If Andy Burnham is to have any hope of reversing the decline of the Labour Party he needs to have a fairly simple but compelling story. One good story would be inequality. He could say that he is going to reverse the inequality that has developed in the UK in the 47 years since Thatcher first came … Continue reading Burnham’s story should have been Inequality, not Devolution—Editorial
History
The Limits of Devolution—Editorial
In his speech in Manchester on 29th June, Andy Burnham made some interesting proposals. He wants all parts of the UK to be able to take greater public control of essential services like water, housing, energy and transport. He also pledges 10-year plans to bring down the cost of these essentials to individuals, families and … Continue reading The Limits of Devolution—Editorial
Racist Incidents, Southampton and Belfast
Eamon Dyas As far as I see it the issue here isn’t about how racism or anti-racism explains these incidents. The issue is how European capitalism has come to rely on immigration both to feed its labour as well as its population needs in a situation where a sense of nationality continues to be the … Continue reading Racist Incidents, Southampton and Belfast
Notes on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams Morally bankrupt, but the wages are great! Tories as Latter-Day Anti-Fascists ‘Money Makers’ are Chieftains and Money Takers Snippets Iran: Willingness to Suffer Poland and West Ukraine: Normal Hatreds Resumed Trump and Musk’s Anti-State Folly Losing the Moon? Or Losing Life on Mars? Children of Sixteen? Lowering the Cost of Motherhood Green … Continue reading Notes on the News
An Unknown Victory of Working class struggle
John ClaydenMy father Harry Clayden was born in 1905 his mother my grandmother was born in the poor house where her mother , who was a servant girl , was incarcerated. My grandmother later married dad's father who was a carter who died in a flu epidemic just before the first world war . At … Continue reading An Unknown Victory of Working class struggle
Gary Stevenson—Tax the super-rich
Catherine Dunlop Gabriel Zucman is not as urgent, in his little book ‘We need to tax the Billionaires’ at least, as Gary Stevenson on his Channel ‘Gary’s Economics’. They agree on their one main point, and Stevenson has done an interview with Zucman recently on his channel. Gary Stevenson makes one point only on his channel, which … Continue reading Gary Stevenson—Tax the super-rich
Sahra Wagenknecht Newsletters
4 June 2026 This is Sahra Wagenknecht’s newsletter. In it, I provide regular updates on my activities and current political issues. Germany is in danger of being relegated. This is mainly down to an incompetent head coach who loves the sponsors more than his own supporters and is unable to motivate his divided team … Continue reading Sahra Wagenknecht Newsletters
Was Fianna Fáil ‘slightly fascist’ in the 1930s?
James Connolly was the only Labour leader in the British state who was explicitly Marxist in his general framework of understanding and who engaged in revolutionary action against the State. He was killed for his revolutionary attempt by a Coalition Government which included the founder of the Labour Party, Arthur Henderson, who was in the process … Continue reading Was Fianna Fáil ‘slightly fascist’ in the 1930s?
Notes on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams Iran – Regime Still Standing False Belief as a Root of Evil Iran: Not My Sort of Regime China and Compromise Snippets Taxing the Rich Ukraine – Predictable Disaster Intelligence Is Many Different Things Iran – Regime Still Standing British pop singer Elton John can’t have many followers in Iran. But his … Continue reading Notes on the News
Competitive Parliamentarianism Isn’t Essential for Democracy
By Gwydion M. Williams Parliaments of the rich, for a rich minority Elections as a path to Civil War Humans are not natural democrats or natural sharers Parliaments of the rich, for a rich minority England has been parliamentary since the 14th century. But only in 1688 was it settled that the monarch could not rule without … Continue reading Competitive Parliamentarianism Isn’t Essential for Democracy
The Sahra Wagenknecht Newsletter
30 April 2026 This is Sahra Wagenknecht’s newsletter, where she provides regular updates on her activities and current political issues. The links take the reader to the original German source; one of those links (the essay on a dictionary of war softening) has been translated below. The federal government has approved the draft budget for … Continue reading The Sahra Wagenknecht Newsletter
Review of ” Resistance the Essence of the Islamist Revolution” by Alastair Crooke.
John Clayden As the late great Duke Ellington once said " It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it....that's what gets results " so what was it that made the Iranian Islamist Shia Revolution successful and how has Iran Hezbollah and Hamas and Yemen survived against all the odds. The explanation provided … Continue reading Review of ” Resistance the Essence of the Islamist Revolution” by Alastair Crooke.
Your Party, Our Party, a Party for the Many
By Gwydion M. Williams A New Hope? The Road to the Liverpool Convention Incidentals in Liverpool What Sort of Party?’ ‘Not Invented Here’? Soft Leninism: an Argument of Trotskyists World-Changing Leninists, But Not Here Back to the Liverpool Convention Things I’d Have Liked To Say The Wider World A New Hope? The Road to the Liverpool Convention … Continue reading Your Party, Our Party, a Party for the Many
Notes on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams ‘Feed the Rich’ – the Creed of Today’s Labour MPs Who Are the Next Nine? True-Born English – Not Replaced, But Diminishing Black Insiders Defending Hedge-Fund Hegemony China Still Rising Snippets ‘Reform’ – Fools are Fooled Twice International Law – Never a Reality Idealism Is Still There Roosevelt the Hopeful But … Continue reading Notes on the News
Notes on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams When Mr President of the USA makes International Law Lies about Ukraine’s Civil War Labour Renewal Snippets US Politics – Corrupt Long Before Trump Gaza’s Yours, the Donbass is Ours ? Should Xi try an Aksai Chin gambit? (Pictured) A Mess in Bolivia Why are honeybees dying en masse in the … Continue reading Notes on the News
Rebuild British Manufacturing
From the think tank “Rebuilding Britain” Labour Affairs has carried from the beginning the link to “Rebuilding Britain” (See “Links”, top right of home page). This month we reproduce the Preface and conclusion of their pamphlet “Rebuild British Manufacturing” Rebuild British Manufacturing A Strategy for Revival The pamphlet is available at: https://rebuildbritain.org.uk/manufacturing/ Preface Britain’s greatly diminished … Continue reading Rebuild British Manufacturing
Vodka: a Review
How Russia was introduced to capitalism. Review and synopsis of Vodka, a novel by Boris Starling. Published by Harper Collins, London, 2004. Eamon Dyas I read this novel shortly after it was published and it struck me at the time that its explanation of the way in which Russia’s transfer to capitalism had taken place was … Continue reading Vodka: a Review
Britain Preparing for War
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
Labour Affairs 