The Labour Party is the official opposition to the government. What exactly does this mean? How should socialists regard the Labour Party? Finding a satisfactory answer to these questions is not easy. To answer them we need to look at the kind of system (representative party-political democracy) that the party system is embedded in. The … Continue reading Party Politics and the Labour Party – Editorial
Month: June 2023
The Press and the Labour Party
Eamon Dyas I remember when I worked at the British Library at Colindale discovering how most English towns, and even quite small towns, usually had two newspapers covering national and local events from either the Tory or Liberal perspective. The heyday of this was in the 1880s. It went into decline when Gladstone’s Irish policy … Continue reading The Press and the Labour Party
Analysis: local elections 2023
From the Workers Party of Britain, with permission by Phil Bevin Celebrating failure Despite whatever Keir Starmer says, the local election results were a crushing disappointment for Labour, grinding any hopes of their forming a majority after the next election into dust. As I have argued previously, Labour’s own working-out suggests that they need a … Continue reading Analysis: local elections 2023
Israel’s Anniversary
The establishment of the state of Israel involved the expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians from their land 75 years ago, on 14 May 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the state of Israel. 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their land in the course of its establishment. In 1947, Britain handed over … Continue reading Israel’s Anniversary
Germany to further liberalize immigration
Eamon Dyas The New Imperialism is adding the exploitation of Third World Human Resources to the traditional exploitation of Material Resources. The Labour Minister says that Germany is looking to African countries to fill its skills shortage. Just like the 19th century rush to Africa, Germany has been late to this particular imperialism. Modern imperial exploitation … Continue reading Germany to further liberalize immigration
Jack Jones speaks
Jack Jones explains his role in the Labour movement in the 1970s, and how the battle to bring in Industrial Democracy was fought and lost, making something like Thatcherism almost inevitable. An interview with Jack Jones, conducted by Labour and Trade Union Review magazine L&TUR We’d like to begin with the experience of the seventies. As … Continue reading Jack Jones speaks
Trade Union Diary
Industrial Democracy A new book has just been published: "Our trade unions, what comes next after the summer of 2022?" By Nigel Flanagan, Manifesto Press. The book is vigorously written and addresses the question of the immense weakness of the trade union movement today without flinching. It rightly addresses the question of how it came about as … Continue reading Trade Union Diary
GAZA STILLS
They line up for the camera, the remainder of families, still in life as in death, they don’t complain, make no requests, they will get nothing and have nothing but checkpoints, high walls, razor wire, Israeli fighter jets who strike at their children, their mothers, their fathers, their grandparents, their phones are listened to, their … Continue reading GAZA STILLS
Note on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams · Britain Blighted by Upper London · Upper London Fears the Chinese Example · The Mistrustful USA · Snippets · Russia and China · Why Russia Rallies Round Putin · Worse Weather Britain Blighted by Upper London Well-meaning liberals like William Keegan are baffled that British politicians stay locked into policies that have caused vast suffering. Right-wing ideas … Continue reading Note on the News
Minimum Service: “a Ludicrous Bill” (2)
Minimum Service Bill debate in the House of Commons 22nd May 2023 [The Government moved against the amendments voted by the Lords. See reproduced below a selection of extracts of contributions by Labour, LD and SNP members; note how some are sceptical of Angela Rayner’s promise that Labour will repeal this Bill when in power.] The Parliamentary … Continue reading Minimum Service: “a Ludicrous Bill” (2)
A sensible left-wing election programme: the CP in the East of England
From the Morning Star 1st May 2023 https://morningstaronline.co.uk/system/files/pdf-editions/M_Star_010523.pdf IN the east of England on May 4 voters in Felixstowe East and Felixstowe West, Felixstowe Coastal, Kempston in Bedford, Sopwell in St Albans and Abbeygate and district in Bury St Edmunds will have the chance to vote communist. The campaigners have given priority to opposing the … Continue reading A sensible left-wing election programme: the CP in the East of England
Private Jets
Marie Dupin-a Fresh Look at the News France Info 4th May 2023 The News Personified—a fresh look at the news A short daily humorous piece on French state radio ‘France Info’ Every morning, the journalist Marie Dupin takes on the role of a personality, an event, a place or a fact at the heart of … Continue reading Private Jets
Nkrumah, Lumumba, Gaddafi: the US and Democracy in Africa
Article by Socialist Party Zambia What democracy can the United States government really promote for an African country? On March 29-30, 2023, the United States will co-host the second Summit for Democracy with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, and Republic of Zambia. Article by Socialist Party Zambia On March 29-30, … Continue reading Nkrumah, Lumumba, Gaddafi: the US and Democracy in Africa
Labour Affairs 