Andy Burnham's conference speech was a curious affair. He reiterated his view that the country took a wrong turn in the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher set out to dismantle the post-WWII political settlement. "In 1945, we had the vision to win the peace. We had the bravery to make change. We built good homes, secure … Continue reading Can People Live on Hope Alone? Editorial
History
Canvassing for George in Kentish Town.
Today 24th September I spent two hours canvassing for George Galloway who is contesting the bye election on the 8th of October in Holborn and St Pancras constituencyIt was in a very pleasant wide road near Kentish Town West, with well kept small terraced houses obviously owner-occupied. The people I spoke to were young and … Continue reading Canvassing for George in Kentish Town.
Sports and Politics: Ireland v Israel
Michael Murray The furore over Republic of Ireland playing Israel in the UEFA Nations’ League raises the question of what happened in the days of the boycotts of rugby games with apartheid South Africa. The record shows a huge contrast between the Fianna Fáil government stance on the issue of sports and politics - then compared to … Continue reading Sports and Politics: Ireland v Israel
Democracy et cetera
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, The article on “Democracy, et cetera” in the September 'Labour Affairs' helps to put Fascism in its historical context. In political discourse today it is treated as a transcendental source of evil that can be related to any situation irrespective of time and place and therefore becomes a meaningless … Continue reading Democracy et cetera
Was The Soviet Union “A Failed World State”?
(A Reply To Remarks In Labour Affairs, September '26) The Russian Revolution was envisaged in the first instance by its creator as a preliminary to an international Socialist Revolution against Capitalism. Socialist Revolution was seen by Lenin as having been made possible, even inevitable, in the immediate future, by developments within German capitalism during the War. These developments … Continue reading Was The Soviet Union “A Failed World State”?
Presidential pardons
On 19 September 2026, the President of Israel, former Labour politician Isaac Hertzog, pardoned Elor Azaria, an Israeli soldier who executed a Palestinian at an army checkpoint in Hebron in March 2016. The existence of video of the incident shot by a volunteer from the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem made it impossible for the Israeli … Continue reading Presidential pardons
The Coming of Censorship in Britain. Liberal democracy in action.
Dave Gardner It is often proclaimed with pride by politicians and their media in the UK that we are privileged to live in a ‘Liberal democracy’ unlike the unfortunates in countries such as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China who languish under ‘authoritarian regimes’. We enjoy a variety of competing political parties, … Continue reading The Coming of Censorship in Britain. Liberal democracy in action.
Guilt for 20th Century Mass Deaths
Lenin as Peacemaker Marxist Guilt? The Black Book as Unreliable Source Junk Politics About China The Meaning of Responsibility - A Wider Project? Was World War Two Unavoidable? Wider Reading Lenin as Peacemaker World War One was the biggest mass killing in Europe since the Thirty Years War. Much bigger than the combined Revolutionary and Napoleonic … Continue reading Guilt for 20th Century Mass Deaths
Burnham’s story should have been Inequality, not Devolution—Editorial
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
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
