With speculation growing about a Labour leadership contest in 2026, only a decisive break with the current direction – on the economy, foreign policy and migrants – can avert disaster and offer a credible alternative, writes DIANE ABBOTT
New PM in Thailand amidst continued suppression of political dissent
The largest party in the country’s parliament, the Move Forward Party, was forced to disband and its leaders were banned from politics for 10 years for demanding reforms in a law which makes criticism of the monarchy in any form a punishable offence, writes ABDUL RAHMAN
Thailand's new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra talks to media members after receiving a royal letter of endorsement for the post at the Pheu Thai party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Augusy 18, 2024
Repression against left-wing, anti-imperialist and Palestine solidarity structures in Germany is increasingly aimed at undermining their economic means of existence, says LEON WYSTRYCHOWSKI
Decades of centre-left accommodation and deepening inequality have opened the door to a hard-right restoration — posing stark challenges for the left, argues FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZ
Despite systemic racism and far-right hostility, Britain’s migrant and black communities continue to contribute, inspire, and resist. Through education, art, and intergenerational solidarity, the next generation can help shape a future rooted in justice, understanding, and hope, says ZITA HOLBOURNE
JULIA BARD looks at the persistence of anti-semitism on the political right – and its troubling emergence on parts of the left, too
From the mainstreaming of far-right ideas to Europe’s looming conflicts, 2025 has been a year of sharp warnings. The coming year demands decisive action before these crises escalate, writes ANDREW MURRAY
PAETONGTARN SHINAWATRA became the 31st prime minister of Thailand on Sunday August 18, two days after the country’s parliament elected her, marking yet another change in the government strongly influenced by the country’s military and royalists.
At 37, she is the youngest prime minister, second woman to hold the post, and third from her family, after her father Thaksin Shinawatra (2001-06) and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra (2011-14). Both her father and aunt were removed from power by the military and the constitutional court and went to live in exile.
Paetongtarn’s acceptance of the post of the prime minister was backed by almost all members of the royalists and pro-military members of the parliament which could indicate some arrangement between the Pheu Thai, her party, and the military-royalists in the country.
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