In a wide-ranging interview, JEREMY CORBYN talks to Ben Chacko about the difficulties the new Prime Minister faces and why he sees no future in Labour
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Why is there an arms trade?
The arms industry is at the heart of capitalism today; we need to confront both, argues the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Art on display at the Art the Arms Fair art exhibition, set up in opposition to the DSEI arms fair, at Capstan House in east London, 2017
A sharp rise in public-sector investment is required to kick-start the economy, argues MICHAEL BURKE
Burnham’s billions for defence while councils and local services struggle will not deliver the change that Britain’s working-class communities need, says MICAELA TRACEY-RAMOS
Millions of elms were wiped out by Dutch elm disease in the 20th century, transforming the landscape forever – yet pockets of hope are keeping this beloved tree alive. MARK SEDDON explains
CARLOS MARTINEZ looks at the facts behind US persecution of Fergie Chambers
While Italy’s communist tradition remains fragmented and politically marginal, France’s party is attempting to re-establish itself as an independent force rooted in working-class organisation, says NICK WRIGHT
MILITARY conflict and conquest — and the manufacture and sale of arms — has always been central to capitalism. In 1577 Francis Drake set out to plunder Spanish settlements in South America in search of gold and silver. In the process he also challenged Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese interests in the East Indies.
Soon after the defeat of the Spanish Armada the (British) East India Company received its Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth in 1600. In 1803 the company had a private army of over a quarter of a million — twice the size of the British army.
Following the defeat of Napoleonic France in 1815, Britain expanded its imperial holdings around the globe and its ruling class enjoyed a century of almost unchallenged dominance. The “Pax Britannica” was in fact a continual series of colonial wars, accompanying a rhetoric of “free trade” that gave British capital its dominant position in world commerce.
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Internationalism is deeply embedded in socialist theory and practice. Examination illuminates its complexity asserts the Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School
SOPHIE BOLT argues that spending more on military will harm rather than benefit Britain by diverting vital resources away from essential public services
Expanding Britain’s nuclear capability increases the risk of nuclear confrontation. It does not keep us safe – it makes us a target, argues CAROL TURNER
The defence secretary’s resignation reveals not a split over principle but a dispute over pace of military spending, as Britain’s political Establishment unites behind deeper Nato commitments, argues NICK WRIGHT