The rise of nationalism at home and abroad makes tackling the constitution vital for Labour, says TREVOR FISHER. The Starmer team needs to map out a coherent alternative both to Tory-style unionism and independence. The answer lies partly in Corbyn’s manifesto....
Labour & the Constitution
WILL BROWN reflects on a recent Compass paper on electoral reform, the union and devolution, that calls for Labour to be far more radical on constitutional reform than the current debates over proportional representation. ...
Open Labour Launches its ‘Britain-Boosting’ Position Paper
Open Labour has launched a comprehensive new position paper setting out what it describes as “Britain-boosting” policy ideas to “enable people to live freer, happier and healthier lives”....
Labour Launches Members’ Policy Consultation
The Labour Party has launched its 2022 National Policy Forum consultation by announcing a series of online roundtable events for members to be held over the next five weeks....
Why Socialists Should Support PR
It’s no secret that support for proportional representation has been growing within the Labour Party, not least on the Labour left. JACQUELINE TAYLOR puts the socialist case for a proportional voting system for UK general elections and addresses some of the common arguments against it....
Labour Together’s ‘Covenant’ Promises a Road to Political Renewal
Enquiries into the nature and purpose of the Labour Party have been coming thick and fast since its calamitous defeat at the 2019 general election. The latest, and perhaps most comprehensive comes from Labour Together… ...
Safety First: Keir Starmer & The Road Ahead
It may be a centrist approach, but Keir Starmer’s recent Fabian pamphlet does at least reveal the three prongs of his electoral strategy. DAVID CONNOLLY assesses a flawed and uninspiring statement....
Why the Left Needs its own Foreign Policy Think Tank
Right-wing, ‘realist’ thinking has long dominated discussion of international affairs. It’s time that changed, says KAILASH KUTWAROO. A new progressive body is needed to build on the left’s rich tradition of internationalism and peace....
Can Keir Starmer Unlock the Road Ahead?
HARRY BARNES picks out a few problems and positives from the Labour leader’s recent Fabian pamphlet....
Fade to Mauve: Starmer’s Leadership One Year On
Easter Sunday marks 12 months since Keir Starmer was elected Labour leader on 4 April 2020. DAVID CONNOLLY assesses his first-year performance and suggests a way forward for the left....
Skewering the Social Mobility Myth
Politicians of all shades trumpet the ideal of social mobility as a mark of a fair society. It’s a claim picked apart by Selina Todd in her rich and compelling new book, Snakes and Ladders. MARIA GOULDING is impressed by a powerful manifesto for change....
Starmer’s (Un)Balancing Act
DAVID CONNOLLY reviews the Labour leadership’s response to recent controversies at the Proms and with the Overseas Operations Bill and wonders whether Keir Starmer is trying to ride two horses at the same time....