‘An Idea Whose Time Has Come’

A universal basic income could be one of the big progressive policies at the next election according to campaign group Compass which has published a report on the issue, saying it’s “an idea whose time has come”....

Education for Action at Miners’ Gala

‘The rise and fall of the working class’ will be one of the topics under discussion as part of a North-East Labour History’s week-long programme of talks and events in the lead-up to this year’s Durham Miners’ Gala on Saturday 9 July....

London to Celebrate Ada Salter Day

Ada Salter’s 150th birthday will be celebrated in south east London on the weekend of 15-16 July with a series of events to mark the extraordinary legacy of this pioneering ILPer on the people and politics of Bermondsey, London and the country....

Brexit: The Left Responds

‘We still believe in each other’ is the message from Hope not Hate, just one of a number of left wing groups and organisations who have responded to the European Union referendum result. The United Kingdom voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU at the polls yesterday, triggering Prime Minister David Cameron to...

EU: Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils

The EU referendum campaign has hardly been inspiring. For the left it poses some awkward questions with few simple answers. DAVID CONNOLLY casts his eye over some of the better contributions and opts to vote Remain. Just. Realistically, this debate was never going to be particularly sophisticated but the torrent of misleading statistics and highly...

The Crisis of Social Democracy

The future of social democracy comes under scrutiny in a new publication from Compass chair Neal Lawson who argues that the Labour Party needs to undergo radical change if it is to remain relevant in the 21st century....

Ada Salter and the Origins of Ethical Socialism

In writing his lauded biography of ILPer Ada Salter, GRAHAM TAYLOR began to wonder about the ILP’s ethical socialism. In a recent lecture to the Socialist History Society, he traced the history of those ideas and values which the Salters epitomised through their lives in south east London. I must start with a confession. When...

Another Europe is Possible

Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis and Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell will be headline speakers at a left wing conference on the European Union referendum in London on Saturday 28 May....

The ILP and the Spanish Civil War

Even after 80 years the role of the ILP in the Spanish Civil War is still a controversial topic. Its role was minor, says CHRISTOPHER HALL, but the contribution and sacrifice of ILP volunteers deserves to be remembered. George Orwell’s ‘Homage to Catalonia’ is still the most famous and most read book about the Spanish...