News

Frank Crichlow— taking an inspiring stand against the establishment

Frank Crichlow “first came into contact with Notting Hill police station” after he opened a cafe in west London in 1959. He was to become an icon of resistance to the cops’ repression for the rest of his life.

Udham Singh—revolutionary who took revenge for empire

As Sir Michael O’Dwyer left the speakers’ table after his lecture for the East India Association in London 80 years ago, an Asian man rushed from the audience as if to greet him.

The ugly face of Labour

Keir Starmer is pushing a renewed right wing direction for Labour. Nick Clark looks at why that is, and examines how it’s old hat for the party that’s built on appeasement

Students locked in at universities as system profits

Thousands of people are isolating in student accommodation after a spate of virus outbreaks at universities. Students told Sophie Squire that they are being left without support—and slammed the ‘entirely predictable’ crisis

Handling of the virus has made mental distress worse

The virus has meant that mental health services are in crisis—Isabel Ringrose spoke to two health workers on the frontline

Sylvia Pankhurst - a rebel in the fight for votes

Suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst is well known as a fighter for votes for women. But a new book describes how struggles turned her into a revolutionary

Workers in grip of the economic crisis speak out—millions face jobs misery

With the future of the government’s furlough scheme in doubt, and with hundreds of firms axing jobs, a wave of fear is spreading

Olive Morris—a tragically short life dedicated to struggle

Teenager Olive Morris was hanging out at Desmond’s Hip City record shop in Brixton, south London, on a Saturday afternoon in November 1969 when it happened.

James Baldwin—a lifetime issuing an anti-racist call to arms

When James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York, he was “set down in a ghetto” where society “intended you should perish”.

No Fixed Abode—why homelessness isn’t inevitable

The solution to homelessness in Britain is “almost laughably simple” according to Maeve McClenaghan, author of a new book on the issue.

The crimes of Captain Kimber

In 1791 an atrocity so hideous occurred on a slave ship in the Atlantic that its captain was brought to a British court. The verdict was a damning indictment of both the ruling class and the way it got its riches

Put people before profit to protect us from coronavirus

The bosses and their backers are screaming for a return to “business as usual”. They say if we don’t accept this, we will be stuck with lockdown measures that get in the way of profits—known as “the economy”.

Rebelling against the system

As Extinction Rebellion takes to the streets of London, Manchester and Cardiff, Sarah Bates looks at the movement demanding urgent action on climate change

Is Akon City Black Power forever?

Rapper Akon plans to build a new city where black people can escape racism. But, as Yuri Prasad writes, any system based on riches for a few means oppression will remain

Frantz Fanon—a vital defence of violence by the oppressed

Every struggle that confronts the violence of the system by throwing back some of its own faces the accusation that resistance itself is the problem. In response many turn to the ideas of Frantz Fanon—the anti-colonial writer and activist.

Carlota Lucumi—when Spanish slave owners cowered in fear

Waves of rebellions—from on ships to at plantations—were central to ending slavery.

Chile 1970—why the hope was broken

50 years ago Salvador Allende was elected Chile’s president. A US-backed coup overthrew him three years later. But, writes Sophie Squire, there were deeper problems than the US and the military that helped turn hope into horror

Cruel Britannia—the bloody truth about the British Empire

Isabel Ringrose tells the terrible truth about the British Empire that Boris Johnson expects us to salute

Trump campaign tries to stamp on postal service

The White House hopes that suppressing postal voting will deliver victory for Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.

Crash on the streets—how cruel Tory plans will fuel homeless crisis

Sackings and benefits sanctions have left ever more people struggling to pay their rent. The Tories’ plan to end a ban on evictions in September—meaning thousands could be thrown out