Catherine Dunlop [The photo above shows Viktor Orbán] Socialists call themselves socialists, conservatives call themselves conservatives, but so-called populists don’t call themselves populists. It is a derogatory term. The word itself indicate that the people are involved, either as a mass to be flattered and used, as in demagogy, or simply involved. The implication is that the … Continue reading What is Populism ?
We reproduce this article by Tim Pendry of the Workers Party of Britain Tim Pendry Unstable Times Sep 03, 2024 We are supposed to be either surprised or outraged by populist (both Left and Right) victories in the regional elections in East Germany but, leaving outrage to partisans, it should not be a ‘shock’ to anyone … Continue reading Germany & The Problem of Centrism under Pressure
Torture, abuse and humiliation: Palestinians on Israeli prison ‘hell’ (Guardian, 5 August 2024) Hubris drives deadly Israeli gamble in Tehran (Omar Karmi, Electronic Intifada, 31 July 2024) Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh will strengthen resistance resolve (Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada, 31 July 2024) Canada strikes Jewish National Fund’s charitable status (Nora Barrows-Friedman, Electronic Intifada, 25 July … Continue reading Palestine Links
[The Liberal mainstream are worried about the rise of a genuine left wing party that looks after the interests of working people in Germany. The latest ploy, used recently by the Guardian is to describe the BSW as ‘far right’. Extracts from recent BSW bulletins expose this for the lie that it is. What liberals … Continue reading Labour Affairs Bulletin on the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht Party in Germany.
No Ban without a Plan Sharon Graham: We can’t sit back and allow oil and gas workers to become the miners of net zero https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/opinion/5902396/sharon-graham-oil-gas-unite-opinion/ Put simply: the transition to net zero will only work if we put jobs at its very heart. The current plan is too vague, writes Unite's general secretary. When Margaret … Continue reading Sharon Graham on Net Zero
The Workers Party of Britain did a lot better than previous efforts at a Left Alternative. No seats were won, but here are the top ten results. Constituency Share %.Birmingham Yardley29.3Rochdale29.2Birmingham Hodge Hill & Solihull North26.6Blackburn18.3Derby South13.9Bolton South & Walkden12.7Manchester Rusholme12.6Peterborough12.1Oldham East & Saddleworth11.6Gorton & Denton10.3 https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-uk-election-results/parties/workers-party-of-britain/
Starmer’s Moment of Weakness Keir Starmer has been a very effective leader of the Labour Party in opposition. At least by the standard that he set himself. Starmer set out to construct a Labour Party that could win an overall majority in the 2024 general election. In this he has succeeded. Starmer decided that he could only achieve … Continue reading Starmer’s Moment of Weakness—Editorial
Richard Jones Part 3: Global Climate Change? I had intended for this instalment simply to look at the facts about the climate record (expecting to find confirmation that average temperature has been rising, and then in later instalments examine the evidence as to causes, the oracles predicting how this will evolve, and the pundits telling … Continue reading Reflections on questions concerning global warming
By Gwydion M. Williams Suffering from Freedom, Rather Than Enjoying It. India – Twisting a Twisted System Anti-Social Housing Snippets China’s Continuing Rise Still Fighting to the Last Ukrainian An End to Feed-the-Rich? The Alternative Right How to be a Good Follower Austerity Was Pointless Fixing Addiction Suffering from Freedom, Rather Than Enjoying It. All … Continue reading Notes on the News
Eamon Dyas The demise of the “general needs” housing consensus The removal of the Labour Party’s Land Values Tax from the statute book by the Conservative-dominated National Government in 1934 represented the final dismantlement of the legislative structure that the Labour Governments of 1924 and 1929 had attempted to put in place in the service … Continue reading Labour and housing – Part 16
The Guilt of Upper London and the Mahan USA Press Poisoners – Now on Television Upper London’s Other Victims The Oddity of Kosovo Post-Truthful in Gaza Britain Gave the World Democracy? The USA as Redefined by Admiral Mahan Press Poisoners – Now on Television Irish socialist James Connolly complained in 1913 about the way that … Continue reading Britain’s Immoral Foreign Policy
The WPB recognises that a new young party of the Left needs to mobilise voters and activists from the new generation. The Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn seemed to recognise this and published a Youth Manifesto in 2019. There does not seem to have been any significant policy thinking in this area since the fall of … Continue reading Workers’ Party of Britain Education & Youth Manifesto
General Elections July 2024 We are aware of several constituencies, and there must be many more, where a pro-Palestinian ‘socialist’ candidate has emerged to rival the candidate of the Workers Party. In Tottenham where Jennifer Obaseki was standing for the Workers Party, another candidate popped up with points in common with Jennifer (on Palestine and … Continue reading Spoiler candidates for the Workers Party
How Israeli drone strikes are killing journalists in Gaza (Mariana Abreu, Aïda Delpuech, Eloïse Layan & Yuval Abraham, +972, 25 June 2024) Israel’s path to defeat: The implications (Helena Cobban, 21 June 2024) London Times is first mainstream outlet to debunk Israel's "mass rapes" hoax (Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada, 16 June 2024) ICC must be … Continue reading Palestine Links July 2024
Once again we bring Labour Affairs readers news of the developing anti-globalist worker-friendly new left party in Germany. The party did well in the European elections and despite caution about growing too rapidly it is self-confident and optimistic about its future, particularly as it is offering policies that no other German political party wishes to … Continue reading Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht June 2024
[The first round of elections left about 500 constituencies where no one had an absolute majority. 200 had only 2 candidates remaining, but 300 had 3 candidates eligible for the second round. Negotiations took place for the weakest candidate to withdraw in order to try and block the National Rally from being elected. In around 200 constituencies the … Continue reading French Elections 7 July 2024
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
Brendan Clifford "Britain should be preparing for war—instead we're fretting over fiscal rules".—so says Paul Mason in City AM (9th April). Under his many disguises Mason has always remained a British patriot. British patriotism carries many things of the moment along with it on its erratic journey. These things are discarded in a moment when the opportunity arises for … Continue reading Britain Preparing for War
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