John McDonnell to launch ‘Claim the Future’ campaign group

Labour’s John McDonnell has announced that he will launch a ‘Claim the Future’ campaign group and set out a socialist vision for a post-coronavirus economy on Wednesday.

The virtual meeting will also feature prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, leading economist Jayati Ghosh, executive director of War on Want Asad Rehman, and environment and human rights campaigner Tina Ngata.

The stated aim of the new initiative being launched by the former Shadow Chancellor is to “network our thinking and our campaigning actions to construct the economy and society we need” after the Covid-19 crisis.

Urging people to attend the meeting, McDonnell wrote: “As we move from the Covid crisis to face the threat of the climate crisis, we mustn’t let our political leaders put us at risk by taking us back to business as usual.”

The Hayes and Harlington MP also released a short promotional video on Twitter for the new campaign group earlier this week, telling viewers that “we need to use this time to think”.

He said: “We’re not going back. But where are we going? What do we want for our planet, our communities, our future? If we don’t answer this question, it will be answered for us. And blame shifted from the powerful to the powerless.

“We need each other now. We need to reflect and reset, strategise, organise, assemble – collective power. This is a network. Join – claim the future.”

The meeting follows his first major interview since stepping down from the shadow cabinet, in which he called for the urgent nationalisation of care services in response to the coronavirus pandemic. You can register for the event here.