Class Politics After Corbyn
The failure of Corbynism was its inability to cut through in working-class communities. The risk of a Starmer-led Labour Party is that it abandons that effort altogether.
The failure of Corbynism was its inability to cut through in working-class communities. The risk of a Starmer-led Labour Party is that it abandons that effort altogether.
In the 1970s, Gough Whitlam's proposal to bring about a 'social revolution' as Australian prime minister threatened America's Cold War hegemony – so the intelligence services set about a plan to remove him.
Decades of anti-public service ideology has seen the state's capacity diminished through waves of cuts and outsourcing – if it is to play an active role in the economy again, it must be rebuilt.
A decade of cuts have undermined Britain's health service. But in North Devon, residents fought back – and now their hospital is playing a leading role in the battle against Covid-19.
On this day in 1966, British Rail scrapped the colour bar at Euston Station after a campaign by a black worker, Asquith Xavier, and his union – the win paved the way for the Race Relations Act just two years later.
The Tories' recent announcements won't be enough to prevent a deep economic crisis – we need a bold alternative from the Left that argues for investment in jobs, public ownership and democratisation.
In the 1920s and '30s, the National Unemployed Workers' Movement mobilised thousands to resist the indignities of unemployment. As we enter another economic crisis, we should learn from their fight.
Airbnb bookings have collapsed by as much as 96% during coronavirus – which means huge numbers of liveable properties are available in the very cities that are suffering the worst housing crises.
The government's Kickstart programme is nowhere near enough – the only way to avoid widespread unemployment and a race to the bottom is by guaranteeing public investment in living wage jobs.
Instead of caution, Labour should show ambition – it's time to make the case for a transformative recovery which delivers a pay rise to workers and tackles social crises in housing, care and climate.
The late Alasdair Gray was Glasgow's finest – a talent worthy of the great city he depicted both in his murals and monumental novels.
Racism is a structural problem, and fighting it requires the Labour Party to support bold political and economic solutions – Keir Starmer's unconscious bias training is not the answer.