Background Check

Empty shelves—nothing super about the market

With shelves staying bare and shortages predicted to get worse, Sophie Squire looks at what’s behind the crisis and pins the blame on production for profit

Blame the huge surge in virus cases, not the app

Notifications from the test and trace app are rising due to coronavirus cases. Sophie Squire investigates the Tory failures that have led to the rises

How fascist frustrations come to the fore in France

Failure in recent regional elections has caused crisis for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party. But, says Charlie Kimber, the party won’t destroy itself.

Danger as Tories plan to end school Covid-19 safety rules

Failed education secretary Gavin Williamson wants to end the system of pupil ‘bubbles’ even as coronavirus cases soar. Sophie Squire talked to school workers who now fear the worst

Back Sharon Graham in Unite vote, say workers

Unite members speak to Isabel Ringrose on why backing Sharon Graham for Unite general secretary is linked to the fight for workplace organising

GB News is a joke, but the left can’t sit back and laugh

Seeking to emulate ‘shock jock’ TV channels in the US, GB News launched last week hoping to find an audience on the angry right. Sophie Squire explains

Is there a ‘new cold war’ between the US and China?

As US president Joe Biden goes on a mission to turn the West against China, Nick Clark investigates the competition between the capitalist states

How profit-hungry developers broke the housing system

Housing exposes obscene wealth and hard poverty in Britain today. Behind it all is a system where houses are built for profit, not homes

The NHS will allow businesses full access to your health data

NHS England is opening up patients’ medical records for sale to corporations—including Big Pharma. Sam Ord looks at how our data is being collated and shared for reasons of profit

Police use mental distress claims to target Muslims

A new report has found that counter-terrorism police are using claims of mental distress to lock up and intimidate people, writes Isabel Ringrose

Mental health made worse in pandemic by class and poverty

Depression and poor mental health have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Sadie Robinson explores a new report that shows how class affects people’s health and lives

How French imperialism propped up slain ruler in Chad

Dictator Idriss Deby, killed last week, helped France cling on to its colonial legacy in Africa, writes Charlie Kimber

Thousands of British Gas workers let down by union

The fight against bosses’ fire and rehire tactics requires a unified struggle argues Sophie Squire

Gavin Williamson’s ‘free speech’ is an attack on our rights to organise

The Tories’ crackdown on universities means protecting bigots from opposition. But as Nick Clark shows, real free speech battles have always involved defending the right to protest

Working class people will gain nothing from ‘patriotism’

In a recent party broadcast, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer appeared beside a Union Jack. Nick Clark examines why Labour hopes to gain from nationalism—and why it’s wrong

Can workers stop job cuts when the system’s in crisis?

Bosses claim they ‘can’t afford’ to keep people on because of the crisis. There’s money—but it will take a fight to take it off the rich, writes Sadie Robinson

How the spy cops were set up to infiltrate the left

Parliament and the press fumed with growing paranoia as the revolts of 1968 entered Britain.

Grenfell firms try to avoid justice during blaze inquiry

Landlords for the Grenfell tower have unveiled shocking revelations at the inquiry into the blaze. Their evidence shows that at every turn profit was prioritised over safety.

How Trump and privatised health care left US exposed

The US is the richest country in the world, but has one of the worst responses to coronavirus. Sarah Bates looks at how a a broken system killed over 200,000

Busting the bigoted myths told about transgender people

JK Rowling’s new book has ignited fury because it’s about a male serial killer who dresses up in women’s clothing. Sophie Squire takes apart the myths that paint trans women as a threat