Blue Labour makes a comeback with launch of new book

On Saturday, Blue Labour: Forging a New Centre Ground – a book written by high-profile figures of the ‘Blue Labour’ group – will be released.

Blue Labour was launched by Labour peer Maurice Glasman back in 2009. It was described by Glasman a “deeply conservative socialism” – and Glasman received notoriety in part by calling for a temporary freeze on immigration. It also rejects neoliberal economics and believes previous governments were ‘too hands off with the market and too hands on with the state.’

The book is edited by Dr Adrian Pabst, a lecturer at the University of Kent, and Ian Geary, member of Christians on the Left.

It has chapters from MPs David Lammy, Tom Watson, Jon Cruddas and Frank Field – as well as Ruth Davis (the Political Director of Greenpeace), former party organising “guru” Arnie Graf, Maurice Glasman and parliamentary candidate for Southampton Itchen, Rowenna Davis. It includes a foreword from  former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

Glasman commented on the release of the book, saying:

“Blue Labour builds on all that is best about our past to build a better future.  It trusts the people of England to renew liberty and democracy and build a common good together.  This book shows its depth and its breadth and it reaches the parts that other political books cannot reach.”

The book gets its public launch in London on Monday evening.