Socialist Party NI

In this episode we discuss the approach of the Tory government and the Northern Ireland executive to the easing of lockdown restrictions and the reopening of the economy following a statement from Boris Johnson. We ask whether the government should be allowed to prioritise profits over workers' lives, what we can do to prevent being forced back into dangerous workplaces, and how workers must ultimately organise to say there's #nogoingback to an austerity agenda that has included the long-term plundering of the NHS and public services, as well as the grinding down of wages and workers' rights.

The Covid-19 lockdown has made it clearer than ever that workers keep society running, from the health workers saving lives in hospitals, understaffed and with inadequate PPE, to the supermarket workers putting food on the shelves. It is clear that while the working class is key to our survival, the capitalist class, who are anxious to return to profiteering as usual, and who are willing to gamble with workers lives, is not. In this episode we explore the roots of Covid-19 and other epidemics inside the for-profit food production system. We discuss the inflexibility of the capitalist system and its inability to act quickly to stop the virus spreading. Finally, we ask what the alternative is - a socialist economy where all production is subject to workers' democracy - and how we build the fight to get there. This week with guests Kevin Henry, Keishia Taylor and host Eleanor Crossey Malone.

Around the world, governments are bringing in new police and military powers to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But what is the most effective way to enforce social distancing and beat Covid-19? How could these powers be used when we return to "normal"? With Giuliano Bruneti, socialist activist in Italy with Resistenze Internazionali (ISA) and Seán Burns of Socialist Party Ireland's National Committee.

Covid-19 continues to spread, with half-hearted measures by Westminster and Stormont leaving many non-essential workplaces still open for business, in spite of new repressive powers for the state. With growing numbers of new cases, the coming weeks could see a surge of patients into hospitals, including those in need of critical care. Existing health services could be stretched to breaking point, and scenes from Italy, where some have been denied care due to lack of capacity, are evidence of this possibility. In this episode we're discussing issues facing front-line medical staff, including lack of proper equipment and sanitation. We're also talking about what needs to be done now to make sure the health service is fit for purpose, and we ask what kind of health service can ultimately meet the needs of everyone in society.

‘Coronavirus Capitalism’ is a special podcast series from the Socialist Party. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be talking about the unfolding crisis sparked by Covid-19, the novel virus at the centre of the most serious social health emergency in generations. We’ll analyse the turmoil besetting the capitalist system, with businesses in many sectors, as well as major airlines, going bust, and thousands of workers losing their jobs and losing pay. We’ll examine the measures taken by governments nationally and internationally in response to the spread of the virus and the threat it poses to their economic system. We’ll be asking the most important questions: what does this mean for working class people, and how do we make sure that we aren’t made to pay the price?