The left – the broad church left – has universally welcomed Zarah Sultana’s 3 July statement to resign from Labour and to co-lead the formation of a new party. The numbers (over 60,000 at the time of writing) that have signed up to support the project clearly reflect the widespread Continue Reading
Starmer
Labour’s Immigration Crackdown
Following on from the victory of Reform UK in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and in the local elections, the Labour government has responded, with a speech by Keir Starmer on 12 May, speaking to the government white paper “Restoring control over the immigration system”. In a political environment already Continue Reading
From the welfare state to the workfare-warfare state
Starmer’s decisive shift rightwards has blown another gaping hole in Labour Party left’s pretentions to offer a socialist alternative within the party. Individually left parliamentarians express their outrage at cuts in fuel winter allowance and the prospect of a proposed £6 billion cuts to benefits to finance defence spending. Collectively, Continue Reading
Starmer: Undertaker of the post-war settlement
This is an edited version of an introduction given by Will McMahon at the Talking About Socialism online meeting of September 30th 2024. The context Where does Britain stand as Starmer’s team takes its initial steps in Government? It continues its long decline as an imperialist power. A Continue Reading
A socialist response to Labour’s victory
This is an edited version of Will McMahon’s introduction to the Talking About Socialism event on Monday 8 July, 2024 It has not been edited to reflect Labour’s first month in Government. You can watch the event on YouTube What was my take on the election results? While Labour had Continue Reading
Sunak, Shapps and Starmer beat the war drum
In a speech delivered at Lancaster House in London on Monday 15 January 2024, titled Defending Britain from a more dangerous world, UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps evoked the spirit of previous war-mongering Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to prepare the British public for war. War on many fronts. War that will Continue Reading
Labour Conference 2023 – Free market capitalism back in charge
The two following articles are edited version of brief introductions given by Will McMahon and Janet Sillet at a Talking About Socialism … from a Marxist point of view meeting “What happened at the 2023 Labour Party conference” on Monday 16 October 2023. They are published in the order of Continue Reading
What sort of new party of the left?
A call has been put out by a number of small left-wing groups and individuals for a new party. Left Unity, the Breakthrough Party, the People’s Alliance of the Left, and three Liverpool Community Independents councillors, together with other individuals have put out a call for a new party of Continue Reading
What sort of public ownership?
Water is essential for life. Provided by nature, it should be accessible and free for all. A functioning system for treating sewage is also one of the most basic requirements for any society; without it we face disease and contagion. Yet, in the UK, one of the richest countries in Continue Reading
No short cuts
Should Jeremy Corbyn stand as an independent in Islington North? Should socialists stand candidates against Labour generally and against Keir Starmer specifically? Should socialists be calling for a new workers’ party? If so, what sort of party? None of these questions can be answered without first answering the questions that Continue Reading