monumental battle has taken place between NEU members and the government