The Cause of Labour Is the Hope of the World
Former presidents, ministers, members of parliament, trade unionists, and political leaders from four continents sign an open letter explaining why the world needs a Labour government.
We, the undersigned, express our solidarity with the Labour Party for today’s election in the United Kingdom.
After a decade of austerity, the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister would send a message of hope across the world that a future of social justice is possible. A Labour victory would be an inspiration to millions fighting for a future beyond neoliberalism – one in which the interests of ordinary people could be advanced, our social fabrics restored and the domination of an economic elite over our democracies brought to an end.
Faced with the rising tide of the far-right in many countries, the need for progressive governments with transformative social agendas has never been greater. Electing Labour under Jeremy Corbyn would be a step in the right direction – helping to contribute to a new era of internationalism, peace and diplomacy, which challenges reactionary politics with a spirit of co-operation.
It is also increasingly clear that we are running out of time to tackle the climate crisis. A Labour government, with a commitment to a Green New Deal and radical action to bring about carbon neutrality, would be a watershed in the battle to save our planet and particularly its poorest people from the consequences of ecological breakdown.
We wish the Labour Party the best in this election, and hope it can be the start of building not just a better Britain – but a world for the many, not the few.
Signed,
Dilma Rousseff, former president of Brazil, Workers’ Party
Yanis Varoufakis, MP, leader, MeRA 25 (Greece)
Srećko Horvat, co-founder, DiEM 25
David Adler, policy director, DiEM 25
Rafael Correa, former president of Ecuador, Acuerdo Nacional
Guillaume Long, former Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Acuerdo Nacional
Pablo Iglesias, MP, leader, Podemos (Spain)
Miguel Urban, MEP, Podemos
Idoia Villanueva Ruiz, MEP, international spokesperson, Podemos
Juan Carlos Monedero, founder, Podemos
Íñigo Errejón, leader, Más País (Spain)
Noam Chomsky, academic
Leo Panitch, academic
Gar Alperovitz, co-founder, Democracy Collaborative
Erik Sperling, executive director, Just Foreign Policy
Andrew Feinstein, former minister, African National Congress (South Africa)
Ronnie Kasrils, former minister, African National Congress (South Africa)
Cansel Kiziltepe, MP, Social Democratic Party (Germany)
Bernd Reixinger, co-chair, Die Linke (Germany)
Jörg Schindler, general secretary, Die Linke (Germany)
Fabio de Masi, MP, Die Linke (Germany)
Martin Schirdewan, MEP, Die Linke (Germany)
Sabine Schatz, MP, Social Democratic Party (Austria)
Eva-Maria Holzleitner, MP, Social Democratic Party (Austria)
Matthew Green, MP, New Democratic Party (Canada)
Andrew Jackson, former chief economist, Canadian Labor Congress
Marisa Matias, MEP, Bloco de Esquerda (Portugal)
Ivan Goncalves, former MP, Socialist Party (Portugal)
Francesco Laforgia, Senator, La Sinistra (Italy)
Pernille Skipper, MP, leader of the Danish Red-Greens
Nikolaj Villumsen, MEP, Danish Red-Greens
Audun Lysbakken, MP, leader, Socialist Left (Norway)
Bjørnar Moxnes, MP, leader, Red Party (Norway)
Torstein Solberg, MP, Labour Party (Norway)
Li Andersson, MP, chairperson, Finnish Left Alliance
Jonas Sjöstedt, MP, leader, Swedish Left Party
Ali Esbati, Andreas Lennkvist Manriquez, Ciczie Weidby, Jessica Wetterling, Elin Segerlind, Håkan Svenneling, Tony Haddou, Ulla Andersson, MPs, Swedish Left Party
Luka Mesec, MP, leader, Slovenian Left Party
Matej Tasner Vatovec, MP, Slovenian Left Party
Sara Nelson, international president, Association of Flight Attendants (USA)
Teferi Gebre, executive vice-president, AFL-CIO (USA)
Jesse Sharkey, president, Chicago Teachers Union (USA)
Bob Master, policy director (district one), Communication Workers of America
Andrew Porter, organiser, National Nurses United (USA)
Ryan Kekeris, organiser, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (USA)
Maurice Mitchell, national director, Working Families Party (USA)
Alan Minsky, executive director, Progressive Democrats of America
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, alderman, Chicago 35th, Democratic Socialists of America
Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, alderman, Chicago 33rd, Democratic Socialists of America
Mike Sylvester, Maine congressman, Democratic Socialists of America
Bhaskar Sunkara, publisher, Jacobin Magazine
Circe Camacho, Mexican Labour Party
Lara Merling, research officer, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Joan Collins, MP, Independents 4 Change (Ireland)