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.

The mobilisation in the streets forced a backdown on Zelensky.

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.

“To confront the climate catastrophe—accelerated by neo-fascist denialism—the emergency brake lies in the struggle and mobilization of the social majority”

“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. ”

“On July 4, our 250th birthday as a nation, we should celebrate the underdogs, the dissidents, the rebellious who fought and continue to fight against exploitation and oppression, and stand for equality, democracy, and justice.”

In a half-hour, prime-time national speech, President Donald Trump claimed that U.S. elections are vulnerable to foreign interference, to massive non-citizen voting, and to fraud. He called upon Congress to pass what he calls the SAVE America Act, though its actual name is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.

This spring, French-speaking Belgium has seen a sudden acceleration of struggles in the education sector, which have turned into a general revolt of young people. In this interview, Evelyne Wyns discusses the conditions in which this movement emerged, the complex role of trade unions and self-organized collectives, and the politicization brought about by repression.

“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.”

The largest region of the Americas is the only part of the planet where Trump has managed to make significant progress toward his national security policy goals. Trump faces significant difficulties on the domestic front, where he is trying to limit the predicted defeat for the midterm congressional elections in November.

As Europe experiences its second [now the third] unprecedented heatwave of the year, breaking temperature records, many are asking the same questions: Is this the new normal? Has Europe's climate changed radically? Asia's oceans are also breaking heat records: What does this mean for extreme weather events?

Since the beginning of the year, demonstrations and strikes have continued across Syria . The demands range from the aspiration for increased political participation and democratic rights, to the condemnation of the actions and violations committed by the Israeli occupying forces in the Kuneitra region, to the right to education in Sweida. The newspaper Kasioun counted 34 rallies and demonstrations in 21 localities in several governorates, cities, towns and universities in Syria between 18-24 May 2026. Protest actions continue at the time of writing.

International Viewpoint IVP617 — June 2026

Janette Zahia Corcelius, a trade-union organizer from Minneapolis, visited Paris on two occasions this spring. First, in April, as member of a delegation speaking in a tour organized by on the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) campaign. Then in early June to speak at an anti-fascist festival. On her first visit she spoke to Raphaël Alberto for the l'Anticapitaliste you tube channel (published in French « Face à Trump, nous devons protéger nos voisinEs, défendre nos droits démocratiques et (…)

“Despite the repression, we are very satisfied with the massive size, conviviality, diversity and radicalism of the demonstration. This feeling of victory is an excellent springboard for the mobilizations and challenges that await us.”

This article, analysing the underlying dynamics of the “Memorandum of Understanding”, was written before the renewed USA attacks on Iran, thus demonstrating it was indeed a temporary calm.

THIS SPRING DELEGATES were elected to the United Auto Workers Constitutional Convention that will be held in mid-June. As the UAW website notes, the convention will “make critical decisions, including constitutional amendments and resolutions on workplace and social issues.”

This essay by Daniel Bensaïd remains one of the sharpest engagements with Lenin's political thought from within the revolutionary Marxist tradition. Bensaïd identifies Lenin's enduring contribution not as an organisational technique or a party model, but as a philosophy of political time: an understanding of history as fractured, uneven, and shot through with crises that open and close with brutal speed.

“It's hot. For some, it's just a matter of temperature. For the working class, however, it's already a matter of health and finances: less income, higher prices, greater vulnerability. “The severe heat wave sweeping across Europe threatens people's health, their livelihoods, and their ability to work,” Jessie Ruth Schleypen, a climate economist at Climate Analytics, told Bloomberg.”

Democratic Party candidates are perceived by many voters as part of the system, part of the establishment, which indeed most are. The most common profession of Democratic congressional representatives and senators is law. Most don't seem to share the common experiences of working class and lower middle-class people, because in fact they don't. Lawyers' average incomes range between $150,000 and $250,000, while the median income for American workers is $45,000 to $64,000,