The Fall of the House of Commons
The architectural decay of Westminster offers a convenient metaphor for Britain’s crumbling democratic systems. Under a government elected via the lowest electoral mandate in history, the outlook for reform is bleak.
27 Articles by:
Chris McLaughlin
Chris McLaughlin is editor-at-large at Tribune.
As I Please: Spirit of 2025
Keir Starmer’s media cheerleaders said he would replicate the quiet radicalism of Clement Attlee once in power. But one year into an inactive, often inaudible Labour administration, comparisons with the 1945 government seem absurd.
Animating Tribune
A new collection of writings and cartoons by erstwhile Tribune columnist Martin Rowson showcases his extraordinary talent for skewering the ‘craven, incompetent, cruel and callous clowns that lead us’.
The Afterparty
Ejected and dejected, Britain’s fragmented left is exploring the possibility of a new political party. The odds are against a socialist alternative to Labour — but Keir Starmer’s leadership may be shifting them.
A Victory for the Miners
Successive governments denied former miners their full pensions, condemning thousands to further hardship after the decimation of their communities. Now, at last, Labour is correcting this historic injustice.
As I Please
As Reform UK soars in the polls and Muslim communities come under attack, Starmer’s Labour remains alarmingly complacent about undermining what gives the far right an advantage.
As I Please: Britain’s Housing Emergency
Millions in Britain are in desperate need of decent affordable homes. A Labour government must deliver more than just planning reform.
As I Please: The War on the Miners Isn’t Over
Forty years on from the strike which sent their communities spiralling into poverty, former miners are still fighting for a rightful share of their pensions against a government that doesn’t want to give it up.
As I Please: Managing the Mess or Cleaning It Up?
Starmer’s Labour has a historic opportunity to transform the country, but it’s easier to identify what he won’t do than what he will.
As I Please: Fiscal Discipline and Punish
For all Rachel Reeves’ talk of security, Labour’s economic offering is built on shaky ground.
The NHS: Safe in Labour Hands?
As a Starmer government becomes increasingly likely, the Labour Party’s plans for the NHS leave much to be desired.
The Tories Face a Local Election Rout
But Labour’s victory will be built on a policy vacuum.
Blair Knew Saddam Had No WMDs – No 10 Told Me So Before the War
When Alistair Campbell arranged for me to meet the government’s leading weapons expert, he said Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. Months later, we destroyed Iraq to find these weapons Blair knew did not exist, writes Chris McLaughlin.
Democracy in Decline
The departure of Boris Johnson as prime minister has been widely celebrated in Labour circles, but the rot at the heart of our political system goes far deeper.
As I Please: Partygate Is the Beginning of the End for Boris Johnson
A quiet revolution is under way, and the most organised cohort of Tory MPs is the one plotting the PM’s downfall.
As I Please: Labour’s Losing Road
When it comes to the issues impacting working people, Keir Starmer’s voice isn’t ‘failing to cut through’ — it’s absent entirely.
Starmer’s Malaise
Under Starmer’s leadership, Labour lacks any coherent vision and is floundering in the polls – but the path forward for the Left remains unclear.
How Labour Lost its Purpose
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing. More worryingly, it doesn’t seem to know why.
How the Unions Got Covid Right
While the government meandered in mixed messaging, misconduct, and mistakes, trade unions have consistently called the pandemic correctly — but have been ignored.
As I Please: Labour Must Articulate the Alternative
The case for a new social contract is growing by the day – but it will only happen on progressive terms if Labour makes the case.