News

The Cold War rhetoric is inflated—but there are real risks

There have been claims on both sides that the Syrian crisis marks the most serious confrontation between Washington and Moscow since the Cuban missile crisis

The universities struggle is changing workers

The strike has infused new life into semi-moribund UCU branches

Theresa May is a faithful friend to corrupt Mohammed bin Salman

Only someone with Theresa May’s flair for public relations would have received Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, on International Women’s Day last Thursday.

Trump’s trade war means chaos for the ruling class

Ever since he was elected, there’s been an argument over whether Donald Trump would be more than a conventional right wing Republican president.

Brexit talks show up tensions for Tories

AS negotiations over Britain’s departure from the European Union move towards a climax, the policy positions of the Tories and Labour register the balance of forces within each party

Syrian tragedy risks bigger imperialist clash

Syria is undoubtedly the most dangerous place in the world at the moment.

Coalition deal opens the door to the German right

Germany under chancellor Angela Merkel was meant to be the bastion of the neoliberal centre in Europe.

Theresa May’s visit to China shows the pressure she faces

No one is likely to write an opera about Theresa May’s visit to China the way John Adams did about president Richard Nixon’s historic trip to Beijing in 1972. Her stay in China was completely obscured by media stories about Tory divisions over Brexit.

Imperialism won’t end Kurdish agony

In a Middle East tormented by the domination of Western imperialism, the Kurdish people have been among the greatest victims.

Labour should not back single market

Jeremy Corbyn is under increasing pressure from the Labour right to shift his policy on Brexit. This would mean—at the maximum—supporting a second referendum and—at the minimum—backing Britain staying in the European single market if it does leave.

Europe’s centre ground is crumbling beneath Angela Merkel’s feet

In the endless discussions about Brexit, it’s commonly assumed that the British side is weak and confused and the European Union (EU) is strong and united. The first is true, the second not so much.

Fiddling the figures can’t end Tory crisis

Philip Hammond, the Tory chancellor, likes to present himself as a safe pair of hands. He’s nicknamed “spreadsheet Phil”. Boring maybe, but reliable. But he’s been responsible for two of the biggest media pratfalls of the present government, which is saying something.

Saudi-Iran rivalry is behind new turmoil

Saudi Arabia has mostly been a stable pillar of the imperialist order in the Middle East.

Erratic Trump gives a boost to US rivals

Anyone who's watched Ken Burns’s flawed but absorbing documentary about the Vietnam War must have been struck by the interplay between presidential politics in Washington and the rhythm of combat in Southeast Asia.

After Heaton-Harris - what are the real threats to academic freedom?

Was the Heaton-Harris affair just a storm in a teacup? Christopher Heaton-Harris is the pro-Leave Tory whip who wrote to university vice-chancellors asking for information about “professors involved in the teaching of European affairs, with particular reference to Brexit”.