DAVE BERRY discusses his experiences of the referendum campaign and calls for left-wing reform of the European Union. The referendum has been a painful experience for me and, like many others, I feel disconnected from politics. As an ex-shop steward and councillor I really miss being the representative of people rather than just an individual...
Brexit: Analysis and Action
“What has happened is that the protests against globalisation, capital and free markets by the disadvantaged has been captured by the right, in the absence of effective resistance from the left.” So writes Mike Rustin in one of the more coherent analyses of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union on 23 June....
Brexit: Organising for Dangerous Times
“I am truly worried about our country. We are living in dangerous times.” So says Nick Lowles of Hope not Hate as reports arrive of a rise in racist and xenophic attacks across the country in the wake of last Thursday’s Brexit vote. “The decision to leave the EU has been quickly followed by a...
Brexit: The Left Responds
‘We still believe in each other’ is the message from Hope not Hate, just one of a number of left wing groups and organisations who have responded to the European Union referendum result. The United Kingdom voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU at the polls yesterday, triggering Prime Minister David Cameron to...
EU: Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils
The EU referendum campaign has hardly been inspiring. For the left it poses some awkward questions with few simple answers. DAVID CONNOLLY casts his eye over some of the better contributions and opts to vote Remain. Just. Realistically, this debate was never going to be particularly sophisticated but the torrent of misleading statistics and highly...
Ada Salter and the Origins of Ethical Socialism
In writing his lauded biography of ILPer Ada Salter, GRAHAM TAYLOR began to wonder about the ILP’s ethical socialism. In a recent lecture to the Socialist History Society, he traced the history of those ideas and values which the Salters epitomised through their lives in south east London. I must start with a confession. When...
The ILP and the Spanish Civil War
Even after 80 years the role of the ILP in the Spanish Civil War is still a controversial topic. Its role was minor, says CHRISTOPHER HALL, but the contribution and sacrifice of ILP volunteers deserves to be remembered. George Orwell’s ‘Homage to Catalonia’ is still the most famous and most read book about the Spanish...
Labour’s Nuclear Question
Can Labour find a way to bridge its divisions over Trident? Or will a policy to scrap the nuclear warheads strike a final nail into the party’s electoral coffin? BARRY WINTER calls for a national debate and a Labour-led referendum on the issue....
How the Co-op Lost its Purpose
Without its history, its politics and its connection to the wider movement, the Co-operative Group is just like any other supermarket chain, says STEVE THOMPSON....
Soldiers for Spain
Volunteers who fought in the Spanish civil war were political soldiers striking a blow against oppression across the continent, according to BOB HARRISON....
Pigs, PR and Politics
GERRY LAVERY reviews Call Me Dave, the recent very unauthorised biography of the prime minister, and asks what Labour and the left have to learn from his and the Tories’ electoral success....
Rethinking Housing
In November 2015 Labour’s Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton launched the Building Homes for Britain report. Here, its researcher and editor SIMON JOSE outlines the report’s core ideas and explains why a complete rethink of housing policy is needed. For decades the housing market has trundled towards the chaotic state it is in today....