A Labour prime minister did not enter 10 Downing Street today. But the June election must still be chalked up as a huge success for the Labour party and a personal triumph for Jeremy Corbyn. To go from 30 per cent of the vote to 40 per cent in the space of two years is…
When the snap election was announced, many Labour supporters initially felt despondent. This election felt like a cynical move to capitalise on the huge poll lead the Tories had over Labour – a lead that has slowly been eroded. Since the announcement, Labour has rallied and played to its strengths: getting activists out on the…
Air quality and climate change are the two great environmental issues of modern times, but a desire to protect and enhance our environment from the left of political thought spans centuries and predates the Labour party itself (see Robert Owen and New Lanark or Octavia Hill and the founding of the National Trust). Three years…
In 2011 I became part of a research project called ‘the lived experiences of welfare reform’. The group was formed by Ruth Patrick who was studying social policy at the University of Leeds. As part of Ruth’s research she wanted to find out about the lives of those on benefits. Ruth has interviewed me several…
In the run-up to this snap election, the Young Fabians have been keen to get out on the doorstep with Labour activists to support the campaign for a Labour victory on June 8. We know how important it is to get as many activists out on the campaign trail as possible so we’ve been coordinating…
I’m lucky enough to live in a safe Labour constituency, Poplar and Limehouse. I’ve spent some time this election on what I call “comfort canvassing” in Tower Hamlets, to show appreciation to our voters, and give myself a boost. Living in a safe seat however, I feel my feet and enthusiasm are needed more elsewhere,…
After Martin Schulz became leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and was nominated as its candidate for the German chancellery, it looked like a political myth had finally been proved wrong. Up until the nomination of Schulz in Spring 2017, the narrative had prevailed that the Social Democratic Party had lost its popular base,…
Apparently, Jeremy Corbyn has a wooden elephant sculpture in his office which he points at whenever people avoid talking about the most pressing issue. Before turning to Labour’s mental health policy, I am going to take Jeremy’s lead and mention the elephant in the room that is the possibility of ever enacting that policy. I…
‘May you live in interesting times’ as the phrase says. Well few would dispute the fact that we have, ever since the exit poll on the night of the 2015 General Election which pointed to our worst fears – that for the first time since 1992 we would elect a majority Tory government in the…
The 2017 election could mark an unprecedented and remarkable divergence in the way different age groups vote. If the opinion polls are anything like accurate, the expected Conservative victory will be almost entirely the responsibility of voters over the age of 50. The polls suggest that Labour will be crushed when it comes to the…
The Conservatives have nothing to say on foreign policy other than parroted lines on Brexit. Theresa May’s ‘strong and stable’ general election mantra means nothing and reveals a lack of policies or vision for Britain’s place in the world. Labour can differentiate itself from the Conservatives with a clear and patriotic vision of a globally…
