International Viewpoint, the monthly English-language magazine of the Fourth International, is a window to radical alternatives world-wide, carrying reports, analysis and debates from all corners of the globe. Correspondents in over 50 countries report on popular struggles, and the debates that are shaping the left of tomorrow.
Andy Burnham became British Prime Minister on 20 July 2026. The former Mayor of Manchester had served in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and of Gordon Brown and in the opposition teams of Ed Milliband and Jeremy Corbyn. He stood twice previously to be Labour leader but this time was the only candidate with active support from people earlier expected to stand themselves. His predecessor Keir Starmer was forced to resign on 22 June after Burnham won an impressive by-election victory in Makerfielld inthe north west of England where Nigel Farage’s far right party Reform had hoped the prize might be theirs. This was in stark contrast to Labour - and Starmer’s - disastrous showing in elections in May. It was clear that Burnham’s success partly came from people supporting him precisely to get rid of Starmer.
Since the article below was written Burnham has appointed his Cabinet retaining many of those who served with Starmer and made a number of announcements of policies to assist with the biting cost of living crisis, while sticking to the fiscal rules. Only 5 days in, it is too early to draw a substantive balance sheet, On the other hand there is no doubt that Burnham is opening up a number of key political discussions - on devolution, on electoral reform and on reindustrialisation, for example, which it will be essential for the radical left to engage with.
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The mobilisation in the streets forced a backdown on Zelensky.
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During the first ten days of July, cyclones (typhoons), tornadoes, storms, severe weather, floods, and landslides wreaked havoc in the central and southern parts of the country—and beyond. China is facing extreme weather events intensified by the climate crisis.
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“To confront the climate catastrophe—accelerated by neo-fascist denialism—the emergency brake lies in the struggle and mobilization of the social majority”
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“Overcoming the social and environmental problems that afflict us and reversing the reversible effects of the climate crisis is impossible under the rules of this economic system. The climate crisis is perhaps the most dramatic example. It is not possible to address the climate crisis without making the energy sector—as well as water management—public property and administering it democratically with the dual objective of satisfying our needs and reducing environmental impact. ”
read article...The dramatic events in Russia and Ukraine over the past two years have begun a new phase in the struggle over the legacy of communism in the post-Soviet space. As the concrete features of “real socialism” become blurred and vanish, those necessary for the production of ideology become ever more sharply defined. It’s often argued that communism, buried a quarter of a century ago as living practice, has since acquired an afterlife in the form of a restless corpse, a remnant, a regurgitated survivor from the past, blighting the lives of new generations.
From the middle of the 20th century, migration has been a decisive political issue. International organizations estimate that the number of people moving within and across national borders has grown to greater extent than ever since World War II. These type of estimates are never neutral – how far, and under which circumstances, do you have to move to be counted as a migrant, for instance? It is the same with statistics; you always have to make some qualification.
Many things can spark a wildfire, but it’s what happens afterward that determines whether that fire will rage. In the case of the #MeToo campaign, the dozens of women who stepped forward to talk about their experiences of having been sexually assaulted by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was the catalyst for tens of thousands more women to break the silence about their own stories of sexual assault and harassment—providing fuel to a fire that has been long in the making.
In his latest book, Adults in the Room [1] Yanis Varoufakis gives us his version of the events that led to the Tsipras government’s shameful capitulation in July 2015. It essentially analyses the period 2009-2015, though it makes incursions into earlier periods. [2]
“The future of Ukraine will not be decided by choosing between competing factions of the political elite. It will be decided by whether the country can defend itself while preserving the democratic and social foundations worth defending.”
- read article...“Popular mobilisation is crucial in a country that has endured repeated crises, a blockade and the deterioration of public services in recent years, and it gives full meaning to the saying ‘Only the people can save the people’. ”
- read article...In order to detrermine its position for the 2027 presidential elections, the NPA-l’Anticapitaliste held a national conference on 27 and 28 June 2026. This conference brought together delegates representing the activists of the NPA-l’Anticapitaliste, who had debated and voted in the general assemblies held throughout June.
- read article...MIHANDS has always been fueled by people, not deep pockets. Because we lack the massive financial reserves and pre-staged stockpiles of larger international agencies, our response standard operating procedure is a race against time to mobilize—gathering our volunteer network, fundraising, and sourcing materials from scratch whenever a crisis hits.
- read article...The Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU) has announced the creation of a new organisation: the All-Ukrainian Union of Combatants, Military Personnel and Veterans.
- read article...International Viewpoint is published under the responsibility of the Bureau of the Fourth International. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect editorial policy. Articles can be reprinted with acknowledgement, and a live link if possible.
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