Communist Party of Venezuala members assaulted during workers rights protest

Members of the Communist Party of Venezuala (PCV) were attacked by state agents while engaging in a workers’ rights protest in Caracas last Thursday (21 July). In a statement by the party, they revealed that while marching alongside trade union activists in a Unitary Trade Union Platform-organised demonstration against plans by the National Budget Office … Read more

More hardship as school uniform prices in 6 counties reach record high

The increasing cost of school uniforms is yet another aspect of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis hitting working-class households in the 6 counties, with prices skyrocketing in recent years. On average a standard uniform costs the following: Blazer: £52 Jumper: £26 Trousers/Skirt: £26 Tie: £9 Socks: £9 Approximate Total: £122 All of these costs are before … Read more

Wildfires rage across Europe as Ireland records hottest weather in two centuries

Ireland experienced its highest recorded temperature in two centuries on Monday (18 July). The Met Éireann station in Phoenix Park recorded a temperature of 33℃, only 0.3℃ cooler than the temperature recorded at Kilkenny Castle in 1855. While many were able to enjoy the sunshine, the extreme heat poses a life-threatening danger to vulnerable people. … Read more

Fascism and the Fall of Roe v. Wade

OAP, Béal Feirste In ‘The Fascist Offensive’, Georgi Dimitrov lays out clearly what fascism is and how it operates. He writes; Fascism is the power of finance capital itself… The development of fascism, and the fascist dictatorship itself, assume different forms in different countries, according to historical, social and economic conditions and to the national … Read more

The North is When? Abortion Rights in the Six Counties

AR, Béal Feirste Cover Photo Credit: Ciara McMullan Photography In January 2017, the leading parties in the Stormont executive, the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) and Sinn Féin, split over the DUP’s handling of a green energy scandal, causing the executive to collapse. This meant that, in the absence of executive ministers, civil servants were running the country. However, because … Read more

There is a Magic Money Tree

AH, BÁC Thatcher’s empowered female successor, Theresa May, was quoted as saying there is “no magic money tree” when being asked about raising taxes or borrowing more to make sure the NHS could keep running. What the slogan generally means is that there are insufficient state funds for important already state funded institutions (like the … Read more

Why Connolly?

SÓP, Baile Átha Cliath This speech was originally given at the annual Dublin branch commemoration of James Connolly’s execution on 14 May.   Dia daoibh a chairde. Thank you for being here this morning to honour the life, and remember the execution of our organisation’s namesake: James Connolly. Why Connolly? Of all the Irish republican revolutionaries why … Read more

For a Socialist Welsh Republic: A Conversation with the Welsh Underground Network

  Could you give a brief history of communism in Wales? The timeline of socialism and the working class in Wales makes for a rich reading, one that is often hard to condense into a short paragraph. In 1907, Keir Hardie, a Member of Parliament for Methyr, spoke openly on the natural-born connection between Wales and socialism. … Read more

A Protracted Struggle for Minoritised Languages

OAP, Béal Feirste A language revival has a lot of similarities with a revolutionary movement. Just as a revolutionary movement must have its beginnings in particular communities and be built outwards, minoritised languages need to take root in particular communities first and then expand. Why is this? A language that has no community usage is an … Read more