2018: Review of the Year
On the final #NovaraFM of 2018, James Butler is joined by Michael Walker and Dawn Foster to look back over the highs and lows of the year as we consign it to its political grave.
2018: the Season Finale of Centrism
Was 2018 Centrism’s season finale? Will Macron survive the Gilets Jaunes’ movement? And is there anything liberals won’t blame on Russia or Facebook?
Latin Venues in Elephant and Castle Forced Out to Make Way for Redevelopment
by Ed Gillett
The long-running regeneration of Elephant and Castle has been a source of local acrimony for more than a decade. This week, the starkly differing fates of three of its best-loved cultural venues have raised new questions about Southwark council and developer Delancey’s approach to local residents and businesses, writes Ed Gillett.
Social Cleansing in Istanbul: Residents of Stigmatised Neighbourhood Fight to Stay in Their Homes
by Paul Benjamin Osterlund
An impending earthquake is being used as a pretext to demolish Küçük Armutlu, a stigmatised Istanbul neighbourhood that is home to religious minorities, dissidents, leftists and banned militant groups. But residents aren't giving up without a fight.
Brexit Chaos Shows Britain’s Institutions Are Broken. We Need New Ones
by Aaron Bastani
For all the talk of the 21st century presenting unique and unprecedented challenges, from automation to resource depletion, the ongoing Brexit shambles shows Britain lacks the institutions to not only deal with the future but the present too, argues Aaron Bastani.
5 Reasons We Should Abolish Oxbridge
by Angus Satow
Every year, another educational access report prompts outrage at how over-represented private schools are at Oxford and Cambridge. But amidst these ritual furores, the existence of these elite universities is never called into question. Angus Satow lays out five reasons we should abolish Oxbridge altogether.
The Conservatives: No Future
May’s premiership is on the brink. We convene for an emergency podcast to breakdown the results of her “no-confidence” vote, and assess whether the Tories can keep clinging to power.
Sacked at Christmas: Uber Eats Fires Workers for Objecting to Pay Cut
by Callum Cant
Uber Eats terminated workers' contracts in West London after a group withdrew their labour to protest against a massive drop in pay. But the couriers have joined a union and are fighting back.
Britain’s War in Yemen Can Be Stopped, but the Left Needs to Raise Its Game
by David Wearing
As a leading backer of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates throughout their nearly four year long war in Yemen, Britain has quietly played a highly significant role in the creation of the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, writes David Wearing.
Undermining Democracy, Not Defending It: The ‘Integrity Initiative’ is Everything That’s Wrong With British Foreign Policy
by Aaron Bastani
This weekend the ‘Integrity Initiative’, a British think tank funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, came under criticism for its attacks on Jeremy Corbyn and key Labour advisors. But it's leaked documents concerning the think tank's efforts abroad that are particularly shocking, writes Aaron Bastani.
The Mason Plan With Paul Mason and Ash Sarkar
After a day of unprecedented chaos and a government on the brink of collapse, Paul Mason has stormed the building and he has a plan.
Stansted 15: Activists Who Stopped Deportation Charter Flight Convicted of Terror-Related Charges
by Beth Perkin, Charlotte England
In an exclusive interview with Novara Media, activists who took direct action to prevent 60 people being deported to Nigeria and Ghana speak out about why they stopped the plane and what it was like to spend nine weeks on trial charged with an offence created in the aftermath of the Lockerbie bombing.
Brexit and the Climate Crash: Time for a Reality Check
by Steve Rushton
The political impasse surrounding Brexit has created a significant distraction from the news that we have 12 years or less to ensure the future habitability of the planet. Steve Rushton argues it's time to point to the anti-climate motivations of some of the highest profile Brexiteers and put climate change back on the agenda.
Another Europe is Unlikely: Why Socialist Transformation Won’t Happen Within the EU
by Grace Blakeley
Although another Europe isn’t impossible, it won’t come about until the financialised project that is the EU has collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions. Until then, a socialist government trying to deliver a radical agenda from within the EU will be doomed to fail, argues Grace Blakeley.
Yellow Jackets in Movement: Understanding the Gilets Jaunes
by Gabriel Bristow
Appearing at once popular, novel and contradictory, the French gilets jaunes ('yellow jackets') movement has generated intense speculation about its potential and limitations. Gabriel Bristow examines the movement's motivations, composition and future.
The Bastani Factor: This Is Fine With James Butler
With May’s Brexit deal in tatters and the commons in chaos – Aaron is joined by James Butler to discuss how much longer can Theresa May cling onto government? Is this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?
‘It’s Not a History Lesson Anymore’: The Union Activists Taking on a London Pub Chain
by Joe Hayns
Hot on the heels of union campaigns at TGI Fridays, Wetherspoons and more, workers at London's Antic pub chain are demanding recognition and a roadmap to the London living wage. Joe Hayns interviewed two union members for Novara Media.
Can Labour Get a General Election? The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act and Parliamentary Strategy
by James Butler
With Theresa May's Brexit deal looking set to flop, there’s much talk of the possibility of a general election. But what would it actually take for an election to be called, and how likely is it under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act? James Butler explains.