BARRY WINTER argues that a recent article by Jon Cruddas and Jonathan Rutherford, two men at the heart of Labour’s policy review, is the most imaginative line of thinking for the left and the party we have seen for more than a generation.
The law locks up the man or woman / Who steals the goose from off the common / But leaves the greater villain loose / Who steals the common from off the goose…
Today capitalism is news. Talk about capitalist crisis is widespread in ways that have not been heard for decades. Yet, it is the forces of the right that continue to dominate politically, even though the system they most strongly espouse is facing severe upheavals. Often discredited, social democratic parties are struggling to get a hearing.
Can we make ‘Our Politics’ play a constructive part in these turbulent times? We invite you to explore these questions at the ILP’s weekend school in Scarborough on Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th May. Read more to see the weekend programme.
Marc Stears, Professor of Political Theory at Oxford University, spoke at Leeds University earlier this month on democracy and the politics of protest. BARRY WINTER reports.
BARRY WINTER, chair of the Hannah Mitchell Foundation, explains why he’s changed his mind about a northern assembly and argues that regional devolution can play its part in an ethical socialism for our times.
Let’s begin with a confession. When the idea of regional devolution was being discussed in the party nearly a decade ago, I was not persuaded. So what has changed? Why now have I come to the conclusion that this is a worthwhile venture after all?
Ed Carlisle is a project manager with Leeds-based charity Together for Peace and one of the organisers of the Leeds Summat Gathering which took place in November last year – strapline ‘Get Connected, Be Inspired, Join in Action for Change’.
He talked to BARRY WINTER about the aims and objectives of the initiative, the American writer John Paul Lederach, the need for progressive social movements, and the group’s plans for the future.
In the 18th century the US produced a Declaration of Independence. Today we need to declare our interdependence, says BARRY WINTER, and this should be a guiding feature of the world we live in.
The ILP is planning to rewrite and update its history publication, The ILP Past and Present, and invites readers to comment online and share their views about the the contents.
BARRY WINTER reviews Tony Judt’s Ill Fares the Land, and finds the late academic’s fascinating account “both right and wrong” in its lament for social democracy.
Born in London in 1948, Tony Judt taught at several British and American Universities. At New York University in 1995, he established an institute for the study of European history. He authored over a dozen books and wrote for various publications, such as The New York Review of Books. He won various awards for his writings, including the Orwell Prize for Lifetime Achievement.
Ideas, campaigns and coalitions are needed to build the good society. BARRY WINTER reports on this year’s Compass conference.
The recent Compass conference exceeded my expectations. Not least because, following the general election, last year’s event felt rather flat and earlier versions of this year’s programme seemed a little uninspiring. Was the formerly successful formula getting [...]
Independent Labour Publications (ILP) is an educational trust, publishing house and pressure group committed to democratic socialism and the success of a democratic socialist Labour Party.
The ILP was formed in 1893 as the Independent Labour Party, which became a co-founder of the Labour Party at the beginning of the 20th century. Today we remain committed to Labour's aim of creating 'a society for the many, not the few' and seek to engage with others in discussing how this vision can be turned into reality.
Land and Freedom
A short, moving account of the Spanish Civil War. Focusing on events in Catalonia, it shows how even today, there is more to be remembered than the courage of the International Brigade.
ILP - Past & Present
A lively, frank and well-illustrated account of the ILP’s history from its origins in the 1890s, the Labour party’s development, and the rise and fall of the Labour left.