Welcome to Critical Takes on Corporate Power!

Many people across civil society see the power of multinational corporations as a deep problem for humanity and nature, from the climate emergency, human rights abuses, stark poverty and inequality, unfair trade and labour exploitation to the devastation of the natural world and corrosion of democracy by moneyed interests.

Far too much power is concentrated in the hands of these giant institutions which are controlled by a wealthy few and dedicated to increasing private profit above all else. So, what should we do about it?

After years of working for UK-based NGOs on problems of corporate power, mostly on corruption, tax justice and profiteering, I realised how useful it would be to have a single place where busy people from across civil society can quickly and easily find out what others are thinking and doing, share their own thoughts and take away useful ideas for their own work.

Critical Takes aims to be that place. There will be analysis, comment and reflection, by and for people from civil society. In time there will be online discussions too. The platform is endorsed by the Tax Justice Network and Global Justice Now (which means that they support its general aims) and I hope that others will follow soon.

Critical Takes will not be a campaigning organisation which advocates for a policy agenda of its own. Its role is to encourage discussion, debate and points of consensus among people who share a concern about corporate power but may have different priorities and starting points. We will be open to thinking from across the progressive spectrum, all around the world, based on the universality of human rights. 

If you’re a campaigner, an activist, a trade unionist, a researcher, a progressive journalist or just someone who longs for a fairer world, then this platform is meant for you! You can read our takes, sign up to the newsletter, follow us on social media, take part in our online events and leave comments on the site. You can also write for Critical Takes. If you'd like to know more about the platform, here are some FAQs.

We’re living at a moment when the all-too-visible failures of free-market dogma have opened up space for fresh thinking about the world economy. Critical Takes hopes to play a part in helping to support an ambitious civil society agenda which seeks not only to limit the harms of corporate power but to transform it for good. 

Welcome aboard! It’s going to be interesting.

Diarmid O’Sullivan