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.
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.
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.
Poetry Corner: Midnight by Mourid Barghouti
Yesterday it was announced that the Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti had passed away. Today we feature an extract from his poem ‘Midnight’ about the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
A ‘new Party’? The definition of insanity
The Labour Party, the parliamentary front of the labour movement, is officially under a ‘new leadership’. Since Starmer assumed leadership in April 2020, he has relentlessly sought to sweep away Corbyn’s legacy.
Good Citizens: Turkish Youth and the Fight for Liberty
The crackdown on academic liberties has been a continuous policy of Turkey’s ruling party AKP. The latest student protests in Istanbul represent an unceasing fight of Turkish youth against the oppressive regime.
Leeds v Crystal Palace
A bit of a different look to a gameweek ending feature match this time as a Leeds United team on a hot streak hosted Crystal Palace at Elland Road. Leeds, who were looking to make it three wins in four, had a chance to break into the top ten if they managed to bag the three points against a Palace team that had won their last two.
Neoliberal authoritarianism in Egypt
The whiplash of authoritarianism is being ruthlessly used in Egypt. On January 6, 2021, Ahmed Khalifa, social news editor of Egypt 360 website, was arrested after publishing a series of reports on workers’ legitimate protests. He was falsely charged with joining a terrorist group and spreading fake news, and remains in detention to date. Before his arrest, Khalifa published articles about strikes at the state-owned ElDelta Company for Fertilizers and Chemical Industry.
Brady breaks records at Super Bowl LV
Tom Brady has guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a victory that has shattered multiple NFL records in the early hours of Sunday morning in the culmination of America’s biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl. With his seventh ring, Brady has racked up seven Super Bowl wins which is more than any NFL team and has solidified his position as the single greatest dynasty in American Football history.
