As the Labour leadership contest enters its final leg, party members will be receiving their ballots in the post today. But while the national media is zooming in on a two-horse race between the two Milibands – one the candidate of continuity, the other of modest change – The Third Estate talks to Diane Abbott, [...]
An interesting discussion has been taking place about the routes of New Labour’s illiberalism. In a piece limited by an evident lack of understanding about the history of the Labour movement or of British marxism, Francesca Klug argued that traditional Marxist influences in the party were to blame. (Francesca says that Marxists were uninterested “in [...]
Working class universalism is not enough. Labour does not deserve our unwavering loyalty It’s Friday evening. I should be out partying or down the pub. Instead I’m sitting in front of my computer, wondering what wondrous topic to opine upon for my column. I’ve scoured the news. David Cameron’s doing God and Boris, hopes for [...]
Interview by Dan Swain and Lorna Finlayson Ted Honderich is Grote Professor Emeritus of Mind and Logic at University College London. Since 9/11 he has written several books on the subject of terrorism and war, most recently Humanity, Terrorism, Terrorist War, and has become a vocal advocate of the right of the Palestinians to a [...]
Labour are warning that the far right are becoming more dangerous – perhaps it’s time for them to stop being complacent. John Denham announced a new government initiative on the weekend to address the concerns of the white working classes who he said had been “exploited” by the far right. The government, it seems, has [...]
In the same week Jon Cruddas argued that Labour needs to reconnect with its roots or suffer a “catastrophic” defeat at the next election, Derek Simpson, general secretary of UNITE, said in an interview with The Guardian: Labour has got to be more clear that it is on the side of working people, rather than [...]
To many of my generation, who were born in Thatcher’s Britain and whose politics were shaped by the stark reminder one morning in September 2001 that history was far from over, Tony Benn is a hero. It was another left-wing icon, Bob Dylan, who described a hero as “someone who understands the degree of responsibility [...]
Friends, lefty bloggers, socialists, I’ve got a guilty secret. I’ve been actively campaigning for the Green Party in the upcoming European Elections on June 4th. It’s been a difficult time for me politically. With the split in Respect, the failure of John McDonnell and the Labour left to leave a scratch on the New Labour [...]
Its been quite a week for Labour party. I don’t want to dwell any further upon the ridiculously entitled smeargate. I think I was far more incensed by reports of James Purnell charging the tax payer up to £400 a month for his groceries. As the man in charge of social security, he expects the [...]
