February/March 2009 Archive 

Shadow on the sun At the end of the 1960s a conference of British poets voted for the next poet laureate. Their choice was Adrian Mitchell, who died before Christmas. Some three decades on, Red Pepper asked him to don the red and black cloak of ‘shadow poet laureate’ and write poems regularly for the magazine. He has been ‘our’ shadow poet laureate ever since

Asylum watch: Now what? Labour says it is planning to ‘simplify’ immigration legislation. Frances Webber argues that its real agenda is to subvert human rights and give more power to the state

This artist blows The young British Muslim artist Sarah Maple has been at the centre of controversy since first bursting onto the art scene at the end of 2007. Interview by Anikka Weerasinghe

Art, truth and politics Hilary Wainwright and Ian Rickson pay tribute to the politics, plays and life of Harold Pinter, who died on Christmas Eve 2008

Taking back the streets For generations the left has built campaigns by handing out literature on the streets and chatting with the public – but in Liverpool the police are trying to drive them from the city centre. Andy Bowman looks at the united response

An exception to Lula’s rule The movement of landless workers in Brazil is unique in resisting co-option by the Lula government and has retained an impressive self-reliance and independent politics. For Sue Branford it is a beacon for the left worldwide. Here she explains why

At the Palestinian crossroads The Palestinian movement is at an important turning point, argues Palestinian political analyst Jamil Hilal. Whatever the military outcome of the attack on Gaza, Palestinians need to work towards a unified national movement that can re-assert itself as a force for liberation and freedom

The Israeli resistance The media in Israel ignores domestic opponents of the war in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine – but their networks are growing. Hannah Safran looks at the lay of the land on the new Israeli left

Dole not coal Twenty-five years after the start of the year-long miners’ strike against pit closures, fewer than half of the jobs lost in mining areas have been replaced. Huw Beynon reports on the common experience of Durham and south Wales, two of the coalfields that were worst hit by the closure programme

Dissident Brits British Jews are increasingly divided over Israeli policies towards the Palestinians. Antony Lerman reports on the dissident groups who are leading UK Jewish opposition to the war in Gaza

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