MICHAEL MEACHER MP argues that political power is more concentrated than at any time for a century. We need a new political governance. Do we have any influence over those who govern us? After two million marched against the war, the issue that has brought this to a head is, of course, Iraq. But...
Save the Labour Party
Save the Labour Party is one of a number of initiatives that have emerged to challenge the Labour Party leadership’s politics and practices. BARRY WINTER joined 30 other members at its public meeting and AGM in Manchester on 29 November last year. Tony Lloyd MP Tony Lloyd expressed concern about the lack of young...
Reimagining socialism, reinventing democracy
BARRY WINTER finds much to admire in Hilary Wainwright’s book Reclaim the State, but says she is still romantically optimistic about the prospects of new left parties. My interest in Hilary Wainwright’s recent and, I think, important book initially came from a desire to discover more about the practical ‘experiments in popular democracy’ indicated...
Save the Party … for Gordon Brown
JONATHAN TIMBERS finds the STLP heading up some depressingly familiar left wing cul-de-sacs. Earlier this year, Barry Winter and I attended a Save the Labour Party (STLP) members’ meeting in Manchester at which Michael Meacher spoke. There were calls in the meeting for a leadership election. Meacher politely and gently explained that any attempt...
In search of the good society
Jonathan Timbers skirted the fringes of Labour Party conference in September listening to versions of the good society The Good Society is the first of three short books from Compass following its consultations with members, left-wing academics and experts on policy priorities for radical social democrats in Britain today. I perused its 100-or-so pages...
Shaking up the left
HARRY BARNES finds Nick Cohen’s book, What’s Left?, a stimulating yet flawed polemic. Love it or hate it, this is a readable and serious political romp. In What’s Left? How liberals lost their way, Nick Cohen wishes to shake up wide elements of left and liberal opinion which he feels ignore some clear home...
Thirteen wasted years
Former MP HARRY BARNES offers his own take on Tony Blair’s time in office, and his thoughts on Labour’s future. Few of those who voted for Tony Blair in the Labour leadership contest of 1994 knew or cared about his new Labour project. It was sufficient for the centre and right-wing of the party...
Leaders not into the future
Does Labour’s change of leadership reflect anything more politically profound than a change of personnel? HAZEL HAED asseses the evidence. Gordon Brown’s long and painful wait to assume the top spot in British politics is now coming to an end. After enduring Tony Blair’s farcically long goodbye, Brown was shorn of the need actually...