Letters to the Editor – week ending 19 April 2026

Read what people have been writing to our editor about this week. Find out how to share your own views here.

Kinnock Reflections

Hello Emma.

I hope you are very well.

Just to say I think ‘Friends of LabourList’ is a fantastic idea, and of course, I am a friend!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching & listening to the ‘in conversation’ yesterday evening with Lord Kinnock which was insightful, enjoyable, professional, conversational and that never lost its ‘personal touch.

Thank you also for asking Lord Kinnock my question on incremental progress and it made my night to hear Lord Kinnock say ‘Paul has a very, very, very good point’ and then to listen to his opinion on what Labour needs to do.

I have always had the utmost respect for Lord Kinnock and how he led, and changed the Labour Party for the better which undoubtedly helped to set the foundations for future Labour electoral victories.

Wishing you & all at LabourList every continued success and achievement.

Best wishes, 

Paul Hodgkins

[Editors note: The Neil Kinnock ‘In Conversation’ event was the first of our Friends only live interviews. The video will be available shortly, but only friends of LabourList can watch live and submit questions.

On a personal note, thank you to Paul for your kind words. I think you could tell I was having the time of my life!]

*****

Short and to the point

Hi   

Stamer is looking for ideas! How about Socialism!

Sean Brogan

*****

The state of it

Whilst I agree with everything in the article (James Tibbitts ‘The cost of everything), it does reflect a rather short-term view of our economic problems.

I believe that there is an eighth problem that our Party needs to use in a more strategic way and that is the role of the State.

The loss of heavy industry in the UK in the 1980’s, left a regional divide that has still to heal. It need not have been this way because monies from the North Sea could have supported a programme of  rejuvenation, but there was no such plan by Thatcher.

By way of example, when electricity was nationalised we lost, overnight, our knowledge in coal-fired generation – the research facility was sold to the Germans for peanuts, who sold the clean coal technology to the Chinese. The nuclear programme of 5 stations, stopped with the first – Sizewell B – with the cessation of Govt financial support, this despite industry having invested heavily. The claim by Government was that the private sector would provide for our energy needs, but they never have. This single policy proved that the private sector is both risk averse and cannot deliver long-term strategic projects without active Government support. This is something that has been understood in most other developed economies since the 1960’s, but remains contested in the UK to this day.

We have seen with HS2, the impact of long-term infrastructure programmes and the damage – economic, financial and political – that their chaotic execution causes.

A long view of our economic problems is required if we are to solve them.

Cllr Ramsay Ross CA
Rutland CC

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