Brian Parkin
Naming of parts 2020
Poem by Brian Parkin, based on an original by Harry Reed. Illustration by Mark Winter.
Overdue! A just transition for Scotland
As convergent crises confront the North Sea oil and gas industry with its rapid demise, the need for a just transition for Scottish workers is more urgent than ever.
British Steel: workers’ rights disregarded
The return of a Tory MP from Redcar, whose steel plant closed in 2017, is a symptom of a feeling of abandonment in many former industrial communities. Brian Parkin looks at the prospect for resistance in what remains of the British steel industry
revolutionary reflections | Portugal’s revolution portrayed
Raquel Varela’s new history of the Portuguese revolution is essential reading for revolutionary socialists, argues Brian Parkin.
revolutionary reflections | Endgames of US petro-imperialism?
Brian Parkin explains some of the contradictions of the energy markets and the process of US imperial decline in an era of climate catastrophe
Harland and Wolff: occupying for nationalisation, jobs and the climate
Workers at Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard are fighting to save their jobs and demanding nationalisation as the employer goes into administration.
Review: The Order of the Day
The unfolding catastrophe of the 1930s is illuminated in new ways in a disconcerting new book by Éric Vuillard, writes Brian Parkin.
Scunthorpe steel: murder by market manipulation
The closure of the Scunthorpe steel-works is likely to spell disaster for the community. Following our earlier analysis of the state of the British steel industry, here we consider the social costs of cynical mismanagement.
Review: Capitalism and Theory
A collection of the writings of Mike Kidron casts light on the heterodox Marxist economist and the revolutionary socialist organisation he once belonged to, writes Brian Parkin.
Obituary: Jean Dorothy Parkin, 1921-2018
Brian Parkin looks back at the life of his mother, Jean Dorothy Parkin, who passed away on 14th November.
Latest articles
‘Justice for Belly! Justice for George!’
Mass protests have returned to British streets, calling for justice for George Floyd and Belly Mujinga, and an end to systemic racism and police violence.
50 years after the Equal Pay Act
Money can’t buy you love – but it does pay the bills. Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act, women are still fighting for equal pay. What lessons we can now learn from the Covid-19 pandemic?
Johnson’s 1 June plans in tatters – how do we build our strength?
Rob Owen argues that the NEU has won a convincing, but not complete, victory over the government and addresses how we develop workplace organisation in the coming weeks.
Government shuts door on child refugees
Amid the coronavirus chaos, the UK government is quietly shutting the door on child refugees.
Beijing gambles on Hong Kong’s future
Beijing’s attempt to impose the ‘National Security Law’ on Hong Kong is being met with fierce resistance. Unity with workers on the mainland and international solidarity will be key.
The pandemic lays bare a government out of its depth
How did Boris Johnson's government so quickly lose its grip?
Trans rights and ‘gender ideology’ in Hungary
The Hungarian parliament has passed new legislation that will eradicate any recognition of transgender people. Hanna Gál situates the new developments in the context of the far-right ruling parties’ hostility to ‘gender ideology’ and argues for a trans-inclusive feminist fightback.
Educators meet the challenge
Education workers have shown creativity and determination in embracing virtual organising methods to strengthen their opposition to the government's wider reopening of schools.
Resisting the onslaught on higher education
We need a national campaign to confront the attacks on higher education workers precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lockdown or meltdown?
There’s no need for confusion about when and how to relax social distancing. But more pressure from below will be needed to stop the government from putting our lives at risk.
Highlights
Rent strike in the Covid conjuncture?
As the knock-on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic make it impossible for many workers to pay rent while meeting their own basic needs, Allan Struthers examines the prospects for large-scale rent strikes in Britain
Debt in a time of coronavirus
Video: How has coronavirus boosted household debt, the impact on working-class people and on the capitalist economy, and the possibilities for campaigning and resistance?
Obituary: Neil Davidson, 1957–2020
Neil Davidson, who died on 3 May 2020, was a socialist militant and the foremost Scottish intellectual of his generation. Obituary by Raymond Morrell.
Obituary: Pete Gillard, 1949–2020
Pete Gillard, who died on 21 April 2020, was a life-long revolutionary socialist, campaigner and trade union activist. Obituary by Charlie Hore.
revolutionary reflections | Marxism and childhood
Estelle Cooch traces the contradictory history of childhood under capitalism. How do we defend childhood and fight for a world where play and creativity are not limited to children?