Andy Burnham may not be standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection but his notion of ‘Manchesterism’ has gained much publicity in recent weeks. JONATHAN TIMBERS reviews a new book on the city that casts a critical light on decades of ‘state-led gentrification’ and working class displacement....
Labour came to power promising unprecedented support for the co-operative sector. Eighteen months on the prospect remains more a taunting hope than the driving force of social and economic change many had wished for. CHRIS OLEWICZ & STEVE THOMPSON chart the progress so far, but fear a genuine grasp of co-operation’s transformative potential is...
Blue Labour, soft left, hard left, Labour Together, Labour to Win … Labour it appears is riven with conflict. JOHN CUNNISON reviews an in-depth analysis of party factions that makes a bold attempt to bridge political rifts but ultimately misses the point....
Arguing for welfare over warfare is naïve and out of date, says GARY KENT. We need urgently a European military superpower to protect us from whatever is coming our way, whether from east or west....
The left’s response to major conflicts is inconsistent and contradictory, says MJ DENISON. It’s time to learn from history and build a new clear-eyed approach free from binary perspectives....
When Reform UK took control of Derbyshire county council in May, one small community resisted the surge. KEITH VENABLES describes how unions, activists and anti-hate groups built a grassroots campaign that might just be a model for the rest of the country....
For JOHN CUNNISON disappointment with Labour budgets is ‘baked in’. He picks out his personal highs and lows from last week’s announcement. ...
Keir Starmer came to power on the back of ‘a deliberate and calculated act of internal political sabotage’, according to a new book on the party think tank behind his leadership. It reveals, says ERNIE JACQUES, ‘a secretive, deceptive campaign to dismantle the Labour left and extinguish social democratic principles’....
CHRIS WILSON welcomes the arrival of the new broad left network that calls itself ‘the home for Labour’s radical realists’. Early signs are encouraging, he says, but some questions remain....
CHRIS WILSON has been reflecting on his coming retirement and wondering how to carry on the political fight in older age....
Durham is known worldwide for its 900-year-old cathedral. But there is another historic building in the north-east city that holds a special place in the hearts of local people, one being reborn as a hub of heritage and hope for the county’s stricken communities. MARY STRATFORD explains....
A new book on Durham Coalfield communities is a timely testament to working class resilience, says MARY HULL, bringing together evocative tales of ‘marras’, meetings, strikes and marches as well as banners, brass bands and allotments. ...