The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
Latest editorial
‘Poetical Essay on the Existing State of Things’
Socialist historian KEITH FLETT introduces a rediscovered 1811 Shelley poem dedicated to a persecuted radical journalist
The Peterloo Massacre
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
CJ ATKINS argues that despite losing the election, Chile’s left remains big and organised and must unite to resist the new far-right government
Take a read of the latest Unite Hospitality Glasgow Strike Bulletin and hear from workers fighting for better pay and dignity at work
Alba party leader KENNY MacASKILL makes some suggestions on how to save our pubs and reduce irresponsible drinking
After years of austerity and denial under a new Reform UK council, a failing Send service was pushed into the spotlight by staff, unions and parents — culminating in a £1.3m funding boost and a 50% increase in front-line workers. MARTIN PORTER explains
THIS year has been the 200th anniversary of Peterloo and with it Shelley’s poem the Masque of Anarchy has received fresh publicity.
It was read by actor Maxine Peake in the historic John Rylands library in Manchester as part of the anniversary activities.
The Masque of Anarchy was not freely available until some years after Peterloo, but the first poem Shelley wrote of political note, while still a student at Oxford in 1811, a Poetical Essay on the Existing State of Things, was published at the time.
Similar stories
Inspired by a hit TV show, KEITH FLETT takes a look at the murky history of undercover class war
It’s not just the Starmer regime: the workers of Britain have always faced legal affronts on their right to assemble and dissent, and the Labour Party especially has meddled with our freedoms from its earliest days, writes KEITH FLETT
The government cracking down on something it can’t comprehend and doesn’t want to engage with is a repeating pattern of history, says KEITH FLETT
The legacy of an 1820 conspiracy in revenge for Peterloo resonates down the ages, argues KEITH FLETT