Britain

The corporations and political elites that have been steering free-trade deals for many years are finding they are losing control. Strong public resistance and opposition from national and regional governments in Europe are throwing the controversial TTIP and CETA trade deals off track.

According to OECD data, in the UK, the average income of the richest 10% is almost 10 times higher than the income of the poorest 10%. Especially during the years 2005-2011 the gap has widened. The level of income inequality in the UK has been well above the OECD average. Although the UK economy managed to create jobs since the recession, productivity

“We are moving into an era that is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, as the cold war”, warned not some pacifist, but the ex-head of British MI6 Sawers himself, adding that “we are not treating Russia and China as major powers that can cause us a great deal of damage. What we really need to do is try to avoid the road which leads to a direct confrontation”.

There is a growing demand from government politicians for a no-fly zone in Syria. Those calling for it, led by Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, and echoed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, are either culpably naive or more likely unconcerned about taking Britain into direct conflict not just with the Syrian military but with the Russians too.

By Robert Stevens Britain’s ruling elite are making advanced preparations towards a major escalation of military operations in Syria. Parliament met in an emergency three-hour session...

Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election to the leadership of the Labour Party on an increased vote is a significant victory for the left in the Labour Party and for progressive politics in Britain. It is a victory that everyone on the left celebrates. It demonstrates the strength of support that exists for changing the politics of the Labour Party: for shifting the balance of power within our society, away from the political and economic elites towards the majority, to empower and enfranchise the working class and communities hardest hit by the long run attacks upon the welfare state.

The western financial crisis of 2007-8 was the worst since 1931, yet its immediate repercussions were surprisingly modest. The crisis challenged the foundation stones of the long-dominant neoliberal ideology but it seemed to emerge largely unscathed. The banks were bailed out; hardly any bankers on either side of the Atlantic were prosecuted for their

Jeremy Corbyn’s victory has unleashed a new dynamic in Britain’s Labour Party but, as pointed out in Defend Democracy Press’s lead article of 24th September, “the idea that the right wing are going to roll over and accept this leftward shift is fantasy.” The split is not just one between “right” and “left”. It is a split between the Labour Party in

CORPORATION tax could be hiked above its current 20 per cent rate under Labour plans to help abolish tuition fees, Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday. The Labour leader promised to reverse the planned cuts to the levy, which are due to fall to 17 per cent by 2020, and indicated that it could actually rise even further.

Ecstatic screams and cheers broke out across the country as the news came through that Jeremy Corbyn has again won a decisive victory to become Labour leader, with an even bigger mandate than last September. 313,209 members voted for him, 61.8% of the vote, compared to 59.5% last year. His challenger