The Changing Face of the Enemy Within
Four decades ago, miners like me were labelled ‘the enemy within’ by Thatcher. Today, the same rhetoric is being used against British Muslims and all supporters of Palestinian freedom, writes Ian Lavery MP.
22 Articles by:
Ian Lavery
Ian Lavery is the Labour Party member of parliament for Wansbeck.
The Post Office Scandal: Why Do Working-Class Lives Matter Less?
Time and again, working-class people are forced to fight long and hard to get justice while the rich get off scot-free. It’s time those in positions of power stopped sitting on their hands, writes Ian Lavery MP.
The Real Class War Is Being Waged from Above
While key workers facing poverty are being told to accept wage cuts, Downing Street is lifting pay caps for bankers. There’s class war alright – but it’s being waged by the elite.
Labour’s Route to Victory
The local election results show that Labour can’t afford to rely solely on the government’s unpopularity. To win power, it must put the forward transformative policies the country needs.
Broad Enough for Tories, But Not for Jeremy Corbyn
Labour’s decision to welcome former Tory MP Christian Wakeford is dubious at best – but if it comes alongside a refusal to readmit Jeremy Corbyn, it will be a sign of a party abandoning its values.
You Can’t Save the World Without the Working Class
While global elites focus on the role corporations and politicians can play in fighting climate change, there’s only one force capable of building the just transition needed to avoid disaster: the working class.
Child Poverty Is a Choice
In the North East constituency of Wansbeck, child poverty has risen from 26% to an incredible 37% in the past five years – the consequence of Tory policies which deepen poverty rather than tackling it.
The England Team Are the Best of Us
The racist abuse directed at England’s football players since last night’s match is not an anomaly – it’s the consequence of politicians and media outlets demonising them for their efforts to make this country better.
Failing the Miners Again
Channel 5’s new documentary about the 1984 Miners’ Strike paints Thatcher as a hero and covers up her government’s real intentions – it is just the latest establishment attack on the miners who fought back.
Hartlepool Wants Real Change, Not Empty Words
The fact that the Tories might win a seat like Hartlepool shows how much Labour has lost touch with its roots – the only way to win the by-election is to fight for working-class communities.
Labour’s Decline in Working-Class Communities Can’t Be Solved by Managerialism
In recent months, No Holding Back has spoken to thousands of Labour activists in communities left behind by deindustrialisation. Their message is clear: the party must rebuild at its grassroots.
What Went Wrong?
The Labour Together report evidences the long-term trends that were behind December’s defeat – but if the party is to recover it must take the task of re-engaging with working-class communities seriously.
A Moment to Unite Against Injustice
It’s time for working people across Britain to come together to support movements for social justice, challenge racial and class inequalities – and fight back against the ruling elite that fosters them.
No Holding Back
If Labour is to reconnect with working-class communities in its heartland areas, it will need to empower local members to organise on the ground – and the time to start that process is now, argues Ian Lavery.
‘The Leaked Labour Report Is Shameful – It’s Time for an Urgent Investigation’
This weekend’s revelations about the conduct of party staff in undermining the 2017 general election campaign and abusing elected representatives demand an immediate investigation, argue Jon Trickett and Ian Lavery.
Lavery Hits Back
Right-wing attacks won’t stop me from getting the message across to members that now is the time to organise in defence of your communities, writes Labour Party chair Ian Lavery.
The Coronavirus Crisis Is Not a Time to Protect the Elite
The Tory government’s response to coronavirus has been characterised by a determination to protect big business interests and the system that serves them ahead of working people, argues Ian Lavery.
Northern Discomfort
Today MPs Ian Lavery and Jon Trickett are launching their report ‘Northern Discomfort,’ which argues for a radical change in Labour’s approach to communities in the North of England.
In Defence of Community Organising
Community organising is a vital part of rebuilding the Labour Party at the grassroots – but it will take time and shouldn’t be expected to produce immediate results, argues Ian Lavery.
Why I’m Backing Rebecca Long-Bailey
Party chair Ian Lavery on why he’s backing Rebecca Long-Bailey to combine socialist policies with the long-term workplace, community and party organising necessary to rebuild Labour’s roots.