Long Read

Keir Starmer is a Long-Time Servant of the British Security State

by Oliver Eagleton

Labour under Keir Starmer has taken a troubling flag-waving turn. But while his patriot act may in part be driven by political expediency, Starmer’s loyalty to the British security state has historically been strikingly consistent, writes Oliver Eagleton.

Whatever Happened to the UK Youth Climate Strikes?

by Clare Hymer

Two years ago, young people across the UK walked out of school in the first of a wave of 'climate strikes'. But despite its rapid and extraordinary growth, the youth strike movement's future was in jeopardy even prior to the pandemic. Clare Hymer reports.

Analysis: No, Benefit Claimants Still Aren’t Exploiting the System

by Josh Gabert-Doyon

The digitisation of Universal Credit is reinforcing old prejudices about benefit fraud, fuelling a new moral panic. Josh Gabert Doyon explains what's actually going on.

Arctic Turbulence: Why Indigenous Communities Are Fighting Wind Farms

by S Reid-Collins

Construction is continuing on the Øyfjellet Wind Park, which is set to become Norway's largest onshore wind farm. But the site runs right through the Jillen-Njaarke reindeer herding district, leading the Indigenous South Saami people to enter a battle for existence.

How Do We Solve a Problem Like Amazon?

by Craig Gent

Amazon isn’t the type of problem that can simply be fixed, writes Craig Gent. In order to take on one of the defining companies of our era, we need to make Amazon's punishing work process our business.

The West is Dying – of Narcissism

by Arun Kundnani

Conservatives often frame demographic change as western cultures 'committing suicide'. The left must challenge this, writes Arun Kundnani, because as individuals and as peoples, we can only grow through our encounters with others; in pursuing a purification of the west, conservatives foster the very cultural death they claim to fear.

America is a Gerontocracy – and Until That Changes, Its Problems Will Only Get Worse

by Aaron Bastani

There’s an inarguable trend in US politics: leaders and legislators are getting older. But far from a marginal concern limited to a single nation, the consequences of rule by the elderly are potentially catastrophic, argues Aaron Bastani.

Forget Tory Food Tips: Everyone Deserves Delicious Big Dinners

by Eleanor Penny

The Tories' meal plans scorn the idea that everyone is entitled to the basic human joy of food. We must insist on the necessity of pleasure, writes Eleanor Penny.

With Joe Biden, There’s Still a Case for Climate Optimism

by Daniel Aldana Cohen

Despite his refusal to back the Green New Deal, in the event that Joe Biden becomes president, a focused and disciplined effort from social movements and their allies could see real advances towards a greener horizon, argues Daniel Aldana Cohen in an in-depth piece.

Analysis: What Would Jesus Do? Cancel the Rent

by Francis Brewer

The UK is facing a massive, and avoidable, debt crisis. Throughout history, the cancellation of debts has been used as a safety valve against social and economic collapse - and now's the time to reopen it. If it’s good enough for Christ, argues writer and activist Francis Brewer, it’s good enough for us.

International: How a Revolution Really Feels: Rojava 8 Years On

How does it feel to seek new ways to live? On the eighth anniversary of the Rojava revolution, journalist and activist Matt Broomfield - who has been living and working in North and East Syria for the last two years - explains.

Turbulence in Macron’s France: A Recent History

by Nicolas Jara-Joly and Thierry Labica

Between his hated pension reforms, handling of the pandemic, open disdain for the democratic process and frequent recourse to police repression, Emmanuel Macron's teflon sheen has well and truly worn off. Nicolas Jara-Joly and Theirry Labica survey 'La Macronie' so far and look ahead to 2022's presidential election.

Why Do the Police Exist?

by Connor Woodman

Long read: When and why were police forces first invented? Connor Woodman takes a look - and argues that far from protecting communities from ‘crime’, the police’s role has always been to control and discipline the working class.

Get Angry Then Get Free: The Political Necessity of Rioting in Dismantling the System

by Joshua Virasami

As protestors rise up across the world following the murder of George Floyd, it's vital we see rioting as a legitimate form of protest in the struggle for freedom within racial capitalism, writes Black Lives Matter activist Joshua Virasami in an in-depth long read.

The tactics used in Bernie Sanders' 2020 election campaign have yielded some big wins and a string of losses. In this week's long read, Calum Jacobs looks at Sanders' use of so-called big organising and how it has helped - and hurt - his chances at the Democratic win.