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Twenty years ago I was part of what would now be called a “social movement”. It grew out of anger, frustration and desperation at years and years of Tory misrule. It grew out of despair that Labour could ever win again after repeated…
A memorial to the late Labour leader Michael Foot has been defaced with far right graffiti in what has been described as a "disgusting" act. The letters "BNP" and "EDL" (relating to the far right groups), as well as swastikas and swear…
It is accepted wisdom that for a party to be elected in a first past the post two-party system it has to appeal to swing voters, particularly those in marginal seats. As a result the two main parties have vied for the centre-ground…
Despite Jeremy Corbyn’s surprising appearance at the Progress annual conference on Saturday, unity is proving difficult to achieve in the Labour Party. Why is this, in a party that, whilst it is famous for factional schisms and personal…
I was born in 1979 at the opening curtain of 18 years of Tory rule. One of Thatcher’s (reluctant) children, my earliest memories of politics was of a British establishment dominated by our country’s first female Prime Minister. The Iron…
The centenary of Harold Wilson’s birth this week provides the Labour movement with a welcome opportunity to reflect on the life and legacy of one of our most successful, modernising socialists. And what a life it was. Wilson’s upbringing in…
The history of the Labour Party is the history of the union. It was created in its current form when the Scottish Workers Parliamentary Committee merged with what had been the Labour Representation Committee in 1909. In Glasgow, Labour’s…
It has been an extraordinary time for the Labour Party. After a second shattering electoral defeat Labour’s world has been turned upside down by the election of Jeremy Corbyn. The atmosphere has been one of confusion, exhilaration and fear…
Today, Lord Neil Kinnock unveiled a blue plaque commemorating Nye Bevan and Jennie Lee on their London home. It was 10 years after I first wrote an application to English Heritage asking them to consider one. And it was Jennie Lee's…
Former minister Michael Meacher has died today at the age of 75, after a short illness. Meacher was one of the longest serving MPs in the House of Commons, having served continuously for 45 years after being first elected in 1970. He stood…
I was once writing a column about leadership and those moments when you really have to be tough and probably end up upsetting people. In my head was a phrase I was sure I had heard Denis Healey use on one occasion – that while “sometimes…
Labour figures are today reacting to the news that former Chancellor Denis Healey has died at the age of 98. We'll keep this post updated as more come in. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn: “Denis Healey was a giant of the Labour Party whose…
