The climate crisis means we need more and better public transport – but train travel is a mess, unreliable and expensive. Amy Gilligan reviews Tom Haines-Doran’s Derailed: How to Fix Britain’s Broken Railways Pacer train in Cardiff. Photo: Jeremy Segrott, flickr, Creative Commons Train travel can be great. It can be a quick and efficient way to…

Health workers strikes have been a key component of the pay revolt over the past few months, with massive support from the general public. Rob M, a UNISON, RCN and rs21 member, argues that health workers should reject the proposed deal – there is plenty more to be won! NHS workers strike, 2023. Photo: Steve Eason Last Friday (17 March), after three…

The People Make Television exhibition at the Raven Row gallery in London has brought to light a history of TV in Britain that many would be surprised to learn had a home on the BBC. Tom Schofield visited the exhibition and writes about what it indicates about the links between cultural production, state broadcasters and political organisation. Credit…

Louise Casey’s report on the Met Police is to be published on Tuesday. Media coverage suggests that it will show the force to be riddled with racism, sexism and homophobia. Already, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has come to the Met’s defence, claiming that ‘the vast majority’ of cops act ‘professionally’. This is an argument often used…

More than half a million workers struck today and rallied in cities across Britain. Teachers, junior doctors, civil servants, university workers, tube drivers, Amazon workers, journalists and more are fighting for better conditions, and against repressive anti-strike legislation. UCU, NEU, PCS, RMT, NUJ, BMA, Prospect, ASLEF, GMB and HCSA were out in…

Content note: this article discusses transphobia and misogyny The current offensive against trans people in Britain is being carried out by an array of political forces across society. Lisa Leak outlines what these distinct forces are, how they enable and assist each other, and how this forms part of a much broader attempt at regenerating a right-wing…

Kleanthis Antoniou of OKDE-Spartakos reports on strikes and demonstrations in Greece following the deaths of 57 people in a train crash at the start of March, a culmination of neoliberal cost-cutting policies on the recently privatised railways. Commentators have compared the crash and its causes to the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, where 72…

Schools strikes are suspended in Wales following a new offer from the Welsh government. rs21 teachers explain why it’s a bad deal and argue for stepping up rank and file organisation.  NEU marchers on 1 February – photo by Steve Eason. Yesterday, an emergency meeting of the NEU National Executive voted to suspend next week’s strike in Wales…

15 March will be the biggest day of action so far in the current strike wave. rs21 member and Lancashire NEU branch officer Andy Cunningham urges everyone to join the London protests on that day. Strikers demonstrating on 1 February – photo by Steve Eason. On Wednesday 15 March Jeremy Hunt will deliver the latest Tory budget in the House of Commons…

This International Women’s Day, women everywhere are at the forefront of global struggles for women’s liberation and against capitalism and repressive governments. rs21 members collect together 13 inspiring examples large and small from across the world from the last few months. The article ends with recommendations for #IWD2023 events you could…

Fascists came out in Carlisle and it was in doubt whether anti-fascists would pull together forces to counter this xenophobia on the street. Joe Sabatini and Elaine Bromley report. The stand-off in Carlisle. Photo credit: Elaine Bromley. On Saturday March 4 in Carlisle, a group of local Nazis calling themselves ‘Save our Streets’ mobilised and marched…

Earlier this year rs21 members interviewed a South Korean revolutionary socialist about workers’ struggles and feminist campaigns, as well as the international situation in east Asia and the growing tensions between China and the USA. A second part of the interview will cover the international situation. Seoul, South Korea rs21 Thanks for agreeing…

Across Britain last weekend, far-right elements and transphobes of various stripes were threatening to organise in large numbers. Several rs21 members took part in activity against them and report back on some of the actions.  Counter demo at the Honor Oak pub, London. South London stands up in numbers Turning Point UK, the embarrassing moribund cousin…

Rs21 members in UCU analyse the current UCU dispute and consider the role of the UCU bureaucracy in recent weeks. Photo: Steve Eason In January, the future of the UCU dispute over pay, pensions and conditions was in a precarious situation. A vote by the Higher Education Executive committee (HEC) to call indefinite strike action had been publicly denounced…

Pat Stack discusses Starmer’s attacks on Corbyn and his legacy, and the question of what attitude socialists should take to the Labour Party’s rightward lurch and a potential Starmer government. Keir Starmer at the World Economic Forum. Photo credit: World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell, Flickr 2023 It is hard to remember a time when the…

Earlier this month southern Türkiye (now the official name for Turkey) and northwest Syria were struck by two devastating earthquakes. Tempest Collective member Shireen Akram-Boshar explains that this tragedy is fundamentally political, affected by the fault lines of counterrevolution, authoritarianism, racism, and capitalism. Buildings destroyed by…

Rs21 member Kate Bradley spoke to Alison Treacher, a member of Care and Support Workers Organise (CASWO) in Manchester, about trade unions, the exodus from the care sector, and how supporters can show solidarity with care workers during the cost of living crisis.  What is CASWO and when did it get started? Care and Support Workers Organise (CASWO)…

Rs21 members Tom Schofield and Becky Brown report from an important strike in central London. PCS picket at the British Museum February 2023 – picture by rs21 member. On Monday expectant visitors to the British Museum (BM), Britain’s third most visited museum, queued well past the 10am official opening time. Managers scrabbled to determine how safe…

A comment by the rs21 Steering Group Photo: Steve Eason rs21’s usual approach to other groups on the left is to work together where we can, and to avoid getting into disputes with other groups for the sake of it. But we feel it’s necessary to comment on a recent article on the Counterfire website, headlined ‘Liberalism’s hegemony over the left’…

Vigils for Brianna Ghey have been organised around the country – we list details below. Trans people have faced years of attacks from bigots, Tories and the media. Other minorities, including refugees, are also under attack, writes Colin Wilson. We must stand together. Photo: Steve Eason Members of rs21 are appalled and saddened by the death of Brianna…

Myanmar has spent two years under Min Aung Hlaing’s repressive regime, but popular resistance is alive and kicking. Robert Narai reports on revolutionary strategy from across Myanmar’s left, with a contribution from Rahul Kyaw Ko Ko. Myanmar teachers protest against military coup (9 Feb 2021, Hpa-An, Kayin State, Myanmar) Photo by Ninjastrikers…

Rs21 member Kate Bradley reviews Shake the City by Alexander Billet, a well-written and thought-provoking book on the role of music in making political change. NHS at 70: Free For All, Forever – central London protest 30th June 2018 with Rhoda Daker. Photo credit: Steve Eason Alexander Billett, Shake the City: Experiments in Space and Time (London…

Jaice Titus reviews Spare, and finds Harry trying to repackage himself from prince to global media influencer – but without the self-awareness to make it work. Photo: Duncan Cumming, flickr, Creative Commons Prince Harry in February 2021 gave up his royal duties and escaped to the US with his wife and child. Now, in his new autobiography, Harry has…