No to bigotry … unless it’s from people we approve of (or people once influenced by Tony Benn)

Above: Starmer and his new recruit [PA Wire/PA Images] Like the vast majority of Labour Party members – including MP’s – the Morning Star has been shocked and disgusted by Starmer’s welcome for Natalie Elphicke. The editorial of 10 May accurately describes her as “on the right-wing edge of the Conservative Party” having “made her …

Watching the real world – not chasing “left of Labour” fantasies

Above: speakers at the No Ceasefire No Vote conference on 13 April By Rhodri Evans On Saturday some of us were walking from a Workers’ Liberty meeting in York to the rail station. At one junction we couldn’t remember whether to turn left or right. We looked at Google Maps on our phones. Before we …

Owen Jones: from campaigner to social media ‘brand’

The social media 'brand' that is Owen Jones has resigned from the Labour party, saying “It’s difficult to disentangle Labour from my sense of self.” And, indeed, it’s difficult to disentangle his resignation from his self-righteousness. His resignation – variously announced in a Guardian article, an online video, a podcast and on Twitter/X, contains some justified condemnation …

While Gazans starve and die … pathetic point-scoring games in UK parliament

Tory and SNP MPs walk out of the Commons chamber. Picture: Parliament From LabourList: Gaza ceasefire vote result: Parliament backs Labour motion – read full text and how chaos unfolded By Morgan Jones & Tom Belger MPs have approved a Labour motion backing an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Israel and Gaza, with the party avoiding a widely …

To beat the populists reassert class – and stop Labour’s backsliding

Cartoon by Moreland (The Times) Guest post by Johnny Lewis In spite of the chaos Johnson and Truss left behind, they were still the heralds of right-wing libertarianism. Advocates of this ideology, present a set of ideas which links unfettered free market capitalism, (made possible by Brexit) with ‘traditional’ conservative values such as ‘authority' and …

Labour’s £28bn green plan: reaction as ‘party set to ditch target’

Cartoon by Moreland (The Times) By Tom Belger (at LabourList) Labour is set to make an announcement on its Green Prosperity Plan today, with the party widely reported to be on the brink of ditching a commitment to ramp green spending up to £28 billon a year. A party spokesman declined to confirm or deny …

Why trade unions should not support the Morning Star

by Jim Denham, 22 pages, ISBN 9781909639645 This short pamphlet explains why trade unions should not be giving political and financial support to a newspaper which is not the "daily paper of the left" but the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of Britain: Introduction In August 2022 the executive of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers’ Union …

Labour MPs defy Starmer in ceasefire vote

Crowds gathered ahead of the ceasefire vote. Picture: LBC  Andrew Coates, at Tendance Coatesy, reports: Ten Labour frontbenchers opposed the party leadership and voted for an explicit immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday evening. Dozens of Labour MPs defy Keir Starmer to vote for ceasefire in Gaza. Eight Labour frontbenchers including Jess Phillips have resigned as Keir …

The row in Labour over Gaza

Above: Starmer with members of the Muslim community at the South Wales Islamic Centre on Sunday. Photograph: Labour party/Twitter Katie Neame at LabourList writes: Keir Starmer last night issued another statement on the conflict between Israel and Hamas – following a day of heightened pressure on the Labour leader. Starmer said the amount of aid reaching Gaza is “completely …

Turning things round in Labour

Above: this year's Labour conference (note the backdrop) Editorial from latest issue of Solidarity: Keir Starmer has had a 15 to 20% poll lead over the Tories for a year, since the Liz Truss episode in September-October 2022. As with Blair in 1994-97, many people in the labour movement will go along with him if …