James Maxton was the ILP’s visionary, a man with “an inherent sense of human equality” who ultimately failed in his mission to make socialism the common sense. GORDON BROWN MP assesses his life and legacy. Throughout his career, whether on a street corner or in the House of Commons, Maxton sought to make socialism the...
MATTHEW BROWN reports from the first meeting of a local People’s Assembly, where hardship and hope were much in evidence – unlike the Labour Party. “I paid my rent just 10 minutes ago and now I have £22 left in my account.” The words came from a young man introducing himself to the first meeting...
Herbert Witard emerged from a childhood of dire poverty to become an ILP councillor and Labour’s first Lord Mayor of Norwich. MAGGIE PEPLOE tells the tale....
PAUL SALVESON ponders the future of party politics and sees instead a future dominated by regionalist movements and single-issue campaigns....
HAZEL KENT traces the life and career of Fenner Brockway, with particular emphasis on his long association with the ILP. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Fenner Brockway, I spent three fascinating years in his company while researching his contribution to the ILP for my PhD thesis. Study of his books, newspaper articles,...
After a series of revelations about zero-hours contracts, ERNIE JACQUES calls on the leaders of ‘One Nation Labour’ to show their support for Britain’s exploited working people. ...
BARRY WINTER reports from two meetings in Leeds addressed by the Labour peer and policy advisor Maurice Glasman earlier this month. Maurice Glasman, who is centrally involved in developing Labour’s new programme, began by addressing the question of where the Labour Party is today. New Labour has left us with a difficult inheritance, he argued....
We should seek dialogue with One Nation Labour, argues HARRY BARNES, then press it to restrict markets and remove private profit from precious areas of the public sector....
Merely denouncing ‘One Nation Labour’ as more of the same is a political cul-de-sac, argues MATTHEW BROWN. We need to recognise some genuine attempts to rethink the left’s project and engage with the best of their ideas....
ERNIE JACQUES continues the ILP’s debate about Labour’s ‘One Nation’ project kicked off at the May Weekend School with a discussion focused on a speech by Jon Cruddas at the launch of the IPPR’s ‘The Condition of Britain’ programme....
JOHN HALSTEAD takes issue with a speech given by Labour’s Policy Review leader, which was discussed at this year’s ILP Weekend School as part of its consideration of the Party’s ‘One Nation’ project....
Modern statecraft, policy making, tax and public services are all subjects up for discussion in the latest round of Labour’s ‘One Nation’ policy review seminars, plus something called ‘One Nation Football’....