Socialism

Hannah Sell, the general Secretary of the Socialist Party, discusses the chaos unleashed on the world economy by Donald Trump's ‘liberation day' tariffs. What is the logic of the massive tariffs introduced by Trump? Despite appearances, it is not simply a question of a crazy billionaire having got the keys to the White House. Trump reflects the decline of US imperialism, still the strongest power on the planet, but increasingly less able to set the framework for the world. During Trump's first term and under Biden, tariffs and protectionist measures increased, in an attempt to protect US markets from its global rivals. ‘Liberation Day', however, was on a qualitatively different scale. Trump and his co-thinkers had drawn the conclusion that it is necessary to launch an offensive ‘knock-‘em-down, drag-‘em-out' economic fight to defend US capitalism against its competitors, above all China. When the theatrics and fantastical hyperbole now associated with the Trump presidency are set to one side, the tariff war launched on April 2 boils down fundamentally to an attempt to appropriate to US capitalism a larger share of value from the world economy at the expense of its ‘trading partners', “friend and foe alike” as Trump himself puts it. Read more: Trade wars and the workers' movement An Editorial of Socialism Today, the monthly magazine of the Socialist Party www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/138333/01-05-2025/socialism-today-editorial-trade-wars-and-the-workers-movement/ Trump's tariff turmoil An editorial of the Socialist, the weekly paper of the Socialist Party www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/137831/14-04-2025/trumps-tariff-turmoil/ More Info - Click here for all your Socialist Party links: linkin.bio/socialistparty/ We need your help campaigning! The establishment political parties have the backing of the capitalist elites. We need to build a mass movement of working class fighters to take them on. Find out more details about your local campaigns and how you can help by filling in this form: www.socialistparty.org.uk/join The Socialist Party has no big-business backers, so we rely on your donations to fund all our campaigns. Donate at www.socialistparty.org.uk/donations/donatejune2025/ Subscribe to our weekly paper, ‘The Socialist', and our monthly magazine ‘Socialism Today': www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe-2/

Dave Semple, Public and Commercial Service Union (PCS) national Vice president, speaking in a personal capacity, discusses the issues at stake in the upcoming union elections. From 16 April, ballot papers will go out to PCS members to vote for a new National Executive Committee (NEC) and president. PCS organises workers in the civil service, in government agencies and other public sector bodies, and on outsourced government contracts. Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden's “radical reforms” and Rachel Reeves's Spring Statement promise “the worst cuts since austerity” – a £2 billion axe to the civil service. This includes 15% cuts to departmental budgets, tens of thousands of jobs to go, the abolition of NHS England with the loss of half the workforce, below-inflation pay rises, unsafe pensions, office closures, increased workload, and attacks on the working environment, including hybrid working. And this catalogue was all promised before the onset of economic chaos and potential downturn following Trump's tariffs. Elections are taking place this spring in a number of unions – the first time under Starmer's government. They are all an opportunity for members to elect a fighting leadership that will stand up to Starmer and lead a serious campaign to defend members. Read more: PCS must fight Starmer's cuts https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/137687/09-04-2025/pcs-must-fight-starmers-cuts/ The battle for the PCS https://socialismtoday.org/the-battle-for-the-pcs More Info - Click here for all your Socialist Party links: https://linkin.bio/socialistparty/ We need your help campaigning! The establishment political parties have the backing of the capitalist elites. We need to build a mass movement of working class fighters to take them on. Find out more details about your local campaigns and how you can help by filling in this form: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/join The Socialist Party has no big-business backers, so we rely on your donations to fund all our campaigns. Donate at https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/donations/donatejune2025/ Subscribe to our weekly paper, ‘the Socialist', and our monthly magazine ‘Socialism Today': https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe-2/

Sascha Stanicic discusses the recent German elections in February 2025, which saw a drop in votes for the ‘establishment' parties, and an increase in support for both the leftwing Die Linke and the right wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Sascha is the federal spokesperson for– Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (SOL) – the section of the Committee for a Workers International in Germany. The CWI is the international organization the Socialist Party is a member of, check out their website at https://www.socialistworld.net/ Read more: Germany: Election disaster for establishment parties https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/136297/05-03-2025/germany-election-disaster-for-establishment-parties/ The Left Party, Trump, Ukraine and the ‘Debt Brake' https://www.socialistworld.net/2025/03/10/germany-the-left-party-trump-ukraine-and-the-debt-brake/ More Info - Click here for all your Socialist Party links: https://linkin.bio/socialistparty/ We need your help campaigning! The establishment political parties have the backing of the capitalist elites. We need to build a mass movement of working class fighters to take them on. Find out more details about your local campaigns and how you can help by filling in this form: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/join The Socialist Party has no big-business backers, so we rely on your donations to fund all our campaigns. Donate at https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/donations/donatejune2025/ Subscribe to our weekly paper, ‘the Socialist', and our monthly magazine ‘Socialism Today': https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe-2/

The National Organiser of Socialist Students, Adam Powell Davies, discusses the crisis facing higher education and Socialist Students' new national campaign Funding not Fees. Socialist Students is serious about fighting to end the uni funding crisis, by mobilising students to demand no course cuts, no job losses, and for free, fully funded education, fighting back against cuts and tuition fee rises. Socialist Students has groups in university and college campuses all over the country, and students in many different political groups, including the Socialist Party, take part in fighting for what students need. Read more: Students: Build the resistance to uni cuts! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/136064/26-02-2025/students-build-the-resistance-to-uni-cuts/ Crunch time looms for higher education: https://socialismtoday.org/crunch-time-looms-for-higher-education More Info - Click here for all your Socialist Party link: https://linkin.bio/socialistparty/ We need your help campaigning! The establishment political parties have the backing of the capitalist elites. We need to build a mass movement of working class fighters to take them on. Find out more details about your local campaigns and how you can help by filling in this form: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/join The Socialist Party has no big-business backers, so we rely on your donations to fund all our campaigns. Donate at https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/donations Subscribe to our weekly paper, ‘the Socialist', and our monthly magazine ‘Socialism Today': https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe-2

Today's podcast is a discussion with former socialist MP Dave Nellist, the national chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). We will be discussing some of the main themes from this year's TUSC conference, which had the heading ‘Fighting for a new party under the Starmer government. And what role for TUSC?' If you are not yet a member of the Socialist Party and agree with the points raised here, then that's a very good basis for getting in touch and finding out what being a member will mean for you. Fill in this form for more information: www.socialistparty.org.uk/join Here is a list of socialist party branch meetings: www.socialistparty.org.uk/events You can also read more of our analysis in our weekly paper 'the Socialist' and our monthly magazine 'Socialism Today,' Here is a link to subscribe: www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe-2/ The socialist party has no big business backers, all our campaign work is funded by donations from individual supporters. Make a donation here: www.socialistparty.org.uk/donations/donatejan2025/ We also recommend checking out the Committee for a Workers International, the international organization the Socialist Party is a part of. With analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world you can get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net.

Today's podcast is a discussion with Socialist Party General Secretary Hannah Sell, introducing the party's new document on British perspectives produced by the National Committee. This important document is being distributed to all members for reading and discussion ahead of the Socialist Party National Congress in March. At the Congress, the document will be debated with a vote of delegates from the branches. There are many more points in it than can be discussed in one podcast! Socialist Party branches will be organising meetings nationally to discuss it and the chance to discuss it individually too. Here is a list of socialist party branch meetings: www.socialistparty.org.uk/events If you are not yet a member of the Socialist Party and agree with the points raised here, then that's a very good basis for getting in touch and finding out what being a member will mean for you. Fill in this form for more information: www.socialistparty.org.uk/join You can also read more of our analysis in our weekly paper 'the Socialist' and our monthly magazine 'Socialism Today,' Here is a link to subscribe: www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe-2/ The socialist party has no big business backers, all our campaign work is funded by donations from individual supporters. Make a donation here: www.socialistparty.org.uk/donations/donatejan2025/

The election victory of Donald Trump opens a new era internationally, and domestically in the United States. This election win is not merely a changing of the guard at the White House. Although the US has had right-wing presidents in the past, for example, Ronald Reagan, who presided over a neo-liberal onslaught, including brutal attacks on the trade unions, which he tried to cripple, Trump's new regime will be of a different order in an entirely different world situation. Trump's win will have a decisive impact on the domestic situation and on the geo-political struggle unfolding between rival imperialist and capitalist powers. The working class and socialists must be prepared for the storm that is already crashing down on society to intensify in the coming months and years. In this episode of the podcast, socialist party general secretary hannah sell draws a balance sheet of what the election of Trump represents, and the prospects for working class struggle under his presidency. To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Further reading: Trumpism and its limits - the editorial of Socialism Today Capitalist opponents of Trump are frightened that he could damage, or even destroy, the current international order – and the US state institutions – through which the US capitalist class rules. In opposing Trump, Marxists do not give one iota of support for the existing ‘world order', or the Democratic Party government which maintained it on behalf of US imperialism over the last four years. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/133317/27-11-2024/socialism-today-editorial-trumpism-and-its-limits/ Trump's election victory and the new world order - Analysis by the CWI Like the COVID pandemic, the new Trump regime will act as a great accelerator on all of the existing trends, contradictions and conflicts currently unfolding under capitalism in its protracted death agony. World events will now be marked by ‘pre-Trump' and ‘post-Trump' benchmarks. Trump's victory represents the coming to power of a particularly right-wing nationalist, protectionist regime – one that will include aspects of Bonapartism, of repression, rule by presidential decree, and a further weakening of democratic rights for the American people. https://www.socialistworld.net/2024/11/26/trumps-election-victory-and-the-new-world-order/

In this episode of the podcast, Tony Saunois, General secretary of the Committee for a Workers International, analyses the general trends in the leadup to the US elections and why the outcome will have a major effect on the global capitalist system. Tony will be speaking on Sunday 10th November from 11am-1pm at Socialism 2024, the weekend of socialist discussion hosted by the Socialist Party. Here's the full details of the weekend: •⁠ ⁠SOCIALISM 2024 Sat 9 Nov - Sun 10 Nov •⁠ ⁠Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL A weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world, with a main rally at Saturday 5.30pm on the theme of 'Building the socialist opposition to Starmer's war & austerity agenda' Even if you are free for just one of the days, there are day and rally-only tickets available as well, and also the option to get a 'golden ticket' that includes hostel accommodation. If you can't come at all a donation to the fighting fund appeal is appreciated so that members with low incomes can come along. Here is the website where you can see the brochure and book your tickets: www.socialism.org.uk Further Reading: Neither Republicans nor Democrats offer a pro-working class agenda https://www.socialistworld.net/2024/10/28/neither-republicans-nor-democrats-offer-a-pro-working-class-agenda/

In this episode of the podcast Josh Asker the editor of 'The Socialist,' explains the tactics and strategies needed to build a mass movement against the far right. Socialism 2024 Get your tickets for socialism here: www.socialism.org.uk Do you want to be part of building the socialist opposition that we need to end austerity, poverty, climate crisis, racism and discrimination, and war? Taking place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November, the Socialism 2024 weekend will arm you with the ideas to fight back under the Starmer government against the capitalist system it defends. Socialism 2024 will be taking place only days after Rachel Reeves' autumn budget which will show Labour's plans to make the working class pay for the crisis of the capitalist system while the rich get richer. Join hundreds of trade unionists, students, community campaigners, and those who just want to find out about socialist ideas to discuss and debate ideas to change the world. The centrepiece of the event will be the main rally on the Saturday evening where you will hear from leading socialists. There will be over 40 workshops running throughout Saturday and Sunday on all sorts of topics. And there will be closing rallies on the Sunday afternoon. Smash racism The large counter-protests on 7 August pointed to the potential to build an anti-racist movement. We must challenge attempts by racists and the populist and far right to take advantage of the anger at Starmer's attacks on living standards. The workshops in this theme at Socialism 2024 are an opportunity to look at the ideas needed to do that and include: You can't have capitalism without racism: The origins of racism and the struggle to end it today Capitalism and Islamophobia After the riots: the role of the trade unions in a Community Defence Stewards organisation Further Reading: Lessons from the Fight against the Far Right: The working class has a long history of mobilising to resist attempts by far-right forces to attack and intimidate our communities. The Socialist Party and its predecessor Militant has a long history of taking part in those struggles, including at times playing a leading role. In all these struggles, the fight to stop the far right is completely bound with the fight for a socialist alternative, and mobilising the working class to fight for decent jobs and homes, fully funded services, and all our communities need. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/130801/02-10-2024/lessons-from-the-fight-against-the-far-right/ The first lightning flashes – and what to do One month after Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party was ‘swept to power' by a paltry 20% of the electorate – the lowest support base of any government since the introduction of universal male suffrage in 1918 – violent protests and riots, instigated by far-right groups, broke out across the country. For those trapped in asylum-seekers' hostels or mosques under brutal attack from gangs of rioters, the experience was terrifying. More generally, many Black, Asian and Muslim people feel that their safety is increasingly under threat. Tell Mama, a monitoring group tracking Islamophobic hate crimes, reported a five-fold increase in threats to Muslims compared to the same time last year. https://socialismtoday.org/the-first-lightning-flashes-and-what-to-do

In August protestors took to the streets in towns and cities across Nigeria in anger at the deepening social and economic crises gripping the country, felt by ordinary Nigerians as a worsening cost of living crisis. But the state, led by the government of President Bola Tinubu, cracked down hard. Hundreds of activists have been detained without charge, such as Daniel Akande in Abuja. Others, including CWI member Adaramoye Michael Lenin, and Mosiu Sodiq, also in Abuja, have been charged with treason, which carries the death penalty. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and its president Joe Ajaero, have also been subject to a state campaign of harassment. In response socialists and trade unionists worldwide are mounting an international solidarity campaign. In this podcast, a radio interview carried on the South African channel PowerFM - www.power987.co.za - Weizmann Hamilton, general secretary of the Marxist Workers Party and a member of the Committee for a Workers International's International Executive Committee, discusses the situation in Nigeria and the Nigerian Solidarity Campaign. - Visit the CWI website for more Marxist analysis at www.socialistworld.net - Download Nigeria Solidarity Campaign material here: https://linktr.ee/nigeriansolidarityuk - Donate to the Nigeria Solidarity Campaign via CrowdFunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/cdwr?exp=exp-pledge&expv=B - Contact us by emailing cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

133. Trade Union Congress 2024 If the trade unions were to take the first steps towards building a political alternative it could rapidly build into a mass force to challenge Labour, the populist and far right, and to fight for the socialist change we need. So far, the union leaders have stubbornly resisted such an initiative. But in this changed political landscape, more and more workers will inevitably come into direct conflict with Starmer's pro-capitalist government as it is compelled to attack them under the impact of economic crisis. Even those union leaders who are today buying into and sowing the illusions of Labour being the workers' friend will find it difficult to resist the impact of the stormy events to come. In this Episode of the podcast, Rob Williams, the socialist party's industrial organiser, discusses the upcoming Trade Union Congress which is taking place on the 8th-11th September in Brighton and what industrial and political strategy the Socialist Party is putting forward within the workers movement. To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the Committee for a workers International, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Further reading Trade unions must fight New Labour austerity As things stand, Reeves is planning a ‘blood and tears' budget on 30 October. No extra money for local councils facing ‘bankruptcy' – sacking more workers and decimating more libraries, children's centres and other services. Nothing to resolve the crisis in the universities. Forcing more children into poverty by refusing to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The horror list goes on. But the message that union leaders should be taking from the first few weeks of this Labour government is that when working-class people organise and fight back through strike action they can win. If given a determined lead, workers in the public sector will be confident that they can fight to win increases that go much further towards restoring what they lost under austerity, while defending public services for everyone. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/129342/28-08-2024/trade-unions-must-fight-new-labour-austerity/ The first lightning flashes – and what to do The summer riots have brought a new immediacy to the task facing the workers' movement of building a new, mass vehicle for its political representation, and the debate on the way to achieve this must be urgently stepped up. But to put things in proportion, just weeks into the new situation of a Starmer premiership, they are but the first lightning flashes of the wild and stormy weather to come which will further enormously develop the conditions needed to realise the goal. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/129342/28-08-2024/trade-unions-must-fight-new-labour-austerity/

Not just booted out. The Tories have been crushed. The electorate has punished them for 14 years of austerity, attacks on the working class, lies and corruption. The result, in terms of the number of seats, is a Labour landslide, but enthusiasm for Keir Starmer's Labour was absent from this general election. The absolute vote for Labour was 9.6 million, lower than the 10.2 million vote Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour got in 2019, never mind the 12.8 million he won in 2017. Labour's vote share, at around 34%, is the lowest ever for a general election victor, whereas in 2017 Corbyn got 40% of the vote, the biggest jump for a national party in one election since 1945. The turnout was less than 60%, reflecting massive disenfranchisement from the mainstream political parties. In this Episode of the podcast, Socialist Party General Secretary Hannah Sell breaks down the main trends we can see emerging from the general election results, and what the tasks are for the workers' movement under a Starmer government To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the Committee for a workers International, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Further reading Tories smashed – build the socialist opposition The crisis of British capitalism is increasingly being reflected in the volatility of politics. Labour has been swept to power in a ‘landslide', but so was Boris Johnson at the head of the Tories five years ago. At the time we said it would be a pyrrhic victory, but the same will also be true for Starmer's Labour. Any capitalist government will face mass opposition – because capitalism is offering only endless austerity for the working-class majority. Therefore, discussions on how the working class can build its own party, armed with a socialist programme, are being posed increasingly urgently. The Socialist Party will argue for such a party to fight for the socialist transformation of society: for the nationalisation, under democratic workers' control, of the major monopolies and banks that dominate the economy, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need. This is a vital step to breaking the stranglehold of the capitalist class, and laying the basis for the development of a socialist plan of production, where all the science and technique created by capitalism could be harnessed and developed to meet the needs of all. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/127135/05-07-2024/tories-smashed-build-the-socialist-opposition-2/ TUSC general election report - Everything you wanted to know about the GE 2024 but were afraid to ask This report is a statistical review of the 2024 UK general election. Its purpose is to set the context for a discussion on both the TUSC general election campaign –including the work before the election to prepare for a working class challenge at the polls – and what the tasks are now for the battle to build a new, mass vehicle to politically represent the interests of the working class. Because the one thing that is absolutely clear from the outcome of July 4th – as it was before – is that they won't find representation in the new government now occupying Downing Street. That the July 4th general election was an historic moment is now a commonplace in media commentary. But what exactly is ‘historic' about it is being consciously blurred. That is why this report is structured in the way that it is. It includes statistics detailing: alienation from establishment politics, the long-term changes in electoral support for Labour, the electoral history of the Greens and Reform, and the effects of the Muslim vote on 4th July. https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-GE-The-Fact-File.pdf

131. Prepare a workers' general election stand In the local elections on 2nd May, the Socialist Party stood as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). TUSC is an electoral coalition which was co-founded by the late Bob Crow, then general secretary of the RMT transport workers' union. Its primary goal is to enable trade unionists, community campaigners and socialists who are fighting for a new mass workers' party to stand candidates against pro-austerity establishment politicians under a clear banner. In the 10% of council seats where TUSC stood, voters had the opportunity to support a clear anti-austerity, anti-war candidate. It is no coincidence that these were the best results for TUSC since it was relaunched in 2020 after Corbyn's defeat inside Labour. In total, TUSC was able to achieve over 40,000 votes on 2 May. In the local elections it had a post-relaunch record 46 candidates who got 5% or more, with ten getting over 10% and two scoring over 30%. While TUSC's results were still modest, they point towards the growing search for a socialist alternative to Starmer's New Labour, even before the advent of a Starmer-led government. They are also a positive demonstration of the benefits of democratic collaboration between different forces, around a minimum anti-austerity programme, with trade unionists playing a central role. Check out the TUSC website at www.tusc.org.uk In this Episode of the podcast, Socialist Party General Secretary Hannah Sell breaks down the main trends we can see emerging from the local election results, and what lessons we can draw from this to prepare a Workers' General election stand To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net

Over the last two years of strikes the working class in Britain has begun to feel its collective power. It is about to face a Starmer-led government that will defend the interests of the capitalist class. Further development of trade union militancy is going to be vital, but our class will also desperately need its own party. Any steps that can be taken in that direction in the pre-election period will put the workers' movement in a much stronger position for the battles ahead. That's why the Socialist party is standing in the local elections on 2 May as part of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), which aims to bring together the strongest possible workers electoral challenge possible. Check out the TUSC website at www.tusc.org.uk This Special Episode of the Podcast, recorded on the 20th March 2024, is a recording of Hannah Sell, the general secretary of the Socialist Party, speaking at a Socialist Party public meeting in South London. To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Further reading The fight for workers' politics now There is not so far any sign of a national political expression of the anti-war movement, never mind one based on the workers' movement. However, a workers' list – including suspended, expelled and deselected Labour MPs – could get a bloc of MPs elected. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), in which the Socialist Party participates, is campaigning to bring together the strongest possible working-class challenge at both the local and general elections. https://socialismtoday.org/the-fight-for-workers-politics-now Building on Rochdale – the fight for a new workers' party “Beyond alarming” is how Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak declared George Galloway's victory in the Rochdale by-election, at a specially convened press conference on the steps of Downing Street. Labour leader Keir Starmer appeared equally alarmed as he apologised for having to withdraw support for the Labour candidate in the by-election, giving Galloway an easier path to victory. Rochdale “raised the confidence of all those looking for a working-class socialist alternative to Labour”. Even in the limited time left before the general election there is the potential to take important steps towards creating such an alternative. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/122735/25-03-2024/editorial-building-on-rochdale-the-fight-for-a-new-workers-party/

Sascha Staničić, national spokesperson of the Socialist Organisation Solidarity, Sol, the CWI in Germany, discusses the CWI's analysis of the crisis and class struggle in Germany, with Sean Figg, from the CWI's International Secretariat. For a whole period German capitalism has been a bulwark of stability for capitalism on the European continent. Now it has entered a period of turmoil, unprecedented since reunification more than thirty years ago. In this podcast we cover the political crisis of the German ‘traffic light' coalition, the rise of the right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the mass movement against it, the Sara Wagenknecht-led split from DIE LINKE (the Left Party), the protests of the small farmers and the important strike-wave involving workers from multiple sectors. - Visit the CWI website for more Marxist analysis at socialistworld.net. - Support the work of the CWI by donating via PayPal here. - Contact us by emailing cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

The crisis of world capitalism means war and conflicts, economic stagnation and crises, and political instability on every continent. The working class, young people, and the poor masses around the world are responding with uprisings, mass movements, strike waves and an increased searching for the forms of organisation and the political ideas necessary to challenge capitalism. Tony Saunois, secretary of the CWI, and Sean Figg, from the CWI's International Secretariat, discuss the CWI's analysis of the world situation, developed at a five-day meeting of the CWI's International Executive Committee in January, which brought together comrades from each of the 14 countries in which the CWI is organised. The brutal war of state-terror being waged by the Israeli state against the Palestinians took centre-stage… Visit the CWI website for more Marxist analysis at www.socialistworld.net Support the work of the CWI by donating via PayPal here. Contact us by emailing cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

Marion will build an industrial plan capable of winning, including national and selective action and overtime bans. Marion will ensure that PCS takes the lead to coordinate with other unions on pay, jobs and against Tory anti-union laws. Marion will give your reps and branches the tools they need to do the job you elected them to do. Get involved: https://bln.org.uk/ Leaflet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Puuc3ZZ5L4cSGjyIqlxeqLGhgO9wbMYc/view?usp=sharing To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. Marion will be a speaker at the main Saturday night rally at Socialism 2023. At the event there will be around 40 workshops where you can ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, raise your own points, argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of people who want to change the world. The topics covered will include a discussion on ‘Building Marxism in the trade unions and workplaces' and ‘How can the anti-union Minimum Services legislation be defeated?' You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there's a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk Further reading Socialism Today October 2023 No.273 Drawing lessons from the strike wave The current strike wave, which erupted more than a year ago with national strike action by railworkers in the RMT union, marks the beginning of a new era in the class struggle in Britain. Rob Williams gives an overview of the strike action so far and draws vital lessons for the workers' movement for the battles to come, especially under, as looks likely, a future Starmer government. https://socialismtoday.org/drawing-lessons-from-the-strike-wave PCS: the real issues at stake The dispute within the left of Britain's largest civil service union raises key issues for the whole labour movement. Above all, the need for democratic, lay-member control of fighting trade unions. Hannah Sell and Rob Williams explain the background to the current situation. https://socialismtoday.org/archive/221/pcs.html

Capitalism and its political representatives are totally incapable of meeting any of the needs of working-class and poor people anywhere on the globe. All that is on offer is a never-ending diet of war, poverty, oppression and repression. Now the Israeli regime is on the verge of launching a brutal land offensive in Gaza, raising the possibility of war spilling over into a wider confrontation that could inflame the whole region, and adding to the multiple crises the capitalist system is already creating internationally. The Israeli regime's indiscriminate bombing and starving of 2.3 million people in Gaza, including 1 million children, of food, water, medicines and fuel – “a death sentence” according to the United Nations - has provoked mass protests around the world. This podcast, recorded on 23 October, goes behind the headlines to examine the processes that have brought us to this point – and to offer socialist ideas to build the anti-war movement to end the conflict and deliver peace, security and a decent future for the masses of the region. In this podcast we speak to Judy Beishon who is a member of the Socialist Party's executive committee and of the International Secretariat of the Committee for a Workers' International, which is the world socialist organisation to which the Socialist Party is affiliated. Get in touch To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk We also recommend checking out the CWI, with analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. The many workshops will include a discussion on ‘Gaza under siege: how can a Palestinian state be achieved?' Judy will be among the many speakers introducing workshops where you will also have a chance to ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, to raise your own points, to argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of people who want to change the world. You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there's a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk Further reading Socialism Today September 2023 No.272 Is a Palestinian state possible? This article was written in September on the 30th anniversary of the first Oslo accord – and before the eruption of the war. Judy Beishon discusses what conditions would be necessary for achieving an independent state The article will be posted here shortly, where you can find previous articles on the issue: https://socialismtoday.org And can be read here: https://www.socialistworld.net/2023/10/07/israel-palestine-30-years-since-the-oslo-accord-will-there-ever-be-a-palestinian-state/ Website of the Socialist Party for up-to-date articles: www.socialistparty.org.uk

In this podcast with Hannah Sell, Socialist Party general secretary, we look at the world economy, how the capitalist system works – or doesn't work - and draw conclusions for socialists. It is the first time that, across much of the world, a surge in inflation has coexisted with widespread financial vulnerabilities. The longer the inflation persists, the stronger and longer the required policy tightening, and hence the bigger the financial stability risks”. The central banks are walking a tightrope, with little room for manoeuvre. Hannah draws out how, whatever the immediate perspectives are for the world economy, there is no prospect of any new golden era of capitalist progress. That does not mean, however, that the Great Recession is going to be precisely replicated. On the contrary, the capitalists will face crises in the next period that are likely to be even more devastating for their system, both economically and politically. None of the factors which led to the 2007-08 recession have been overcome, while the ‘solutions' that were adopted to ameliorate its effects will not be possible in the same way next time. Hannah explains how the capitalist classes of the world have no way out of the intractable problems facing their system – economic, political, environmental. Halting climate change would clearly only be possible on a global basis, and yet under twenty-first century capitalism it is a tool for protectionism. Only planning, under the democratic control of the working class, will make it possible to develop production to a higher stage, organising it on a global basis to satisfy social needs and halt and reverse climate change, rather than being driven by the greed for profit. Replacing this rotten capitalist system with democratic socialist planning is the urgent task facing the working class worldwide. Get in touch To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk We also recommend checking out the CWI, with analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. Hannah will be a key note speaker at the Saturday night rally and will also be among the many speakers introducing workshops where you will also have a chance to ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, to raise your own points, to argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of socialist fighters at this weekend event – so it will be brilliant. Socialism 2023 takes place on 25 and 26 November in London. You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there's a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk Further reading Socialism Today September 2023 No.270 The end of Golden Eras The new lease of life that world capitalism experienced after the collapse of the Stalinist states of Russia and Eastern Europe from the late 1980s has definitively run its course. Whatever the immediate perspectives are for the world economy, argues HANNAH SELL, there is no prospect of any new golden era of capitalist progress. https://socialismtoday.org/the-end-of-golden-eras Socialism Today July/August 2023 No.269 China, Mao and the markets At a time of intensifying economic and geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, HANNAH SELL reviews a book that stresses the role of the Communist Party-controlled state in China's economy. https://socialismtoday.org/china-mao-and-the-markets

Fifty years since it was crushed, the Chilean revolution of 1970-73 remains a reference point, not only in Chile, but internationally, for both the working class and its organisations - and the capitalist classes. In Chile, in the wake of the 2019 mass movement, the legacy of the coup is again hotly contested. The defenders of capitalism feel compelled to go further than ever before in justifying the bloody repression of the workers' movement, insisting that, brutal as it was, it was necessary to “save” Chile from a “Marxist dictatorship”. In the English-speaking world too, many capitalist newspapers and magazines have devoted coverage to the anniversary, also repeating this line. This reflects the ruling classes' fear that in the crisis-ridden capitalism of the 2020s many Chiles potentially lie ahead. Therefore the burying of the real history of the Chilean revolution, and the justification of the horrors perpetrated against the heroic Chilean working class in the years after the coup, is an ideological front in today's class struggle. From the other side of the class barricades, the working class and radical youth, need to be armed with an understanding of the Chilean revolution, so that in the future, when the working class is again within reaching distance of a successful socialist revolution, it succeeds in conquering power and transforming society. Get in touch To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk We also recommend checking out the CWI, with analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that's www.socialistworld.net Further reading Socialism Today September 2023 No.270 Chile 1973: Heroism was not enough. This article was first published in the September 1998 edition of Socialism Today, issue No.31, TONY SAUNOIS, secretary of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI), explains how this tragedy unfolded and the lessons that persist today. https://socialismtoday.org/ NEW BOOK: Chile: The revolution - how and why it was crushed (pre-order) The CWI is publishing a new book to bring the lessons of the Chilean revolution, and its crushing, to the new generation of working class and young activists. Written by Tony Saunois, CWI secretary, from 1984 Tony spent a number of years working in the underground opposition to the Pinochet dictatorship within Chile. http://leftbooks.co.uk/Chile-The-revolution-how-and-why-it-was-crushed-pre-order Also available at Socialism 2023 Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. Tony will be among the many speakers introducing workshops where you will also have a chance to ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, to raise your own points, to argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of socialist fighters – so it will be brilliant. You will also be able to get your hands on copies of Tony's book. Socialism 2023 takes place on 25 and 26 November in London. You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there's a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk

We sat down with Socialist Party member Dave Nellist to discuss the latest Tory sleaze scandal, how he went about only taking a average worker's wage and how as a supporter of the Militant (now the Socialist Party) he used his position as a Labour MP to give a voice for working class people everywhere and fight for socialist change. Dave was a ‘Militant' Labour MP for Coventry South East 1983-92 before being explleed from the Labout Party in 1991 for refusing to pay the Poll Tax and was a Socialist Party Councillor in Coventry between 1998-2012. Currently Dave is the chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), which the Socialist Party is a part of alongside the RMT trade union and others. TUSC is preparing to stand candidates in the council elections in May against councillors - Labour, Tory or others - who continue to carry out austerity attacks on working-class communities. We invite trade unionists and community campaigners, who are prepared to pledge to oppose the council cuts, to stand with us as part of TUSC. We hope this can be a step towards building a new, mass working-class party to fight in our interests, not those of the bosses. Interested in finding out more or Joining the Socialists? Don't hesitate to get in touch. Its easy to get involved! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/join/ Tory sleaze scandal continues, an ex-workers' MP responds https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33346/17-11-2021/tory-sleaze-scandal-continues-an-ex-workers-mp-responds A political voice for the working class https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/16844/05-06-2013/1983-a-political-voice-for-the-working-class Terry Fields MP, Prisoner DV 3695 - The jailing of 'poll tax' rebel and Militant https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32785/07-07-2021/terry-fields-mp-prisoner-dv-3695-the-jailing-of-poll-tax-rebel-and-militant Terry Fields: A socialist voice that rocked Whitehall https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/6254/09-07-2008/terry-fields-a-socialist-voice-that-rocked-whitehall Join the Socialists! www.socialistparty.org.uk

November 5/6 in Glasgow saw some of the largest political mobilisations since the onslaught of the Covid pandemic. The catalyst was the bosses' summit, COP26, a forum to find ‘solutions' to limit global warming, but more importantly, to save the capitalist system. The first protest on the Friday saw a march of up to 20,000 strong – which was an overwhelmingly youthful demonstration organised by Fridays for Future, with a huge openness to the ideas that a systemic change to the profit-driven rottenness of capitalism is necessary. The Saturday demo, organised by the COP Coalition, was a larger demonstration of around 70,000 and not so youthful, but nevertheless the widespread lack of faith in COP to deliver a workable solution for the vast majority of humanity was clear to see. This episode is a recording of the post demo meeting organised by the Socialist Party's sister organisation - Socialist Party Scotland and the CWI. We hear from Matt Dobson from Socialist Party Scotland and Mark Best from the Socialist Party. After tens of thousands marched and walked out in Glasgow and across the world in response to the failure of the UN COP26 summit, many are discussing what next for the climate strike movement. The situation is critical. Major capitalist powers, despite all their rhetoric around the Glasgow Climate pact, are stepping up oil production and using reserves to combat an energy price hike. How is mass pressure going to be built to fight for the aspirations of the climate movement when the capitalists meet again in Egypt for COP27? The environmental crisis wrought by unchecked capitalist greed is just one of the clearest examples of how the that system offers no future for the vast majority of humanity. Workers and youth are increasingly drawing that conclusion. We would appeal to them to discuss with us, join us and fight for the socialist transformation of society. Growing support for socialist ideas at COP26 protests https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2021/11/08/growing-support-for-socialist-ideas-at-cop26-protests/ After COP26: where next for the climate movement? https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33401/01-12-2021/after-cop26-where-next-for-the-climate-movement COP26: Zero trust in capitalist class: Fight for socialism to end climate destruction https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33265/03-11-2021/fight-for-socialism-to-end-climate-destruction COP26 begins - workers strike for pay https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33276/03-11-2021/cop26-begins-workers-strike-for-pay

Cuban protests – what do they represent? On 11 July, Cuba was rocked by the largest protests to have taken place since the “Maleconazo” protests that erupted in 1994. The 1994 protests followed the collapse of the former USSR and the abrupt cutting off of aid to Cuba. It resulted in a staggering 30% decline in Cuban GDP and the introduction of what Fidel Castro dubbed at the time the “special period”. The protests in July 2021 undoubtedly have been trumpeted by imperialism yet they may represent a decisive change in the situation in Cuba. They may have shocked some on the left who have looked towards Cuba as an alternative to capitalism and standing up against the might of US imperialism. Many have looked to the impressive gains made in Cuba following the revolution in 1959/60 in health, education, literacy and other areas. The Socialist Party and CWI has consistently defended the conquests made by the revolution. At the same time, we have criticized the bureaucratic top-down methods of rule, and the absence of genuine workers' democracy and democratic workers' control and management of the nationalised economy. Unfortunately, most of the gains of the revolution have been eroded over the last thirty years. It is, therefore, necessary for socialists to accurately assess what is unfolding in Cuba and draw crucial lessons from it. What has sparked this latest crisis in the country? What's the nature of the forces involved in the protests and counter protests? Is there a threat of counter revolution? What would that mean for the Cuban working class and poor? What is the nature of the Cuban state that emerged for the 1959 revolution? What is the international relevance of developments in Cuba and the future of the Cuban revolution? What programme should socialists be fighting for in Cuba ? All articles we have produced on Cuba https://www.socialistworld.net/category/international/americas/cuba/ Cuban protests – what do they represent? https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/07/22/cuban-protests-what-do-they-represent/ Cuba: Covid-19 and the 60-year-old embargo https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/08/13/cuba-covid-19-and-the-60-year-old-embargo/ 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution https://www.socialistworld.net/2019/01/02/60th-anniversary-of-the-cuban-revolution/ Che Guevara 50 years on – revolutionary socialist and fighter https://www.socialistworld.net/2017/10/09/che-guevara-50-years-on-revolutionary-socialist-and-fighter/ Cuba: At a crossroads https://www.socialistworld.net/2015/09/12/cuba-at-a-crossroads/

Afghanistan in crisis: A colossal failure of western capitalism. After two decades of military occupation and trillions of dollars spent by western governments, millions of Afghans are now back to where they were in 2001 - under the brutal rule of the Taliban. Yet the capitalist politicians responsible for this tragic debacle - Messrs Tony Blair, George Bush, and others - continue to defend this colossal failure. And today's crop of establishment politicians, including Johnson and Starmer, also defend the western invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 2001. It's clear from the experience of working-class and poor people in Afghanistan, and indeed in many other countries, past and present, that capitalism cannot guarantee democratic rights or decent living standards. That requires ordinary working-class people uniting behind a socialist banner and fighting for fundamental change. We talk with Niall Mulholland from the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) about the situation in Afghanistan. What does it represent in terms of US and British influence internationally and in the region? After 20 years of bloodshed, how did the Taliban take back control so quickly? What and who are the Taliban and what does this mean now for the working class and poor in the region? What position do socialists take and what did socialists argue at the time of the invasion? What is the way forward for the working class and poor of the region? Further reading Afghanistan: The Taliban takeover - what are the lessons for the workers' movement internationally https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32926/25-08-2021/afghanistan-the-taliban-takeover-what-are-the-lessons-for-the-workers-movement-internationally Afghanistan in crisis: A colossal failure of western capitalism Fight for a socialist alternative https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32951/25-08-2021/afghanistan-in-crisis Editorial of the Socialist Afghanistan disaster - Unite to fight for funding for refugees and local communities https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32927/25-08-2021/afghanistan-disaster-unite-to-fight-for-funding-for-refugees-and-local-communities Historical reprint: The Russian defeat in Afghanistan http://socialismtoday.org/archive/61/repreint.html The Afghanistan disaster The limits of US power http://socialismtoday.org/archive/205/afghanistan.html The consequences of 9/11 A world turned upside down http://socialismtoday.org/archive/151/911.html Afghanistan aftermath http://socialismtoday.org/archive/65/Afghanistan.html Taliban, Islam and Oil http://socialismtoday.org/archive/59/taliban.html Check out all our articles on Afghanistan going back to 2001 here https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Afghanistan,all,180

The future of the NHS hangs in the balance. Nearly five million people are waiting for treatment. Covid has pushed our health services to the limit, but years of underfunding meant it was already in crisis before the pandemic. Waiting lists were already rising, as were the huge staff shortages. But rather than addressing these problems as a priority, the government is proposing more drastic reorganisation of the NHS. Thousands of NHS workers, in dozens of towns and cities, protested on Saturday 3 July against the Tories' insulting 1% pay offer. Just days later, on 5 July, it was announced that workers in the NHS will be awarded the George Cross medal. Not something that will pay the bills for the thousands of nurses who are forced to visit food banks. And then, the next day, the government presented its health and care bill in parliament, spelling out plans for further privatisation and even less democratic oversight of our NHS. Socialist Party members have been helping to organise numerous protests since. In this podcast we speak to a number of our members both before and after the 3rd of July about the struggle for a 15% pay rise and what the health and social are bill is trying to do to our NHS. Further reading here; Unite to fight Tory pay insults Build for strike action https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32850/28-07-2021/unite-to-fight-tory-pay-insults Public sector pay: NHS, teachers -Prepare for action! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32845/22-07-2021/public-sector-pay-prepare-for-action NHS: Kick out the privatisers - Fight for a 15% Pay rise https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32804/14-07-2021/kick-out-the-privatisers-fight-for-a-15-pay-rise Fight the health and care bill https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32732/30-06-2021/fight-the-health-and-care-bill Fight is on to save our NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs NHS after 3 July protests Trade unions must organise serious action https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32731/30-06-2021/nhs-after-3-july-protests-trade-unions-must-organise-serious-action Tories threaten to axe free prescriptions for older workers https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32808/14-07-2021/tories-threaten-to-axe-free-prescriptions-for-older-workers Scrap the privatising health and care bill For a publicly funded, democratically run, NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32807/14-07-2021/scrap-the-privatising-health-and-care-bill

Tories in crisis - Preparing for struggle in post-Covid Britain Far from an era of sustained economic upswing, social peace and a Tory ascendency opening up for post-Covid Britain, the prospects ahead are for heightened class conflict and turbulent political times. The last fifteen months have been unprecedented in the history of capitalism. In Britain a total failure to deal effectively with Covid in its early stages left the government struggling to cope with a developing health catastrophe, via belated and inadequate lockdowns, leading to the deepest economic recession in 300 years. As in other major economies, only levels of state aid unprecedented outside of wartime prevented worse disaster. The population has been through a deeply traumatic experience. Almost 130,000 have died of Covid, with many more suffering long term health problems. Over six million were claiming Universal Credit in May 2021. Eleven and a half million have been furloughed at some point, usually resulting in a 20% pay cut. Despite a formal ban on evictions, 130,000 families have lost their homes so far. Now, albeit with delays and reverses, Britain appears to be edging towards its post-pandemic future. What will that hold? We speak to Hannah Sell - General Secretary of the Socialist Party and Rob Williams - Industrial organiser for the Socialist Party Further reading here; Preparing for struggle in post-Covid Britain http://socialismtoday.org/preparing-for-struggle-in-post-covid-britain#more-628 For a fighting programme and a new left in Unite http://socialismtoday.org/for-a-fighting-programme-and-a-new-left-in-unite Batley & Spen by-election Another condemnation of Starmer's New Labour https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32764/05-07-2021/batley-amp-spen-byelection-another-condemnation-of-starmers-new-labour Chesham and Amersham by-election Urgent need to build alternative to pro-capitalist politicians https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32691/23-06-2021/chesham-and-amersham-by-election Fight is on to save our NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs Hopeless Hancock replaced https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32730/30-06-2021/hopeless-hancock-replaced Unite general secretary contest: Vote for Sharon Graham https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32690/23-06-2021/unite-general-secretary-contest-vote-for-sharon-graham

Retail has felt the full impact of the Covid pandemic but the resulting heightened struggle between different capitalist interests within the sector, and between big business and retail workers, reflects longer-term trends. During the pandemic, we saw shortages of basic goods during the first few weeks – what was this due to? There were lots of talk around food shortages due to how much food the UK imports, around the Brexit negotiations – what do socialists think should be done about this? As part of overcoming these shortages, the big supermarket companies started pooling some of their distribution networks – what does this say about the role of the market? Iain Dalton - chair of Usdaw Broad Left talks to Socialism Further reading http://socialismtoday.org/trouble-on-the-high-street https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/29523/04-09-2019/what-strategy-can-end-the-retail-jobs-massacre Website of Usdaw members in the CWI - usdawactivist.wordpress.com https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/25218/05-04-2017/what-would-a-socialist-food-industry-look-like https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31554/28-10-2020/food-and-a-capitalist-brexit-no-trust-in-tory-deals

6 May 2021 saw the election of a majority of MSPs to the Scottish parliament committed to a second referendum on Scottish independence. Is an independent Scotland now inevitable? How will Boris Johnson and the Tories respond? Should socialists and the workers' movement fight to lead the struggle for self-determination for Scotland? Philip Stott, national secretary, Socialist Party Scotland, speaks to Socialism the Podcast

What can the Palestinians in Palestine and Israel do to develop their struggle? What are the UN and governments around the world doing to try to get a ceasefire? And what about the methods of Palestinian struggle? Do the rockets fired from Gaza help the Palestinians’ struggle? And what about the working class in Israel? How possible is it for Israeli workers to remove warmongering political leaders? How can Palestinians achieve national and democratic rights? What is the socialist solution to the poverty and repression of Palestinians? Further reading For a socialist solution to poverty and repression of Palestinians: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32530/19-05-2021/stop-the-israeli-state-terror Conflict in Jerusalem widens across Israeli cities and to war on Gaza: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/05/13/conflict-in-jerusalem-widens-across-israeli-cities-and-to-war-on-gaza/ Socialists fight for Palestinian liberation and workers' unity: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/27320/09-05-2018/socialists-fight-for-palestinian-liberation-and-workers-unity

The Tories are claiming victory – but what is the perspective for Johnson and his party? The austerity they are planning for the working class and the lack of solutions that they have for all the problems we face will smash any hope-against-hopes there is that they will improve things. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is the electoral coalition in which the Socialist Party participates. Following Starmer’s reclaiming of the Labour Party for big business TUSC was back in action standing no-cuts and socialist candidates for this election. How did TUSC get on? Why does the working class need a political voice and how can it be built? This episode of Socialism looks at the 2021 elections in Britain and what they tell us about the crisis in Labour - and the key tasks facing the working class and the fight against the coming post-covid austerity. Further reading Hartlepool sums uo Labour crisis https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32480/09-05-2021/hartlepool-sums-up-labour-crisis Scotland: Pro-independence majority in highly polarised election https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32494/12-05-2021/scotland-pro-independence-majority-in-highly-polarised-election Welsh Labour holds on to government but new crises loom https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32493/12-05-2021/welsh-labour-holds-on-to-government-but-new-crises-loom TUSC is back https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32495/12-05-2021/tusc-is-back Is the Liverpool road still possible? http://socialismtoday.org/is-the-liverpool-road-still-possible

And what about beyond the US – how will this spending play out on the world stage? What does it mean when Biden says ‘America’s back’? Do these packages represent a new New Deal comparable to that of Roosevelt in the 1930s? What results did FDR’s version achieve? How should the left respond to this turnaround of approach? We ask what role does the left need to play in this era of political, economic, environmental and social crisis? This episode of Socialism looks at Biden’s massive stimulus package and discusses why it can’t solve the problems of US and world capitalism Further reading An era of capitalist turmoil – only socialism offers humankind a future: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/04/28/an-era-of-capitalist-turmoil-only-socialism-offers-humankind-a-future/ New start – new hope for peace: http://socialismtoday.org/new-start-new-hope-for-peace How green is Joe Biden: http://socialismtoday.org/global-warning-how-green-is-joe-biden New opportunities in Peru: http://socialismtoday.org/new-opportunities-in-peru

The withdrawal of the six football clubs in England from the Super League - after protests and action by fans, players and other club staff - will be rightly celebrated. That’s the start. What is necessary now to reclaim football? The billionaire owners who attempted to rob our clubs and game are still in charge. They cannot be trusted and must be removed, along with the rest of their big business mates and structures in football. This episode is a recording of the introduction at a national online meeting hosted by the Socialist Party. The speaker is John Reid, author of Reclaim the Game, a pamphlet that was first written in 1992 at the outset of the Premier League, currently on its 13th edition. This bonus episode of Socialism looks at the football super-league and how we can reclaim the game. Further reading Article - Super League defeated. Football: no trust in billionaire owners - kick them out and reclaim the game https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32411/21-04-2021/no-trust-in-billionaire-owners-kick-them-out-and-reclaim-the-game Article - Football abuse scandal: Reclaim the game for justice and democracy https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32287 Article - Football: Beware the billionaires bearing gifts https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31486 Pamphlet – Reclaim the Game? http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=45581862

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 23 April 2021 and by the time we’ve published it more revelations have emerged from the murk of Westminster. Johnson won the last general election by distancing himself from his own party - including Cameron - and ludicrously posing as some kind of champion of the 'little people' against the elites. But this scandal has the potential to wreck any last shreds of that illusion. What should the workers’ movement put forward given the failure of Starmer’s pro-capitalist Labour Party to offer any serious opposition to Johnson? Can workers and young people fight on the political plane given how rigged the system is? This episode of Socialism looks at the corruption and cronyism at the rotten heart of capitalist politics. Further reading Article - Editorial of the Socialist: Issue 1130 Corrupt politicians with snouts in the trough: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32390/21-04-2021/greensill-scandal-corruption-build-a-socialist-alternative Article from April 2014 - Ending MPs’ expenses scandal requires socialist change https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/18483/16-04-2014/ending-mps-expenses-scandal-requires-socialist-change Article - Tory sleaze is back! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/13292 Article – Is the Liverpool road still possible? http://socialismtoday.org/is-the-liverpool-road-still-possible

How can elected positions be used to advance the struggle of working class and young people against the bosses’ and the Tories’ Covid austerity? The Socialist Party is part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, organising to work with trade unionists and socialists to offer a programme that builds on Corbyn’s anti-austerity stand at the ballot box on 6 May. Liverpool offers rich lessons of how elected representatives, political organisations and trade unions can link up in struggle against Tory attacks. This episode of Socialism looks at the fight for a socialist mayor in Liverpool Further reading Articles - on the situation in Liverpool from the Socialist paper: https://www.google.com/search?q=liverpool%20mayor&sitesearch=socialistparty.org.uk Articles - Is the Liverpool road still possible? http://socialismtoday.org/ Podcast - Tony Mulhearn, Militant and the city that beat Thatcher: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/43-tony-mulhearn-militant-and-the-city-that-beat-thatcher Book - Liverpool – a city that dared to fight: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=6428725

111. PCS elections – the struggle for fighting trade unionism How can the trade unions, as the main mass organisation of the working class, be organised to fulfil their full potential in the fight against Tory covid austerity? In this episode we speak to Marion Lloyd, the socialist candidate for president of the PCS union which organises civil service and national government workers on privatised contracts. Marion is standing on the Broad Left Network list, See details here: https://pcsbln.wordpress.com/ Why do socialists fight for broad lefts in the unions? Why was it so important to fight the idea of ‘national unity’ put out by the Tories at the start of the pandemic? Why do trade unions also need political demands and a political arm to their workplace struggle? This episode of Socialism looks at the major issues confronting the working class – from the fight against Tory covid austerity, to defending the right to protest, to the fight against the oppression, injustice and inequality revealed even more ruthlessly by the pandemic – and the role of the trade unions. We look at the fight within the unions for the leadership required in order for the trade unions to play their potential role in these struggles. Further reading Article: Lessons of the 2011 pensions strike: when workers showed their power https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32247/24-03-2021/lessons-of-the-2011-pensions-strike-when-workers-showed-their-power Article: Preparing for the revolts to come https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32281/31-03-2021/preparing-for-the-revolts-to-come Article: The struggle needs an electoral arm http://socialismtoday.org/the-struggle-needs-an-electoral-arm Article: the future of the PCS debate http://socialismtoday.org/the-future-of-the-pcs-debate Article: The left unions and the Labour affiliation debate http://socialismtoday.org/the-left-unions-and-labour-affiliation-debate Article: Rebuilding fighting trade unionism http://socialismtoday.org/rebuilding-fighting-trade-unionism

The Paris Commune 1871 is rich in lessons for the struggles today. Listen to Peter Taaffe, Socialist Party political secretary, discussing the rich lessons for today. The Committee for a Workers’ International, the world socialist organisation to which the Socialist Party is affiliated, will host an online rally to celebrate the Paris Commune anniversary at 3pm on 28 March 2021. See: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/03/26/28-march-cwi-rally-broadcast-150th-anniversary-of-the-paris-commune/ The Paris Commune has been described as the working class storming heaven. Why did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels have such an interest in the events of 1871? What was the relevance of the Commune to the leaders of the Russian Revolution almost fifty years later in a different part of the world? And, what insight can the Commune of 1871 offer those battling the conditions of capitalism in crisis today? This episode of Socialism looks at the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune, rich in lessons for revolutionaries Further reading New article: When the working class 'stormed heaven' https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32236/24-03-2021/150th-anniversary-of-the-paris-commune Historical article: Lessons of the Commune by V.I. Lenin https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/03/27/lessons-of-the-commune-by-v-i-lenin/ Article from our sister party in France: The first proletarian revolution – 150 years of the Paris Commune https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/03/26/the-first-proletarian-revolution-150-years-of-the-paris-commune/ Book: The Masses Arise: The Great French Revolution 1789-1815 http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=2017204

What is the socialist approach to ending both violence against women and defending the right to protest? This bonus episode is a recording of the introduction to a national meeting hosted by the Socialist Party on Friday 19 March, attended by around 150 people. What are the factors that made the murder of Sarah Everard the trigger for the protests? Why are the police incapable of delivering justice and safety for women? How can we defend the right to protest? How can the sexist ideas in society be challenged? This bonus episode of Socialism looks at the questions thrown up by the protests following Sarah Everard’s murder and the mass defiance of the ban on vigils – how can we end violence against women and defend the right to protest? Further reading and listening Article: Stop police brutality. Justice for victims of gender violence https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32176/16-03-2021/justice-for-victims-of-gender-violence Article: Defend the right to protest https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32172/13-03-2021/oppose-bans-on-vigils-defend-the-right-to-protest Article: Spying on socialism http://socialismtoday.org/spying-on-socialism Article: In defence of socialist feminism http://socialismtoday.org/archive/224/feminism.html Article: Women: justice denied http://socialismtoday.org/women-justice-denied Pamphlet: A fighting programme for women's rights and socialism https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32122/03-03-2021/a-fighting-programme-for-womens-rights-and-socialism Report: Unite the Union opposes all cuts to domestic violence services https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30613/14-04-2020/unite-opposes-all-cuts-to-domestic-violence-services

What does this mean for the independence movement in Scotland? How can workers and young people, who overwhelmingly back independence, take their struggle forward? The Socialist Party Scotland is the sister party of the Socialist Party in England and Wales. This episode of Socialism looks at the feud within the SNP and what it means for the independence movement in Scotland. Further reading and listening Recent article: SNP’s indyref2 ‘roadmap’ no substitute for a mass movement and socialist policies: https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2021/01/25/snps-indyref2-roadmap-no-substitute-for-a-mass-movement-and-socialist-policies/ Recent article: Salmond/Sturgeon warfare exposes rottenness of nationalist leadership: https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2021/03/04/salmond-sturgeon-warfare-exposes-rotten-underbelly-of-nationalist-leadership/ New book: Scotland and the National Question – A Marxist Approach: https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2020/12/03/new-book-available-now-scotland-and-the-national-question-a-marxist-approach/ Podcast: Socialism 49. Scotland and the election: independence and socialism: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/49-scotland-and-the-election-independence-and-socialism Podcast: Socialism 80. Trotsky and the ‘national question’: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/80-trotsky-and-the-national-question

What can we learn from the defeat of the Industrial Relations Act 1971? Capitalist commentators often refer to the 1970s as a kind of dark age, and accuse socialists of wanting to return to it. What they’re frightened of is the huge power of a working class that fought and often won during that decade. One major victory was the defeat of the Tories’ 1971 Industrial Relations Act, an attempt to smash the power of shopfloor union reps. Unofficial strikes and mass resistance made the act unenforceable. Why did workers have such power in the 1970s? Can that be replicated? What was behind the bosses’ attacks on their wages and conditions? And can the anti-union laws that shackle workers today be overcome? This episode of Socialism looks at the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Industrial Relations Act: how workers beat anti-union laws. Further reading How militant trade unionism defeated the 1971 Industrial Relations Act: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32086/24-02-2021/how-militant-trade-unionism-defeated-the-1971-industrial-relations-act On The Track: an account of trade union struggles at British Leyland: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=31445290 Workers' Control & Workers' Management: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=42068461 How to fight the anti-union laws (2015): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/20994/01-07-2015/how-to-fight-the-anti-union-laws

How can we fight racism and capitalism today? Black and Asian people have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, they are disproportionately affected by austerity, and by all the inequalities and attacks that face the working class. Meanwhile, working-class youth showed their willingness to fight racism and class inequality in the magnificent Black Lives Matter protests last summer. So what are the next steps for the movement against racism? The Socialist Party has produced a new charter proposing some key demands in this fight. This episode of Socialism looks at the struggle against racism: a black workers’ charter. Further reading and listening Socialism 72. You can't have capitalism without racism: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/72-you-cant-have-capitalism-without-racism Black Workers' Charter: A programme to fight racism: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32013/10-02-2021/black-workers-charter-a-programme-to-fight-racism Black and Asian Covid-19 deaths: an indictment of capitalist inequality: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30804/22-05-2020/black-and-asian-covid-19-deaths-an-indictment-of-capitalist-inequality

What next for the mass protests in Russia? Facing down brutal police repression, tens of thousands seized the streets in Russia to oppose the arrest of opposition leader Alexi Navalny. Vladimir Putin's dictatorial regime was shaken. While working-class Russians suffer ever more misery, Putin has built himself an opulent private palace. The anger against him is enormous. But although Navalny has exposed the kleptocracy's massive corruption, his vision is limited to a more democratic capitalism. Workers should have greater democratic rights. But would this alone solve their problems? Is it even achievable with capitalism in crisis? And what sort of programme and organisation does Russia's working class need to end both dictatorship and poverty? This episode of Socialism, taken from a broadcast by the Committee for a Workers' International on 11 February 2021, looks at the Russia protests: what future for Putin's regime? Further reading Heavy state repression fails to stop second wave of protests in Russia: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/02/01/heavy-state-repression-fails-to-stop-second-wave-of-protests-in-russia/ Mass anti-Putin protests sweep across cities and towns: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/01/25/russia-mass-anti-putin-protests-sweep-across-cities-and-towns/ Russia: Week-long vote, full of falsification: https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/07/13/russia-week-long-vote-full-of-falsification/

How can the National Education Union win for school workers? During the pandemic, educators and support staff have been on the front line of the Tories’ war for private wealth over public health. Schools became key breeding grounds for Covid-19. Then, in January, the NEU forced a humiliating government U-turn on school reopening. What are the lessons from that victory, and what are the next steps to achieve safety? How can teachers reduce their staggering workload? Is there an alternative to Britain’s ‘exam factory’ education system? What is the way to reverse devastating cuts and privatisation? Socialist Party member Martin Powell-Davies is standing for deputy general secretary of the NEU. Socialist Party members and other fighters are standing for the union’s ruling national executive committee too. How can school workers achieve a genuinely democratic union, where they are listened to, not talked at? And who stands for the serious strategy of industrial action necessary to change good union policies into real wins for members? This episode of Socialism looks at the National Education Union elections: school workers need a fighting union. Further reading Martin Powell-Davies for NEU deputy general secretary: https://martin4dgs.co.uk/ Socialist Party in Education: https://spined.co.uk/ Martin Powell-Davies for NEU DGS: "We need to use our collective strength": https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31920/27-01-2021/martin-powell-davies-for-neu-dgs-we-need-to-use-our-collective-strength The NEU's 'big announcement' - lessons need to be learned: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31977/03-02-2021/the-neus-big-announcement-lessons-need-to-be-learned Schools: 'We have to fight for everything': https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31921/27-01-2021/schools-we-have-to-fight-for-everything Workers' action wins Tory U-turn on school safety: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31788/06-01-2021/workers-action-wins-tory-u-turn-on-school-safety

What are the 2011 Arab Spring’s lessons for now? Ten years ago, revolutions erupted in Egypt and Tunisia, and rapidly spread in the Middle East and North Africa. Workers and poor people enraged by their living conditions toppled dictators. World capitalist governments were taken by surprise. Why did Marxists in the Committee for a Workers’ International foresee that uprisings were coming? What was the outcome of the Arab Spring movements? Why did some go further than others, and why have none achieved the full aims of protesters? What is the significance of revolutions in the region since? And what is needed for the further upheavals which are already brewing to finish the job? This episode of Socialism looks at the tenth anniversary of the Arab Spring: lessons for today. Further reading Ten years since the 'Arab Spring': https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31923/27-01-2021/ten-years-since-the-arab-spring Egypt: The road to the 2011 revolution: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/01/25/egypt-the-road-to-the-2011-revolution/ Tunisia: explosion of protests against government austerity (2018): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/26747/17-01-2018/tunisia-explosion-of-protests-against-government-austerity Iran: strike wave marks new stage in revival of workers' movement (2020): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31329/09-09-2020/strike-wave-marks-new-stage-in-revival-of-iranian-workers-movement Lebanon: mass protests cut across sectarian division (2020): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30278/12-02-2020/lebanon-mass-protests-cut-across-sectarian-division

How should socialists respond to the dramatic crisis in the US? On Wednesday 6 January 2021, Trump supporters - some armed - invaded Congress. It was the culmination of the loose-cannon president’s desperate attempts to overturn the election result. But the US capitalist class is used to inflicting humiliations like this on the rest of the world – not losing control at home. Was this action just a protest-turned-riot, or did it represent some kind of attempted coup? Are Trump and his movement ‘fascists’, or is the real picture more varied and chaotic? The opposite attitudes of Capitol Hill police officers and US military chiefs show the splits in the US state machine. The big divide between Trump’s supporters and other Republicans shows splits are developing there too. So can incoming Democrat Joe Biden fundamentally change the fortunes of US capitalism, or the conditions of the mass of the population? Is it right to support social media bans, new anti-terror laws, and the Democratic Party? Or could that actually help Trump and hinder working-class struggles? Clearly the events of 6 January were a watershed. What do workers and young people in the US need in order to put their own stamp on events? This episode of Socialism looks at the United States in crisis: the storming of the capital. Further reading and listening CWI analysis of the US post-election crisis: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31867/20-01-2021/usa-in-crisis-the-need-for-a-socialist-alternative US socialists respond to 6 January attacks: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31834/13-01-2021/how-should-socialists-respond-to-the-6-january-attacks-on-capitol-hill CWI statement immediately following 6 January events: https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/01/07/us-in-crisis-need-for-a-mass-workers-party-and-socialist-programme/ Trump Twitter ban: only independent workers' voice can defeat right: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31884/20-01-2021/trump-twitter-ban-only-independent-workers-voice-can-defeat-right US imperialism in decline: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/99-2020-highlights-us-imperialism-in-decline

What is the outlook for class struggle in Britain in 2021? The pandemic was a world-shattering turning point. All the weaknesses of capitalism were laid bare in 2020. But in few countries more so than Britain. The nightmare which began in 2020 has not been limited to public health, but has infected the already-ailing world economy – with British capitalism the worst hit of all the major capitalist powers. Working-class and young people have already suffered hugely as the bosses try to pass on the pain. The bare-bones Brexit deal will only make things worse for Britain’s capitalist rulers. Boris Johnson’s Tory government has been completely exposed for its incompetence and craven defence of profit over lives. But Keir Starmer’s Labour offers no opposition whatsoever. Britain’s working class has no political voice – and desperately needs to build for a new, independent, mass workers’ party. Already this year, the trade unions have overturned the government by forcing part-closure of schools. And young people showed they are ready to explode in protest in last year's Black Lives Matter movement. British capitalism is not well. Meanwhile, Britain’s working class is angry – but lacks political organisation and leadership. This episode of Socialism look at Britain in 2021: a new era of capitalist crisis. Further reading 2020 - a year which drove home the catastrophic failures of capitalism: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31784/30-12-2020/2020-a-year-which-drove-home-the-catastrophic-failures-of-capitalism Global capitalism at most dangerous conjuncture since the 1930s: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31825/13-01-2021/global-capitalism-at-most-dangerous-conjuncture-since-the-1930s Workers' action wins Tory U-turn on school safety: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31788/06-01-2021/workers-action-wins-tory-u-turn-on-school-safety Universities: refund the rent, cancel the fees, for fully funded, publicly owned education: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31792/06-01-2021/universities-refund-the-rent-cancel-the-fees-for-fully-funded-publicly-owned-education

What do young people need today - and how can they fight for it? Last summer, massive, young, working-class protests exploded around the world after the murder of George Floyd, and other appalling incidents of racism and police violence. But it's not just these issues that angered young people. In the US, Britain and around the world, the youth are suffering appalling conditions, and a future of crisis and uncertainty. But young people have also fought. In electoral movements - through support for figures like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders. And on the streets - in the global climate strikes, and last year’s huge, young and working-class uprisings under the slogan of ‘Black Lives Matter’. Even before the pandemic, wages were low, jobs insecure, housing and education unaffordable - and tomorrow promised nothing but economic and social turmoil, and even climate catastrophe. In 2020, the pandemic multiplied all these problems, as the capitalists and their politicians dumped the burden disproportionately on the working class and youth. Young people on the streets were angry about racism, but they were also angry about all of it. How can young people fight to change things? And what would a socialist programme offer young people in that struggle? This episode of Socialism, one of our highlights of 2020, looks at how young people can fight back: a socialist youth charter. Further reading and listening Refund the rent, cancel the fees, and fight for fully-funded, publicly owned education: https://socialiststudents.org.uk/2021/01/05/refund-the-rent-cancel-the-fees-and-fight-for-fully-funded-publicly-owned-education/ Socialism 91. Universities in crisis: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/91-universities-in-crisis A socialist charter for young people: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/txt/555.pdf

The crisis-ridden US has two options: socialism or barbarism. In the run-up to last year’s election, the United States was faced with a litany of crises. This episode was recorded during the run-up - but Biden’s election changes little. Like many capitalist economies, the US had to partly suspend production in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The state was forced to inject trillions of dollars into the economy to keep the capitalist system going. The capitalists were facing these crises with an unreliable representative at the helm: Donald Trump. But they were breathing a bit easier once Bernie Sanders, who came to prominence with his promise of a “political revolution” against the “billionaire class,” endorsed a more reliable representative of big business interests in the form of the Democrat Joe Biden. Biden narrowly defeated Trump. But the problems faced by “Sleepy Joe’s” administration have no solution on the basis of the capitalist system that both he and Trump defend. Huge anger is growing. Class polarisation sharpens as the divisions between bosses and workers are exposed. Armed demonstrations ratchet up the tensions. Capitalism is threatening to plunge millions more into poverty, on a scale not seen since the Great Depression. This episode of Socialism, one of our highlights of 2020, looks at US imperialism in decline: coronavirus, Trump, Sanders and socialism. Further reading Trump out but not down: http://socialismtoday.org/trump-out-but-not-down Lesser evil Democrats won’t end Trumpism: http://socialismtoday.org/lesser-evil-democrats-wont-end-trumpism Revolution or reaction: http://socialismtoday.org/revolution-or-reaction Global covid-19 pandemic, capitalist crisis and bitter class polarisation in the United States: https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/04/21/global-covid-19-pandemic-capitalist-crisis-and-bitter-class-polarisation-in-the-united-states/

80 years on from Trotsky’s assassination: can they kill his ideas? Lev Davidovich Bronstein, better known as Leon Trotsky, was murdered on 21 August 1940. What was Stalin so afraid of? And why do capitalist commentators still try to bury Trotsky’s ideas today? Earlier this year, the Committee for a Workers’ International published a new book, and Socialism produced a special podcast series, for the 80th anniversary of the revolutionary leader’s assassination. The book is called ‘Leon Trotsky - A Revolutionary Whose Ideas Couldn’t Be Killed’, and you can buy it at leftbooks.co.uk. The podcast series is called ‘Trotsky and Trotskyism’, this episode was its first instalment, and you can find a playlist with all 11 episodes at our SoundCloud page, soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast. What was Trotsky’s role in Russia’s revolutions? What is the theory of ‘permanent revolution’? How did Stalinism betray it? What were Trotsky’s ideas for defeating Stalinism and fascism? And what can workers and socialists today learn from it all? This episode of Socialism, one of our highlights of 2020, introduces the co-leader of the Russian revolution: Trotsky’s revolutionary ideas. Further reading 80th anniversary of Leon Trotsky's assassination: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/31220/19-08-2020/80th-anniversary-of-leon-trotskys-assassination Leon Trotsky - A Revolutionary Whose Ideas Couldn't Be Killed: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=49798530 Leon Trotsky: A revolutionary's life: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/15106/29-08-2012/leon-trotsky-a-revolutionarys-life My Life: An Attempt at an Autobiography (Trotsky): http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/950002679/Products/TROT0025

How did Britain's working class fight to overthrow early capitalism? In the early 19th century, the industrial revolution was rapidly creating a big new social class in Britain: the working class. Workers produced huge amounts of new wealth for the ruling capitalists, but had appalling conditions and no say in politics. Sound familiar? Trade unions appeared for the first time, formed by workers to fight in the workplace. But they quickly realised that this alone was not enough. The bosses used political power to restrain or reverse what the workers could win by industrial struggle alone. The Chartist movement was the world’s first working-class party. Its ‘People’s Charter’ demanded a massive extension of democratic rights for workers – with the goal of using that to improve their material conditions. But increasingly, experience taught Chartist workers that petitioning alone was not enough either. Ultimately, revolutionary struggle was the only way for workers to gain power – or even win more rights within the capitalist system. How did the Chartists develop their ideas and methods of struggle? What was the outcome of the movement? And what can we learn from it today? This episode of Socialism looks at Britain’s revolutionary working class: Chartism. Further reading Newport Rising 1839: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/8303 Class struggle and the early Chartist movement: http://socialismtoday.org/archive/129/chartism.html Debate: The class character of Chartism: http://socialismtoday.org/archive/130/chartism.html Debate: Class, leadership and the Chartist movement: http://socialismtoday.org/archive/131/chartism.html Newport council destroys workers' mural: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/17541 The Pentrich uprising: revolution and counter-revolution in 19th century Britain: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/25680

What are the roots of women’s oppression? Thousands of years ago, early human societies lived without economic classes or gender oppression. Life was basic, precarious and sometimes brutal. But all contributed what they could to producing the necessities of life, and men and women had an equal say and social status. How did humans move from this to ways of organising society which are more advanced – but where a small, pampered minority exploits the hard work and suffering of the majority? How is this connected to women being treated as second-class citizens or commodities? And how does capitalism benefit from it? Friedrich Engels investigated these questions in 1884. Can patriarchy be analysed and overcome separately from the struggle against the economic ruling class? And what is necessary to end women’s oppression – both by material privations and by backwards social attitudes – once and for all? This episode of Socialism, part of a short series on Engels, looks at Marxism and women’s liberation: The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State. Further reading International Women's Day 2020: Fighting sexism and austerity: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30362/04-03-2020/international-womens-day-fighting-sexism-and-austerity It Doesn't Have to be Like This: Women and the Struggle for Socialism: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=2017207 The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Engels): https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1884/origin-family/index.htm What Lies Behind... The Oppression of Women: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/24780 Engels and women’s liberation: http://socialismtoday.org/archive/181/engels.html

How did Engels explain the scientific approach to socialism? Today, there are socialists who argue that rational arguments, or moral appeals, or new technologies, or localised socialistic community projects, can defeat capitalism. These ideas are not new. Unfortunately, they have all been disproven in theory and practice. These well-meaning approaches express the yearning of billions for fundamental social change. But they are utopian: they do not take a scientific approach to examining how society works – and therefore, what is needed to change it. Friedrich Engels came up against similar misleading ideas. His 1877 work Anti-Dühring explained why ‘scientific socialism’ – the original name for Marxism – showed the real way forward. In 1880, Engels reworked key chapters to produce his brilliant explanatory pamphlet ‘Socialism: Utopian and Scientific’. How did early socialist ideas evolve? What is ‘dialectics’ – the science of change – and how did Marxism put in onto the ‘materialist’ basis of the physical sciences? And how does this approach apply to understanding the development of capitalism – and the struggle for socialism? This episode of Socialism, part of a short series on Engels, is a re-run of one of our most popular episodes from 2019 - Socialism: Utopian and Scientific. Further reading Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (Engels): http://leftbooks.co.uk/Socialism-Utopian-and-Scientific-1 Socialism: Utopian and Scientific discussion questions and resources: http://www.socialistbooks.co.uk/socialism-utopian-and-scientific-resources/ The renewed relevance of Socialism: Utopian and Scientific: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/28107/17-10-2018/the-renewed-relevance-of-engels-classic-socialism-utopian-and-scientific The ABC of Materialist Dialectics (Trotsky): https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1939/12/abc.htm The Masses Arise: The Great French Revolution 1789-1815: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=2017204 Value, Price and Profit (Marx): http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/950002679/Products/MARX0004