Ukraine frenzy in Parliament Hoping to hear details of the budget from the Chancellor I switched on Parliamentary Questions on Wednesday the 26th of November. What I heard instead was an orgy of Russophobia, with MPs of all parties lambasting the ‘aggression’ of the Russian state, or as Edward Leigh MP called it, ‘the Bear’. … Continue reading Letters
Tory Party
The Great Reform Fraud—Editorial
At the time of writing [2 May 2025] Reform has narrowly won the Runcorn and Helsby byelection, displacing the Labour Party from this seat. Reform is also set to do well in local elections including winning a mayoralty in Lincolnshire. The Workers Party has failed to make an impact in these elections despite having a … Continue reading The Great Reform Fraud—Editorial
Political Parties aligned with the Working Class
What are they and how should they operate? Dave Gardner Political Parties use social action to achieve political objectives. In order to defend collective interests within the state, one needs an organisation that has the potential to form a government. This basically is what a political party exists to do – to form a government … Continue reading Political Parties aligned with the Working Class
What’s Reform UK’s Game? Editorial
After various incarnations as UKIP and the Brexit Party, Reform UK has become a major force in British politics. The Reform Party is the political vehicle of Nigel Farage, a longstanding political operator on the right of British politics who, although he has only just entered Parliament, has already exercised a huge influence on British … Continue reading What’s Reform UK’s Game? Editorial
Reeves’ False Debt and Interest Problems
Throughout January, there has been much excitement in the main stream media about the state of the government finances. Apparently the ‘bond vigilantes’, by reducing the amount they were prepared to pay for a government bond, were expressing their displeasure with proposed government policies. We were told that Reeves was ‘all out of money’ and would likely … Continue reading Reeves’ False Debt and Interest Problems
Liberal Democratic Oligarchy
Dave Gardner We live in a political system described by its advocates as liberal democracy. Liberal democracy is contrasted with ‘authoritarian’ regimes which adopt policies that the leaders of liberal democracies do not like, such as the promotion of traditional families, restrictions on the influence of foreign governments masquerading as ‘civil society organisations’ or advocacy of … Continue reading Liberal Democratic Oligarchy
Lords of Misrule—Editorial
A general election is upon the British people. General elections in Britain are theatrical affairs that rely on the generation of enthusiasm through manufactured differences in policy and outlook. By doing so continuity is achieved through the semblance of genuine controversy and the myth of liberal democracy is preserved. That myth rests on the idea … Continue reading Lords of Misrule—Editorial
Authoritarian Liberal Democracy—Editorial
On the 11th November 2023 the largest of a series of ongoing popular demonstrations against Israel’s actions against the population of Gaza took place in London. By some estimates between 800,000 and a million people attended, certainly far more than the official estimates of 300,000. By any standards this was a significant expression of popular feeling, … Continue reading Authoritarian Liberal Democracy—Editorial
Mick Lynch in his Own Words
[Since Mick Lynch made this speech, the government have announced the closure of all ticket offices.] RMT Press Office: In his annual address to RMT AGM, general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The RMT is sound, robust and in good shape to meet the challenges ahead. "However, we cannot be complacent because the challenges are significant. … Continue reading Mick Lynch in his Own Words
Minimum Service: a “Ludicrous Bill’ (3)
Minimum Service Bill (3) 21 June 2023 House of Commons—Hansard The Minimum Service Bill is not just ludicrous, it is also authoritarian. Having no opposition to speak of, the government acts as if it can do what it likes. Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab) He currently undertakes the roles of Shadow Minister (Business and … Continue reading Minimum Service: a “Ludicrous Bill’ (3)
Party Politics and the Labour Party – Editorial
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
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
Ukrainian Refugees and ‘small boat’ Asylum seekers
Eamon Dyas By the end of July 2022, the U.K. government had estimated that 104,000 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in the UK in the previous 5 months. [See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/100000-ukrainians-welcomed-to-safety-in-the-uk %5D By the 24th of August 2022 data compiled by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford showed that over 115,200 Ukrainian refugees were officially living in … Continue reading Ukrainian Refugees and ‘small boat’ Asylum seekers
Politics, the State and the Market in Land
LABOUR AND HOUSING – Part 10. Politics, the State and the Market in Land By Eamon Dyas A core component of the post-war political delineation between Labour and Conservative policies was formed around the question of the relationship of the State to the market. Ever since the foundation of the Labour Party this had been … Continue reading Politics, the State and the Market in Land
The Kwarteng Budget
Kwasi Kwarteng’s Budget Adventure. Dave Gardner Did the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwarteng mention the need for extra borrowing when he presented his tax cutting plans to the House of Commons on 23 September? The answer is NO he didn't - although opposition speakers (including Rachel Reeves) did assert that substantial extra borrowing would … Continue reading The Kwarteng Budget
Animal Spirits, Taxing and Borrowing — Editorial
Kwasi Kwarteng is clearly a believer in animal spirits, or more specifically, the animal spirits of the UK private sector. The term ‘animal spirits’ was used by the economist J. M. Keynes to describe the spontaneous forces of vitality that drive human action. Apparently these animal spirits have been held back by too much taxing and … Continue reading Animal Spirits, Taxing and Borrowing — Editorial
Notes on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams Trickle-Down – a Swindle Who Needs the Multi-millionaires? The World Shanghaied? Russo-Ukrainians Forbidden Democracy? Sweden and Italy, Overstrained Communities Italy, Also Overstrained Two Nice People, Unfit For Their Jobs Snippets More Tory Failures Turkish Inequality Trickle-Down – a Swindle President Biden recently denounced Trickle-Down.[A] Then Liz Truss affirmed the idea: tax cutting … Continue reading Notes on the News
Animal Spirits
Unleash the animal spirits! The Truss Kwarteng philosophy By Feargus O Raghallaigh It seems to me that many people do not quite get what Truss and Kwarteng are up to, which is attempting to give political and policy expression in government and in power to a religious belief or a religio-economic belief in effect. The core of this … Continue reading Animal Spirits
Labour Affairs 