The latest news, analysis, and Marxist theory from The Communist, alongside reports of RCP activity.
With a week to go before the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, Leave has leapt to a 7-point lead in a poll published by The Times on Monday. This sudden swing of support away from Remain has caused outright panic in Westminster and stock markets around the world.
We publish here an article by a comrade from Socialist Appeal USA, who looks at the causes and impact of the Zika virus – an epidemic that is hitting the poorest communities in Brazil and across the South America and the USA. The spread of the Zika virus is yet another clear example of capitalism’s inability to solve the fundamental problems facing humanity.
Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister, has put himself at the head of the European Left and is touring the continent to gather support for his “DIEM25” (Democracy in Europe Movement 2025) project to reform the institutions of the European Union. Can such a Herculean task be achieved? Or is Varoufakis’ “Modest Proposal” of DIEM25 doomed to fail?
Jérôme Métellus of the French Marxists, Révolution, provides an assessment and analysis of the inspiring and militant mass movement of workers and youth in France against the hated and reactionary El Khomri labour law. What is the way forward for workers in this struggle?
The results are in from the final state primaries and the outcome is no real surprise. With the media, the Democratic Party machine, and big money behind her, Hillary Clinton is to be the party’s nominee. Sanders’ strong showing, however, is proof that millions do not want to settle for Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump.
A Jewish left-wing activist has been blocked from standing for a position on Labour’s National Executive Committee because – according to the Blairites – her involvement with Momentum taints her with anti-semitism. This is the latest episode in the cynical attempt by Labour’s right wing to use the issue of anti-semitism against the Left.
On Sunday 5th June, Momentum Youth and Students held its founding conference. The mood was very positive thanks to the fact that there was a real sense of the tide having turned. Socialism is now back on the agenda and this is enthusing large swathes of young people who are new to politics.
In all countries across Europe, capitalism is in crisis and class struggle is on the rise – from Greece and France, to Spain and Portugal. Belgium – a country where compromise and moderation seemed for a long time to be part of the genetic make-up of society – is no exception to this rule, and mass strikes are breaking out everywhere.
The recent actions of Philip Green – the billionaire retail tycoon – have been condemned from all sides of the political sphere; few of these condemnations, however, try to address the underlying problem. Richard Fuller, a Tory MP, called Mr Green the “unacceptable face of capitalism”. This is inaccurate: Philip Green is actually the true face of capitalism.
Beyond Caring, a modern play that portrays the conditions of workers in modern day, zero-hour Britain, begins a new UK tour today, starting in Birmingham. We are republishing our review of this powerful and poignant play, along with a recent interview with the director, Alexander Zeldin.
Public sector union GMB has become one of the first major unions to not only back Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, but also to demand that Labour MPs do likewise by giving a “clear and unambiguous” commitment not to destabilise the party. It is time for the rest of the labour movement to demand likewise from Corbyn’s opponents in Westminster.
Delegates at last week’s University and College Union’s annual congress in Liverpool voted to escalate industrial action against Tory austerity and link the struggle for free education with students and teachers. Joe Attard, a delegate from the KCL UCU branch, discusses the issues raised at this year’s UCU Congress.