The Tory Kickstart scheme is a joke. We need a real plan to beat youth unemployment
The Tories’ flagship ‘Kickstart’ scheme isn’t a subject that has received a great deal of coverage either in the monopoly media or in the labour movement since it was launched as part of the Summer Budget in 2020. This lack of coverage and awareness might be surprising given that it is being touted as the Tories silver bullet to spiralling youth unemployment resulting from the pandemic. In fact, it is really their only significant policy in terms of youth unemployment. But there is a good reason you probably haven’t heard much about it since the scheme was launched. Despite all the government spin, it has been a complete failure.
High Court finds Matt Hancock acted unlawfully over COVID contracts
A High Court judge has ruled this week (19 February 2021) that Matt Hancock’s failure to publish details of contracts related to the COVID-19 pandemic response within 30 days was unlawful, breaching the “vital function” of transparency over how billions of taxpayers’ money was spent. The case was brought forward by the Good Law Project, an organisation that is in the process of many legal challenges against the government’s procurement of services during the pandemic, including PPE contracts.
Trump hysteria ends in anti-climax
Under Biden, as before, we need the broadest possible class-conscious coalition against the capitalist machine that intends to march the US and the world into more war and poverty — singling out Trump as a ‘fascist’ aberration only hinders that task, writes Nick Wright.
Madagascar: a nation of hunger
One third of people in Southern Madagascar will struggle to feed themselves over the next few months. Until the next harvest in April 2021, 1.35 million people will be “food insecure” – almost double those in need last year – and 282,000 of them are considered “emergency” cases. Pervasive food insecurity in Madagascar is the result of a variety of factors.
Progressives look on catiously as Ecuador’s election process stalls
Ecuador is close to breaking free from the authoritarian rule of Lenin Moreno and the IMF as polls predict Andres Arauz will win the country’s presidential run-off on April 11th.
Poetry Corner: The Men by Pablo Neruda
The Men by Pablo Neruda, translation by Alfred Yankauer
Pablo Neruda was a prominent Chilean Communist, as well as a Nobel prize-winning poet in both literature and peace. Neruda played key roles in two Chilean governments and experienced the outlawing of Communism in 1948 and later became a close adviser to the Socialist President Salvador Allende only to die in hospital of cancer at the time of Pinochet’s US-backed coup. Better known nowadays only for his poetry, he was a hugely popular poet in Chile at the time and remains popular throughout the world today.
Communist conduct, the broad movement and Fidel, 60 years later
Almost 60 years ago, on 16, 23 and 30 June, 1961 Fidel Castro and other top leaders of the new revolutionary socialist Government of Cuba met with Cuban artists and intellectuals to have a frank exchange of concerns and ideas.
Uber drivers are workers says UK Supreme Court
A Supreme Court ruling today has unanimously voted to ensure Uber must classify its drivers as workers rather than self-employed. The decision marks the end of a long-standing legal challenge and will mean tens of thousands of Uber drivers will be entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay. The final details of compensation remain unclear, however, this ruling represents a massive win for workers in the gig economy, many of whom have been hit hard throughout the ongoing pandemic.
Arrest of Pablo Hasél leads to clashes in Spain
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Spanish cities, demanding the release of Communist and anti-fascist rapper Pablo Hasél. Yesterday (16 February 2021), Hasél was arrested after having locked himself with another activist inside the University of Lleida. There have been multiple demos in cities around Spain, with Barcelona being the largest.
Mass protests continue in Myanmar amid coup
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Burma’s cities in anti-coup demonstrations over the weekend (14 February 2021), after a fearful night that saw residents form patrols and the army roll back laws protecting freedoms. The military rulers have shut down the country’s internet as thousands of people joined the largest protests yet against the coup. A near-total internet blackout is in effect with connectivity falling to 16% of ordinary levels, according to the monitoring group NetBlocks Internet Observatory.
