#298 workingreal_01 cover 29/04/2019 05:25 Page 1 CHARTIST For democratic socialism #298 May/June 2019 £2

Fighting for a European future Peter Kenyon, Catherine West MP Labour & Brexit Julie Ward European elections Paul Nowak Tory work myths Unmesh Desai Fighting far right Alice Arkwright Knife crime Glyn Ford & Patrick Costello Building Euro solidarity plus Book & Film reviews

ISSN - 0968 7866 ISSUE 98

www.chartist.org.uk #298 workingreal_01 cover 29/04/2019 05:25 Page 2

Contributions and letters deadline for Editorial Policy CHARTIST #299 The editorial policy of CHARTIST is to promote debate amongst people active in 08 June 2019 radical politics about the contemporary Chartist welcomes articles of 800 or 1500 words, and relevance of democratic socialism across letters in electronic format only to: [email protected] the spectrum of politics, economics, science, philosophy, art, interpersonal Receive Chartist’s online newsletter: send your email address to [email protected] relations – in short, the whole realm of social life. Chartist Advert Rates: Our concern is with both democracy and socialism. The history of the last century Inside Full page £200; 1/2 page £125; 1/4 page £75; 1/8 page £40; 1/16 page £25; small box 5x2cm £15 single has made it abundantly clear that the sheet insert £50 mass of the population of the advanced We are also interested in advert swaps with other publications. To place an advert, please email: capitalist countries will have no interest [email protected] in any form of socialism which is not thoroughly democratic in its principles, its practices, its morality and its ideals. Yet the consequences of this deep attach - ment to democracy – one of the greatest advances of our epoch – are seldom reflected in the discussion and debates Editorial Board Contacts amongst active socialists. CHARTIST is not a party publication. It CHARTIST is published six times a year Published by Chartist Publications brings together people who are interested by the Chartist Collective. This issue was PO Box 52751 London EC2P 2XF in socialism, some of whom are active the produced by an Editorial Board consisting tel: 0845 456 4977 Labour Party and the trade union move - of Duncan Bowie (Reviews), Andrew ment. It is concerned to deepen and Coates, Peter Chalk, Patricia d’Ardenne, Printed by People For Print Ltd, Unit 10, Riverside Park, extend a dialogue with all other socialists Mike Davis (Editor), Nigel Doggett, Don Sheaf Gardens, Sheffield S2 4BB – Tel 0114 272 0915. and with activists from other movements Flynn, Roger Gillham, Rebecca Paterson, Email: [email protected] involved in the struggle to find democrat - Hassan Hoque, Peter Kenyon, Dave Lister, ic alternatives to the oppression, exploita - Patrick Mulcahy, Sheila Osmanovic, Website: www.chartist.org.uk tion and injustices of capitalism and Marina Prentoulis, Robbie Scott, Steve Email: [email protected] class society Carver (Website Editor), Mary Southcott, Twitter: @Chartist48 John Sunderland. Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of Newsletter online: to join, email the EB Production: Ferdousur Rehman [email protected] CHARTIST APPEAL We live in uncertain and dangerous times. Politics in has operated with entirely voluntary labour. But now the UK is dominated by Brexit. Under this political we need to outlay finance on developing our web storm we continue to endure austerity, insecurity and presence. For that we need skilled people. falling living standards. Internationally we are So we are appealing to readers to make a donation, witnessing the rise of right-wing populists in the big or small, to help revamp the print magazine and shape of Trump in the US, Bolsonaro in Brazil, Modi boost our social media profile. in India, Putin in Russia alongside other new right We also plan an electronic newsletter for nationalists in Eastern Europe, Italy and elsewhere. subscribers. If you want to receive the newsletter Behind these ugly developments lurk the forces of and information about other activities and are willing fascism and xenophobia, complimented by the to contribute to our appeal please indicate on the repressive dictatorships in China and much of the tear-off slip or email us at [email protected]. middle east. To cap it all is human-made global warming threatening the entire planet. Our politics is driven by the need to revitalise I enclose £ ... towards the Chartist Appeal socialism as a thoroughly democratic and I would like to receive a newsletter yes/no internationalist current, with the backing behind it to make an effective challenge to globalised capitalism. [please circle] Chartist aims to up its game, particularly on social media. As one of the longest-standing print magazines on the Labour Left, published for almost Name………………………………………… 50 years, we recognise we are in new times. New digital forms of communication are central to getting Address……………………………………… democratic socialist ideas out to a wider, especially younger readership. ……………………………………………….. Hence this appeal. We want to improve the look of Please return to Chartist PO Box 52751 the print version while developing the website and social media activity on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube London EC2P 2XF or go to our website and elsewhere. This costs money. For years Chartist www.chartist.org.uk to make a donation #298 workingreal_01 cover 29/04/2019 05:25 Page 3

CONTENTS

FEATURES

LABOUR’S HOKEY COKEY 8 Peter Kenyon on Labour’s dance around Brexit EUROPEAN ELECTIONS Positive Euro-vision needed from Labour says 10 Julie Ward EMPLOYMENT MYTHS 11 Paul Nowak punctures Tory work claims HOMELESS SCANDAL Labour must get positive on Europe – Lee Rushton on a Labour campaign to end Cover by Martin Rowson page 10 12 the crisis Cover by Martin Rowson BUILDERS & SEIZERS Tom Miller explains why Corbyn Labour CHARTIST 13 need to build FOR DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM Number 298 May/June 2019 LABOUR CULTURE Dave Lister outlines ways to a more REGULARS 14 inclusive party SOLIDARITY IN EUROPE EDITORIAL 4 Brexit-Tory paralysis, Labour’s Patrick Costello & Glyn Ford on building opportunity 15 socialist alliances OUR HISTORY 84 5 Ralph Miliband – Parliamentary ANTISEMITISM Socialism Don Flynn gets behind the row POINTS & CROSSINGS 16 6 Paul Salveson on Northern Powerhouse out of steam Comedian wins Ukrainian presidency – UKRAINE ELECTIONS page 18 David Dalton on victory for a comic GREENWATCH president 7 Labour’s wrong to embrace nuclear 18 power says Dave Toke KIM & TRUMP YOUTHVIEW Carol Turner on a disarmament charade 22 Alice Arkwright on tackling knife crime 19 TV REVIEW 23 Zoe Mavroudi on Leaving Neverland LONDON UNITED FILM REVIEW Unmesh Desai on a new move to combat 24 Patrick Mulcahy on Dragged Across 20 the far-right Concrete CHARTIST LEGACY BOOK REVIEWS 25 Andrew Coates on Marx; Duncan Bowie Ian Bullock identifies the links from 19th to on First International, Waiting for 21 21st century revolution, Czechoslovakia and Algiers; Sheila Osmanovic on Ottomans; Dot Lewis on ANC Unmasked; Nigel Watt Subscribe to CHARTIST : on Slumboy; Keith Bennett on North £18 ordinary subscription Korea; Mary Southcott on Labour London United against racism – page £35 supporter subscription women 20 (6 issues) Visit WESTMINSTER VIEW www.chartist.org.uk/subscribe 32 Catherine West MP says put any deal for details to the people

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EDITORIAL

Europe—Tory paralysis, Labour’s opportunity

e live in surreal times. It is unprece - been deepening our ties with sister socialist and dented for a government to be defeat - social democratic parties in Europe. Solidarity is ed on its keynote policy, delivering critical in combating global capital, the tax Brexit-- not once but three times— dodgers, the corporate polluters, and the far right and still remain in office. The prime fascist parties who want to turn the clock back to Wminister refuses to go to the country in a general dark days of the 1930s. As Unmesh Desai points election. So we have the spectacle of LINO (leader out in reporting on the launch of the anti-racist in name only) with her European counterparts in London United the national populists and anti- the 27 other member states seeking a short and migrant xenophobes are also organising across being granted a seven month extension of Article the continent to realise a deeply conservative, 50 until Halloween, October 31st. ethno-centric vision of Europe. Now the UK will participate in the European Brexit will be the leitmotif of British politics for election on 23 May. Labour people and all pro EU the next period. It is the front line of battles to parties should welcome this opportunity to ham - combat racism, to build an economy that puts mer the Tories and show that there is a powerful jobs, public services and workers rights first, and pro-European view in the UK. This will be a kind a world that puts protection of our planet from of General Election or referendum by proxy. The global warming at the forefront of an internation - far right pro-Brexit groups understand this and al agenda as Extinction Rebellion and Greta are organising hard. The Tories are on the back Thunberg have highlighted. foot. Labour can and should make it clear we are Paul Nowak chastises government ministers a remain and transform party. The million plus for warm words on employment and in its Good demonstration in March for a people’s vote, the six Work Plan while presiding over the growth of a million plus who voted to revoke Article 50 are a huge precariat dependent on supplementary ben - huge active base to build on. Scotland, Northern efits and food banks with millions trapped on low Ireland and Wales today back Remain. This is the pay and insecure conditions. It’s the quality of majority Labour needs to inspire and get out to jobs that counts. Lee Rushton highlights the scan - vote. A recent European Council on Foreign dal of growing homelessness on our city streets Relations poll found British people second only to and the failure of government to tackle the prob - Finland in pro-European sentiments. lem. Polls now show a majority back Remain. While Alice Arkwright similarly spotlights the way Catherine West MP puts the case for a confirma - insecurity on our streets, with growing knife tory referendum to enable the people to decide crime amongst young people is amplified by cuts whether they accept or reject the terms of leaving to youth services, drastically reduced police num - the EU, she also questions the legitimacy of the bers and rising social divisions. 2016 referendum. The Leave campaigns broke These are symptoms of a sick society presided electoral law and were financed by nefarious over by a broken Tory government. Labour has a unknown sources. We know the campaign was great opportunity, first in local elections and then based on lies. Whether it is misinformation to in the European to show it has a positive alterna - farming and fisheries workers, those in manufac - tive. turing, particularly car making, or the whoppers In getting Labour campaign-ready and united about a Brexit dividend millions for the NHS, the with a capacity to reach out to new voters the wheels are coming off that whole bus of untruths. Corbyn led party also needs to ensure that unso - Brexit is a right-wing nationalist project. It is stok - cial behaviour and tribal attitudes are ing up racist sentiments and a no-deal exit, marginalised in the party. Tom Miller and Dave opposed by a majority of MPs, favoured by the far Lister put complementary views on building an right, would intensify prejudice and divisions in inclusive culture within the party. Don Flynn our society. discusses the problem of antisemitism seeking to Peter Kenyon cites the pro-Remain majority clarify ways to eradicate it in the party and wider views in the party and most nations of the UK as society as part of education and action against all reason enough for Jeremy Corbyn to come off the forms of racism while maintaining international fence in the European election campaign, but fears solidarity with oppressed groups like the otherwise. Labour signed up to the Party of Palestinians. European Socialists manifesto, parts of which we Listening to and empowering members was the reprint. It is strong on a new green deal, strong on hallmark of Jeremy Corbyn’s ascendancy. Whilst human rights and combating racism and fascism, there are MPs in Leave voting areas the vast bulk strong on tax dodgers. We support going beyond, of Labour’s support comes from pro-European and revising the Lisbon treaty to enable wealth shifts, pro-Remain voters (including Leave voting areas) empowering workers and securing an anti-austeri - The party membership, including Momentum, ty European recovery programme. strongly supports Remain. The party has a big Julie Ward MEP in rehearsing the benefits of opportunity to inspire, enlist and mobilise hun - membership argues that the UK needs a voice and dreds of thousands of supporters in the Euro elec - a vote in Europe enabling us to play a leading role tions and beyond in pressing for a democratic, for an alternative democratic socialist polity. green economic recovery agenda allied to a confir - Patrick Costello and Glyn Ford argue Corbyn matory vote on Brexit. Let this be the hallmark of and team (unlike New Labour predecessors) have our campaigning work.

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OUR HISTORY

OUR HISTORY - 84 RALPH MILIBAND - PARLIAMENTARY SOCIALISM (1961) iliband was a Marxist sociologist and “ One of the reasons why Labour leaders have always political scientist who contributed to the repudiated the class character of the Labour Party has development of socialist theory within been their fear that to admit the fact, and to act upon the ‘ new left’ in the 1960’s. A Polish it, would antagonise ‘floating voters’. So, in many cases Jew, he fled to England from Belgium in it no doubt has. But there is nothing to suggest that a M1940. After studying at the LSE and wartime service, multitude of men and women, who are not of the work - he taught in Chicago before returning to the LSE as a ing classes, have in the past found the class character political science lecturer in 1949. of the Labour Party a bar to their sup - Joining the Labour Party in 1951, he port for it, or that support for it would collaborated with E P Thompson and wane if its leaders were to adapt their John Saville, editors of the New Reasoner policies to that fact.” and later with the New Left Review . His “ The reverse is more likely to be first book, a historical critique of the true. For while Labour leaders have Labour Party, Parliamentary Socialism , felt that the ‘affluent society’ required was published in 1961. He later pub - more urgently than ever that their lished The State in Capitalist Society party should appear ‘classless’, pro - (1969) , Marxism and Politics (1977), found unease with that society has Capitalist Democracy in Britain (1982) , grown apace far outside trade union Class Power and State Power (1983), ranks. If trade union radicalism in Divided Societies: Class Struggle in recent years is a sign of this unease, the Contemporary Capitalism (1989) and radicalism to be found in a new genera - (posthumously) Socialism for a Sceptical tion is surely another. While lamenta - Age (1994). tions have been loud at the supposed An activist as well as a theoretician, political apathy of youth, a multitude of having left the Labour Party, he founded young men and women have found in Socialist Register with John Saville in the threat of nuclear war and a host of 1964 and from 1981 was an active partici - other issues a basis of commitment for pant in the Socialist Society, with transcending the orthodoxies of Raymond Williams and New Left Review Labourism. It is only I comparison contributors such as Tariq Ali and Hilary with the mythical thirties that the Wainwright, on the concept that an education and fifties, or at least the late fifties, have been years of research organisation could bring together Marxists political disengagement. The comparison with the real within and outside the Labour Party. The Socialist thirties is not to the detriment of these past years. The Society sponsored a series of conferences in real difference is that the fifties have often appeared to Chesterfield, in which Tony Benn featured prominent - lack the political instrumentalities of radical change. ly. And to this impression, a consolidating Labour Party, Miliband was also a signatory to Charter 88, which revisionist in practice if not in theory, has greatly con - advocated constitutional and electoral reform. He died tributed. If politics in the fifties have seemed a decreas - in 1994. A biography by Michael Newman: Ralph ingly meaningful activity, void of substance, heedless of Miliband and the Politics of the New Left was published principle, and rich in election auctioneering, the in 2002 by Merlin Press. The following extract is taken responsibility is not only that of the hidden or overt from the final chapter of Parliamentary Socialism – persuaders; it is also, and to a major degree, that of titled The Sickness of Labourism. Labour’s leaders.”

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P&C

Northern Powerlessness Paul Salveson on Tory vanity projects

ne of George thing like as sexy as having your Osborne’s more inter - own high-speed trainset. esting policy interven - Meanwhile, the Powerhouse tions was ‘The Partnership continues to lobby, in Northern the face of growing evidence to the OPowerhouse’. For a while it contrary, for the regeneration bene - seemed it might have some trac - fits of HS2 (see the recent New tion, through an unlikely alliance Economics Foundation report for between a Tory chancellor and Friends of the Earth https://neweco - Labour city leader, Manchester’s nomics.org/2019/03/a-rail-network- Richard Lease (with the powerful for-everyone). Recently, NPP’s direc - figure of chief executive Howard tor, Henri Murison, issued a state - Bernstein behind him). After ment saying that unless the Tories Osborne’s departure from govern - back HS2 they will lose several ment, the Northern Powerhouse Northern seats. This is laughable. ran out of steam. A relatively Most people in the North when unknown junior minister was asked will tell you that HS2 is appointed to take responsibility something we can well do without for the project, but it lacks trac - Osborne's white elephant and the priority should be the local tion. rail network, at least as far as However, in between editing The idea is to link up the transport investment goes. The the London Evening Standard, northern cities on an east-west impact of HS2 on the North could Osborne found time to set up a axis, from the Humber (and York) actually be negative, with wealth new body, the Northern across to Leeds, Manchester and sucked out of the region in a Powerhouse Partnership, to try to Liverpool. This has a bit more to southerly direction. There may be breathe life back into his baby. be said for it, though again it some localised regeneration benefits This is a collection of the great could be accused of being a politi - around the termini at Manchester, and the good of Northern busi - Birmingham and Leeds, but ness, with about as little account - nowhere else. In a further example ability as the North Korean gov - The impact of HS2 on of insanity, the proposed ernment. It has its own agenda, Birmingham terminus at Curzon which tends to be narrow and the North could actually Street will be situated a mile from exclusive. It achieved temporary be negative, with where most trains actually call, at fame, or notoriety, for organising New Street. So much for connectivi - a conference which managed to wealth sucked out of ty. have a speaker’s panel that was So whether the Tories will or almost entirely male (and need - the region in a southerly won’t pull the plug on HS2 remains less to say white and middle direction. to be seen, but if they did, I can’t see class). it costing them any votes. The fact The board of the Northern they may well do it for the wrong Powerhouse Partnership repre - cal vanity project. The route Paul Salveson’s reasons is neither here nor there. A sents corporate power which is seems designed to please all the website and blog more interesting question is mostly in, but not of, the North. political leaders along the route is on Labour’s attitude to HS2 and to the In all honesty, major businesses rather than achieve an alignment www.paulsalveso wider issue of Northern regenera - which are truly Northern-based that could realistically happen. n.org.uk tion. Labour should have a clear pol - these days are hard to find. Yet So the city of Bradford, for icy to abandon HS2 and redirect the there’s no representation to the decades a railway backwater, will investment into a national pro - North’s flourishing SME sector, get HS3. But at the expense of gramme of investment which bene - let alone its vibrant voluntary huge amounts of tunnelling fits cities but also towns which have sector. Local government is in which will make the project, in all suffered economic decline. We there as the junior partner, with likelihood unaffordable. shouldn’t keep on fuelling the the inevitable Richard Leese as a Meanwhile, the relatively new London boom by adding to existing member. Woodhead Tunnel, offering a rela - north-south transport capacity. The Rail has been a key area of tively easy route across the NEF report (above) makes the case interest to the Powerhouse Pennines, lies disused apart from for re-balancing the UK by improv - Partnership. But no, not sorting carrying some electric cables which ing existing routes, re-opening some out the mess that our local and could be re-routed. This isn’t an that were cut by Beeching, com - regional services plunged into last argument for continuing Bradford’s bined with new trains and electrifi - year, nor rebuilding the North’s ‘siding’ status – the solution to cation. rail manufacturing base. The pri - Bradford’s rail problems is As for the Northern Powerhouse, ority is on vanity projects – and ‘Bradford Crossrail’ which would if it is to have any credibility it HS2 is the mother of all vanity connect the two existing termini needs to be democratised and reflect projects. Chugging along behind, (Forster Square and Interchange) and support the creative energies routed on the slow line, is ‘HS3’ and open up huge opportunities to that are developing in the North but sometimes referred to as improve the West Yorkshire local find no place amongst the suits that ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’. rail network. But that isn’t any - make up the so-called ‘Partnership’. C

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GREENWATCH

Labour’s nuclear power black hole Renewables are safe and cheap – so why is Labour set to marginalise them? asks Dave Toke

abour's energy spokesperson, Rebecca Long-Bailey, having previously pledged to put renewable energy oLn top of the energy agenda has now relegated it far below nuclear power. Her team have done this with a pledge to take partial state ownership of new nuclear power projects and of nuclear projects that have been abandoned. But giving state priority to these pro - jects, far from keeping the lights on will actually ruin the chances of aspiring renewable energy gen - erators and pour countless bil - lions down a nuclear black hole. Nuclear power station Hinkley The figures speak for them - selves. Long-Bailey pledges to struction history) to be achiev - process, at best, we are going to reverse what she calls the able. be ordering the turning off of Government's 'cancellations' of Of course there's no electricity renewable energy and paying the new nuclear projects (Moorside, generation shortfall in the near operators compensation for this! Oldbury, Wylfa) (factcheck; it was term, and in the medium term This is crazy. the developers who cancelled there cannot be either, given the What Labour ought to be plan - them despite being promised tens amount of renewable energy com - ning is to substitute renewable of billions of state aid). If these ing online. There's no capacity energy for fossil fuels used in projects are brought on line (in shortage either, and there cer - transport and heating. Rather addition to the existing Sizewell tainly won't be in the medium than throwing billions upon bil - B and still-not-cancelled projects term given the potential replace - lions down nuclear black holes we of Hinkley C and Sizewell C) then ment of up to 30 per cent of our David Toke is need to give money to local nuclear generation will climb to peak generating capacity by bat - Reader in Energy authorities to build demonstra - at least 35 per cent of current tery storage, or failing that, flexi - Politics at the tion schemes for large scale heat generation - and even that does ble gas generation. That's going University of pumps to serve new district heat - not count the Chinese led project to be much cheaper than nuclear Aberdeen ing systems, fund electric buses at Bradwell. power and much more certainly and a much quicker roll-out of Meanwhile renewable energy brought on line when we want it His latest book is fast charge points for electric generated 33% of UK electricity compared to nuclear. Batteries Low Carbon vehicles, and also reorganise the in 2018, a figure that, with the will be much cheaper than nucle - Politics , regulatory system to favour recently announced 'sector deal' ar and right now gas engines and Routledge (2018) demand side response, decen - for offshore wind, will increase to open cycle plant are twenty times tralised generation and battery around 65% by 2030 even without cheaper than nuclear power to storage. In recent years electrici - any more onshore wind and solar install. ty consumption has been falling, pv which the Labour Party claims Even if only some of the new partly because of energy efficien - to support. It doesn't need a nuclear power which Labour cy measures. We need to expand mathematical genius to work out wants to back came online, new this strategy as well as giving that with 35% coming from nucle - renewable energy would still be more long term power purchase ar power, there simply will not be crowded out. This is because elec - agreements to wind power and any market space for any more tricity contracts given to nuclear solar power both onshore and off - renewable energy. power give them 'dispatch priori - shore. Yet renewable energy, as we ty' over renewable energy, caus - There's certainly no shortage of have discussed is cheap, becom - ing windfarms and solar farms to renewable energy options. The ing cheaper, and needs little or no be turned off to give priority to Scottish Government is holding a public subsidy - a big contrast nuclear power. Indeed, this is consultation about issuing new with nuclear, which despite all already happening with our cur - offshore wind leases, and there is the promised support, high con - rent levels of nuclear and renew - a tremendous amount of onshore sumer subsidies, public guaran - ables, with, ironically, renewable wind and solar pv being wasted. tees of loan funding (none of energy detractors blaming the Then there are other renewable which is available for new renew - problem (and the compensation energy sources being developed, able schemes) has failed so far to paid to the windfarms) on the tidal of various sorts, and wave generate a single kWh. And it windfarms themselves. So not power. Instead of giving priority will not until at least 2026 even if only in the future are we going to to these things Labour have come EDF's schedules for Hinkley C sink into an amazing public out with a daft policy that threat - construction prove (miraculously morass of handouts to fund these ens to take us back to the in the light of recent nuclear con - nuclear power stations, but in the dinosaur age by comparison. C

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LABOUR & BREXIT

Hokey-Cokey Labour Peter Kenyon reviews the ins and outs of the British Labour Party's EU policy making

he hokey-cokey doesn't Word from the LOTO is no new democratic outcome. feature in Strictly policies are to be included and Labour's challenge now is fram - Come Dancing named committing to a confirmatory ref - ing a manifesto to win over as by The Guinness Book erendum on a Brexit deal is to be many voters as possible. Unlike of Records as the avoided. That is extremely prob - the UK's parliamentary first-past- wTorld’s most successful reality TV lematic for the majority. the-post electoral system, every format. That's a pity for Jeremy Strictly (no pun intended) there vote in a European Parliamentary Corbyn, who has yet to appear. shouldn't be any European election counts. But by the time you read this you Parliamentary elections on 23 Having extended an opportuni - can rate his performance 1 to 10 May. British Prime Minister ty to the public to decide (a deli - regarding the European Theresa May promised that the cious nail-biting feature of Parliamentary elections yourself. UK would leave the EU at 2300 Strictly), the constitutionally In the preparations for the elec - on 29 March. But here we are still Peter Kenyon is strict cannot see any other way tions, due in the UK on Thursday members of the EU, at least until member of out of the current UK 23 May, Corbyn along with the 30 October 2019, unless Chartist EB and Parliamentary impasse than by other leaders of the Party of Parliament accepts her so-called ex Labour NEC offering the public another oppor - European Socialists has already deal, rejected three times so far tunity to decide. endorsed a common manifesto. At albeit with declining majorities in That is Labour Party policy as the time of going to press, draft - the House of Commons against. decided at its 2018 Conference. If ing of the British Labour Party Framing a manifesto in those the aim is to maximise votes on version was being decided by its circumstances ought to be simple. 23 May, then a commitment to a National Executive Committee The Conservatives' Brexit project public vote ought to be a no-brain - (NEC). A lively discussion is has failed. Three years' negotia - er. If it isn't in the routine by the expected with a majority of voters tion and manoeuvering have time you read this, you can be cer - in the four countries that current - demonstrated beyond doubt that tain Labour will stumble when ly make up the United Kingdom the EU referendum should never the ballots are counted. supporting 'Remain', along with a have been called. The UK's place Assuming sense prevailed majority of party members and is in the European Union. Labour when the NEC met to decide on current Labour members of the in the immediate aftermath of 30 April, what else would feature? European Parliament. They are electoral defeat in 2015 under act - A key lesson from successive EU decidedly IN. But in the LOTO ing Leader Harriet Harman, fell deliberations, since Margaret (Leader Of The Opposition) office, into the Tory trap and waived the Thatcher was UK Prime Minister the Parliamentary Labour Party legislation through without due (1979-1990), is that the EU went and fringes of the party member - consideration. Corbyn compound - soft on global finance and incorpo - ship are those who are decidely ed the error by treating the result ration to the detriment of the OUT. Astonishing, but true. on 24 June 2016 as a legitimate many. That is the focus of the

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PES manifesto and freelance ver - This is a baseline requirement. the Lisbon Treaty, insist on the sions for the British electorate. Members of the SEPC know that removal of competition laws, state An edited version of one, which I the PES manifesto is not radical aid rules and labour market rules declare having a hand in shaping enough to tackle the underlying that favour big business at the as clerk to the nascent Socialist problems facing the majority of expense of the poor, and which Europe Policy Commission EU citizens. SEPC chair Ann limit the ability of governments to (SEPC), is set out below (see box). Pettifor is calling for changes to take sovereign decisions about This document was endorsed tackle the persistent problem of economic policy. not just by the SEPC, but all German balance of payments' sur - Those are some of the bench - Labour MEPs offering themselves pluses. Paul Mason in his latest marks with which to judge for re-election and leading figures piece in the New Statesman said: Labour's EP election manifesto. across the Socialists and “ [Labour] should publish a short, What everyone should know Democrats group in the European clear statement of what it would about the hokey-cokey is that it is Parliament, then submitted to the do – over and above what the PES best performed in a line with LOTO's office, which acknowl - manifesto says – to radically dancers linked shoulder to shoul - edged receipt promptly – a transform the EU from the inside. der – otherwise there is a risk of remarkable event in itself. It should pledge to fight to revise falling over. C Remain, Reform, Rebel The Mission for Socialist Members of the European Parliament What would the EU look like, had it unfolded according to the vision of its founders? What would it take to foster reconciliation and promote peace today? What would solidarity mean in a modern society and how could it reach across borders? What would a freedom of movement look like that represented genuine liberty? How do institutions build equality and represent the social good against the profit motive? What challenges can people meet who share these values? What challenges must we meet to honour these values? What role can the EU play in countering the dangers brought about by globalisation, including climate change, transnational organised crime, war and conflict, or extreme deprivation?

A Green New Deal for Europe

Climate change is the major and most pressing threat to peace, stability and security; it is a daunting foe, yet it ignites the best in us, unites us in a human family in defence of our planet, to which borders are not relevant and cooperation is everything. We can make Europe the first carbon free continent in the world...... The role of the EU in seeking and maintaining a just and rule-based international order cannot be understated, now more than ever: European support for keeping both the INF Treaty and the Iran nuclear deal, in the face of Donald Trump’s attempt to destroy both, has been decisive. Our common trade policy should ensure shared prosperity through enforceable, binding rights for workers and to protect the environment, while ensuring effective rules for multinational investors - making fair trade and sustainability the foundation for our economic relations with the rest of the world not entrenching rights for multinationals.

A Free, Democratic, Humanitarian Europe

From the resurgence of far-right parties in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, to the authoritarian strong man politics of Hungary, Russia and the USA; from the doomed nativism of Brexit to the alt-right internet wormholes of an ever more connected world, Fascism is on the rise, both inside Europe and outside it. The mainstream right shows no appetite to resist it; traditional social democratic ideas are unequal to the questions the far-right sets out to answer. The erosion of living standards will not end when freedom of movement ends; attempts to blame it on migration only strengthen the bad faith actors who seek to undermine confidence in progressive possibility. It has to be met by a vigorous trans-continental union movement...... In indulging right-wing extremism, European institutions have lost their humanitarian vocabulary and purpose, nowhere more visible than in the refugee crisis; without a duty to provide sanctuary and a pride in offering it, this continent has no moral purpose; and without that, well might its members wonder what kind of journey they’re embarked on. Our responsibilities do not end at the borders of Europe. The EU has to remain the standard bearer for human rights, promoting social and economic development and the rule of law world-wide......

A Europe for the Many not the Few

If anything has swerved the direction of the institutions of the EU, it has been the attempts of the past thirty years to replace its shared values with a shared economic policy, to serve the interests of globalised finance. Austerity has eroded social security and, with it, a broader sense of duty towards each citizen, that the young deserve employment, that the old deserve care and dignity, that all those working deserve fair and sufficient wages, and all those not working are still infinitely valuable, since the wealth of any place is in its people.....The collaborative fight for tax justice will bring to an end the evasion, avoidance and corporate competition that have thwarted the ambitions of public spending and sullied the sense of shared social responsibility...... As the solutions to tax justice can no longer be found in national isolationism, nor can those of a modern and generous state: rights and safety nets have to be won collectively across borders, and defended in solidarity: if for no other reason than that we will pay for disparities with our freedom of movement. The interests of the market can no longer take precedence over those of the citizens.

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EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Euro elections—building a progressive alliance Julie Ward says Labour must not abandon its tradition of being internationalist - remaining in the EU should be our platform to victory

he majority of Labour party members are like me: Pro-Corbyn, anti- Brexit. We see the need for a radical left-wing anti- Tausterity agenda to ensure that we have an economy, health service and decent working conditions fit for the 21st Century, and that we are primed ready for the fourth industrial revolu - tion. If we fight on a positive and pro - gressive pro-EU 'Remain and Reform' platform in the forthcoming European elections we have an opportunity to be the largest party within the Socialist and Democrat (S&D) grouping in the European Parliament. Indeed, we should be leading, not leaving. The EU is our biggest trading partner, our closest allies on peace and security Over a million demonstrating against Brexit in March and our nearest neighbours with whom we share a land border. for the future. Doing well in the together to avoid the creation of a Walking away will only make us European elections would enable the European Parliament dominated by weaker, poorer and less secure. If formation of a large coalition of inter - the followers of Orban, Salvini, Labour doesn't put its full weight nationalist socialist comrades in the Wilders and Le Pen, who despite their behind a decent election campaign we European Parliament. A Labour nationalist rhetoric are already collab - will be in danger of burning bridges Party playing a leading role in the orating as an international force. when we should be building them. socialist group could reinvigorate and Nigel Farage is funded by corporate The British Labour party must par - strengthen core EU values, challenge interests in the United States and ticipate wholeheartedly in the the failed neo-liberalism which has probably Russian oligarchs too. He is European elections fighting for our made the EU so unpopular, while working with alt-right white national - place and voice inside the EU. In the building upon social and environmen - ist Steve Bannon who has now set up 2017 general election our manifesto tal justice across borders. We could be an office in Brussels and is attempt - was widely acclaimed by our PES sis - the kingmakers, helping to install the ing to build a school for populism in ter parties and by those in the socialist candidate, Frans Italy. It is therefore up to the left to European Left. Our rejuvenated mem - Timmermans, as President of the tackle this scourge head on. Brexit bership base is the envy of ailing Commission. The young people of Julie Ward is enabled by the Labour Party would be socialist and democrat parties. But we Europe would thank us for safeguard - standing to be a supreme act of abandonment of soli - must not squander all that we have ing their future and the forgotten- re-elected a darity. achieved over the past few years. We about-communities would not feel Labour MEP for This issue is not simply about the need to be proud of our vision and abandoned. the North West European Union, as it stands. This is build upon it in a European context, We are uniquely placed to forge a about a democratic Europe for the acknowledging the legacy of four broad progressive alliance centred future. We are at a turning point that decades of Labour MEPs who served around a European Green New Deal, requires British initiative and engage - with commitment and passion in the and a Labour presence in the next ment from the Left in order to take on European Parliament, standing up for European Parliament which would the few whose now almost unlimited workers rights, consumer rights, and help bring together MEPs from differ - economic and political power is being human rights, paving the way for ent progressive groups. Already there exercised at the expense of the many - recent legislation to tackle tax eva - exists an anti-austerity Left Caucus ultimately risking the survival of the sion, and bring forward the 'work life comprising S&D, Greens and planet. The world needs a united balance' directive. European Left. The stage is now set Europe, with an unashamed socialist We are in a unique position to help for a huge dynamic shift and we need and democratic leadership. change the balance of power in Labour to steer this ship. A strong, confident pro-European Europe enabling a larger and louder We are in a politically historical Labour campaign, electing more voice for socialism inside the moment, one of great turbulence with Labour MEPs, will help guide a new European Parliament. Labour can increasing populism on the rise in all direction for Europe, stop the rise of and should win the European elec - corners of Europe. Eurosceptics and populism and shape a better future tions, especially given the Tory disar - pro-Europeans on the left must put for an entire continent. We inherit the ray in contrast to our powerful vision aside their differences and work past, but we must shape the future. C

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TORIES

Work does not pay Paul Nowak find the Tories Good Work plan is all warm words and sticking plasters midst the continuing this category. Low pay and inse - Brexit omnishambles, cure work have become the you might not have default in huge parts of sectors noticed that at the end like hospitality and private social of last year the gov - care. Workers are still worse off eArnment published its Good Work in real terms than they were plan, which Business Secretary before the financial crash more Greg Clark claimed was, ’a signif - than a decade ago. For far too icant milestone…to deliver the many people, work simply does largest upgrade in workers’ rights not pay. Seven in ten of the chil - in over a generation’. A few weeks dren living in poverty in this later the Prime Minister invited country have at least one parent trade unionists into Downing who works. Street for the first time in over The problems in our labour two years to discuss Brexit, and market are not just restricted to in particular to try and allay those in the lowest paid employ - union fears about what the gov - ment. Casualisation has taken ernment’s approach to Brexit hold in universities and airlines would mean for employment as well as distribution centres. rights now and into the future. There is a continuing sense of a On the face of it, both of these disconnect between Britain’s TGI FRidays workers protest against precarious work contracts developments would suggest the boardroom elite and their work - government has belatedly woken forces – with a recent Business tees in the deal that UK workers’ up to the fact that for far too Select Committee report describ - rights will fully keep pace with many people work simply is not ing top executive pay in the UK workers in Europe. Whatever the working. But scratch beneath the as ‘eye watering and unjustified’. PM says today about new domes - surface, and it’s clear that the In the face of all these chal - tic laws on employment rights is government is more interested in lenges and more – including meaningless – without a Brexit warm words than concrete action growing issues around stress and deal that binds future UK govern - to make Britain’s workplaces fair - mental health at work – the ments to maintain minimum er. Taylor review and the Good Work European standards, future gen - Let’s start with the Good Work plan offer sticking plaster solu - erations could find their rights plan. Many of the proposals tions. That’s not to say that there disappear. announced by the government in aren’t important and positive ele - With the PM herself on a de December flow from Matthew ments in both. For example, facto fixed-term contract, and a Taylor’s review of modern plans to close the so-called host of hard-right Brexiteers employment practices. This ‘Swedish derogation’ loophole looking to succeed her, it’s per - review was commissioned by the that allows employers to exploit haps not surprising that unions government over 2 ½ years ago, agency workers represent a major are not convinced that employ - with Taylor reporting in July victory for trade unions after ment rights are safe in 2017. In all that time we’ve had years of campaigning. Conservative hands. This scepti - plenty of rhetoric from govern - But overall, the reforms are a cism is reinforced by the lived ment but precious little action. missed opportunity to shift the experience of the last nine years Indeed, many of the proposals balance of power in insecure Paul Nowak is of Conservative-led government. announced by the government in workplaces illustrated by the fact assistant General The doubling of qualifying peri - December won’t actually take not one of the 51 proposals gov - Secretary TUC ods for unfair dismissal; the effect until April 2020, more than ernment agreed to take forward introduction of employment tri - 3 ½ years after the Prime from the Taylor review, sets out bunal fees which priced thou - Minister promised urgent action what can be done to help workers sands of people out of workplace to help the ‘just about managing’. enforce their rights through an justice and the Trade Union Act, But the real issue with the independent trade union. Not one designed to deliberately weaken Good Work plan isn’t just that it proposal mentions collective bar - and undermine trade unions, is has been so long coming to gaining. All this despite the fact not a track record to inspire confi - fruition, but that it is also a com - that study after study shows that dence. pletely inadequate response to workers in unionised workplaces We need a New Deal for work - the huge challenges facing work - benefit from higher pay, better ing people in the UK. One built ing people in Britain today. pensions, safer working condi - not just on individual rights at The government likes to trum - tions, better access to family work, but the ability for workers pet the fact that employment in friendly working and a whole host to enforce their rights through the UK is at a record high. But of benefits. strong, independent trade unions. it’s clear this headline statistic This speaks directly as to why That would be good for workers, masks a multitude of problems. unions are so wary about the gov - but there is a growing recognition One in nine UK workers now ernment’s ‘commitments’ to pro - - even from surprising quarters work in a precarious job, and in tect employment rights following like the OECD – that this would fact two-thirds of the new jobs Brexit. be good for business and UK PLC created in the last decade fall into There are no binding guaran - as well. C

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HOMELESSNESS

Raise a roof for the homeless As the number of people living and dying on our streets rises with empty houses reaching an all-time high, Lee Rushton reports on a Labour campaign to end the scandal

n Britain today, 320,000 people are homeless. Yet whilst those people sleep on the streets, 216,000 houses in England alone remain Iempty. Why? Because these hous - es aren’t homes, they’re capital. In the 1980's, the first right-to- buy TV advert proudly claimed "You can decide whether to turn your home into a house". Since then, privatisation has been seep - ing into our homes, like damp. The use of ‘right’ was well thought-out, giving the impres - sion this was a scheme for all, a chance of stability that everyone deserves. But the offer wasn’t valid. Housing instability didn’t exist until efforts were turned to selling instead of creating social housing. Slapping fines on people experiencing homelessness is never the answer This was a crucial point of removing stability from those who Campaign have met and heard the feels so blaringly idiotic as fining needed it the most. Within 10 stories of people on the streets those who are homeless for being years, council house rents had across the country. In on the street. risen by 55%. Gradually availabil - Manchester, we met Jess - preg - Much like this outdated policy, ity of social housing declined, nant, homeless, and with no PSPOs also allow councils to fine power was passed to private land - access to homeless services. people. At least 60 councils have lords, and rents began to rise at Within 10 minutes we met four them in place. When Manchester an unprecedented rate. more people experiencing rough City Council recently launched Since 2010 private sector rents sleeping. They described being their PSPO consultation Andy in England have gone up by three ‘harassed’ by the police and being Burnham claimed “it’s not about times as much as wages. In fined and taken to court under the criminalising people who are London rents have risen eight Vagrancy Act. sleeping rough or people have got times the average wage increase. Labour Homelessness Lee Rushton is nowhere else to go.” Yet it explicit - The result is more people, like Campaign are calling for an end to an activist with ly identifies "putting up tents, Michael, on the streets of the fifth this draconian policy and the crim - the Labour seeking charity and other richest country on earth. inalisation of homeless people. The Homelessness behaviour associated with rough Wrapped in a sleeping bag, he mistreatment of homeless people Campaign, and sleeping " as reason to be served a tells us about his daily experience: is everywhere. As Labour mem - volunteers with PSPO, behaviour that is inevitable “All I see is people’s shoes, lots bers, we need to tackle this within Streets Kitchen. for many experiencing homeless - and lots of shoes going past me. I our own party, first by working ness. feel dehumanised every day. I feel where Labour are already in Slapping fines on people experi - invisible and I feel horrible…. I power to ensure shelter for all. encing homelessness is never the feel exhausted and cold a lot. I feel An inhumane 'move them along' answer. Rather than driving peo - empty”. Are we normalising mentality is growing. In ple out of city centres with PSPOs, homelessness in this country? Westminster, rough sleepers have Labour local authorities should be With one in five people living in been moved on from the little defending the rights of rough poverty, this isn’t about individual warmth they have found, as it is sleepers to exist in public spaces action, we need radical political suggested they disturb MPs get - like anyone else. As the Labour and systemic change. ting to work. Two policies are in Homelessness Campaign, we Austerity has cut the budgets of effect to this end: the Vacrancy advocate for an approach of care, local government and the vital Act, and Public Service Protection not criminalisation. services they provide. The focus is Orders (PSPO's). Empty properties serve no value not on prevention but attempting, A study by the charity Crisis to society. We should be helping and failing, to deal with ‘the prob - showed that 73% of rough sleepers lives, not landlords. Homeless peo - lem’ once people are sleeping on experienced criminalisation in the ple need homes and the right to the streets. In London alone coun - last year. 6,518 people were found exist in public spaces. What is cils are paying private landlords guilty under the, nearly 200-year- really damaging society after all – £14m per year in an attempt to old, Vagrancy Act from 2014 to a tent for temporary accommoda - house those experiencing home - 2017 and punishments can range tion, or 597 homeless people dying lessness. from a fine to up to six months on our streets whilst houses stay Labour Homelessness imprisonment. There is little that empty? C

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LABOUR PARTY

Building power: it’s up to us Having consolidated the leadership Tom Miller argues the Corbyn left must continue to build a member-led listening party, especially on Europe

t was no abstract Question for us. The circumstances of our lives made it a burning luminous mark of interroga - tion. Where was power, and wIhich was the road to it?” So wrote Aneurin Bevan in the semi-biographical introduction to his yet relevant magnum opus In Place of Fear. This single insight shaped Bevan’s entire outlook in a way which speaks to an eternal truth, namely that politics is about the pursuit and exercise of power, and divining the process that brings us there. Personalities in politics, be they commentators, activists or politi - cians, tend to fall into two camps with regard to power and the ques - Aneurin Bevan - which road to power? tion of its attainment: seizers and builders. on policy was actually fairly light one day be something else, and The camps are tribes with coun - outside of the arena of counter- again, a return to core values is terpoised cultures, split by a silver austerity, but the classic hall - becoming necessary if our long river flowing with political power marks of a party which was both term beliefs are to be preserved. itself. They make their existence in democratic and tolerant marked a Europe serves as an example. At a wide and open flood plain, not rupture from New Labour and a the last party conference, members unlike some ancient American return to older values in the built power. They built power midwest. Life here is tough, Labour movement, neatly summed effectively, and did so on the basis shaped as it is by the ebbs and up by the unfairly ridiculed slogan of pushing Labour towards a peo - flows of political power, its chang - of ‘kinder, gentler politics’. Here ple’s vote type platform, as ing meanders and bow lakes. On was a man who seized with giving favoured at the latest count by the river depends all life. power to the builders. 86% of members. This was met by One camp is warlike. This is the Corbyn has faced adversity in attempts to water down members camp of the Seizers. They are the form of a leadership challenge wishes, in some activist circles to determined never to be threat - and a hostile press, which has cer - stigmatise pro-EU leftism, and by ened, by monopolising access to tainly not helped, but it is indis - long step back from a policy that the river, by way of war, coercion putable that much of the the leadership, wrongly in my or defences. Pugnacious, they Corbynite left is still shaped by a view, sees as potentially dangerous make raids on the other camp, but defensive and bunker-like mentali - Tom Miller is a rather than as an opportunity to pay the price by living in perma - ty. How far we as members have Brent councillor build. nent fear of the other side. been able to shape policy against and Chair of To see through the values pro - On the other side of the river the centre, especially in the area of Open Labour posed by Corbyn’s run in 2015, if live the Builders. They dig chan - policy on the EU, is disputable. there is sufficient public opinion to nels so that the river may flow and Powered by the seizing mentality, build power, we members must irrigate their crops. They build and powerful elements of the organised hold our nerve and move from seiz - reproduce, knowing that if they left still focus around political nar - ing to building the ideal of a continue to do so they will come to rowness and total control, even Labour Party which is not afraid dominate the land. They know when this does not work out well to consult and be member led. A that one day, their ever-growing or denies a voice to many other party which is not afraid of diverse settlement will come to dominate members, including socialists. opinion in its ranks but sees it as a what is now the camp of the power Corbynism was produced by source of strength, is something seizers, on the other side of the something which ‘was not sup - which Corbyn supporters must bank. posed to happen’ – the left winning stick to building in practice. Our Where should the democratic the leadership at the top of the members and unions should be in socialists of 2019 stand? pyramid before the bottom of it charge, and for that reason we Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 election had been built. In other words, it could do nothing better than hold a victory was based on long term has come to be because the left special conference to decide on the and deep principles that those of exploited an opportunity to seize biggest issue of the day. us on the left of the party had power long before it had any inter - “We have been the dreamers, we fought for decades, and through est in building it. have been the sufferers, now we the years of New Labour. His offer The left that we know now will are the builders”. C

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LABOUR & EUROPE

FOR A NON-TOXIC LABOUR PARTY Dave Lister argues for a more tolerant and civil party culture alking to people from so many clearly quite malevolent be given to the selection process across the country, it is and unpleasant people.” for MPs. A hard left sectarian clear that a toxic atmo - Of course, unacceptable Labour Party is not going to win a sphere has been creat - behaviour is not confined to some general election. There are some ed in some CLPs by a members of the hard Left. There MPs who tried to thwart Corbyn Trelatively small number of people. are plentiful examples of manoeu - from the outset who I would not This is particularly true of some vrings by right-wingers and want to re-select. However, where GCs but has even percolated Blairites. The classic case is the MPs, or for that matter local down to some wards. This toxicity old response to people wanting to councillors, are hardworking, does not tend to be created by the join their local party that it was have the interests of their con - large number of enthusiastic ‘full’. stituents at heart and have young and not so young people There are a number of ways of strong local support they should who have joined Momentum, but addressing the toxicity problem. not be automatically removed by a small number of sectarians Meetings need to be firmly because they do not declare them - buried in the disputes of the past. chaired and personal and/or abu - selves to be Jeremy Corbyn sup - This can be extremely damaging sive attacks need to be stopped porters. for the party and for individuals. immediately. There needs to be a We need a united but diverse Thus, in one North West recognition that the concept of Labour Party and we desperately London CLP both the Chair and the Labour |Party as a ‘broad need to see a Labour Government the Secretary were hounded out church’ is valuable. We saw in the Dave Lister is a elected. If we can all accept the of office by a stream of personal 1980s how bitter divisions in the Chartist EB right of people to hold views dif - attacks and some intimidation. In party helped to keep the Tories in member ferent to our own, we are more my own CLP in the past some power for 18 years. There is a likely to achieve this goal. Some members stopped attending GC danger of party ‘moderates’ drift - people seem to believe that with meetings because of the aggres - ing out around Brexit and sectari - greater concentration on sive atmosphere created by just anism and gravitating towards winnable constituencies we can one individual. As Francis the centre grouping of MPs easily win next time. Experience Beckett and Mark Seddon, who (Change UK) or the Lib Dems. On however suggests that this is not are largely pro-Corbyn wrote in the other hand, it is worth a foregone conclusion by any their book ‘Corbyn and the dwelling on how most of the party means. The polls suggest that Strange Rebirth of Labour was able to unite around the 2017 both of the main parties have lost England’, which I will be review - manifesto which was both left support currently. Constant inter - ing in the near future: “What the social democratic and much more nal wrangling is very likely to present authors wonder at is how radical than anything we have erode Labour’s support even fur - in recent years a party with such stood on since 1981. ther. Remember, unity is noble aims managed to harbour Very careful thought needs to strength. C Labour renewing the European left Patrick Costello and Glyn Ford identify Labour’s European allies and why it is vital to develop solidarity in the face of Brexit.

hen - or even an important moment to consider in developing socialist approaches whether - the UK the positive role the Party, and to the common policy challenges leaves the Labour’s MEPs can play at a such as migration, social policy, European Union crossroads for European politics. environmental regulation, the (EU), Labour’s First, the relationship with sis - transition to a low carbon econo - Wlinks with sister parties and ter parties. This is the easy bit. my and foreign and security poli - movements across Europe will be The Party of European Socialists cy. an essential element of its strate - (PES) already includes non-EU Labour’s absence from the gy to develop policies for the chal - members such as the Norwegian European Parliament (EP) and lenges of the next decades that Labour Party as does its parallel the Council of Ministers can be the left will face across Europe. political foundation and think- partly mitigated with an active The nature of today’s Labour tank, the Federation for role within both the PES and Party as a coalition and amalgam European Progressive Studies FEPS providing the party and of left and social democratic polit - (FEPS). Post-Brexit, while UK movement with influence and ical tendencies puts it in a unique Labour would inevitably have a leverage on the strategic direction position to bring together parties smaller say in questions such as of policy that will continue to across Europe whose political the selection of the PES candi - have a major impact on the UK. focus is more narrowly limited to date for President of the (Currently within FEPS the one side of that divide. With Commission and other key posts British Labour Movement is rep - unexpected European elections in the European institutions, it resented by the Fabians and now looking likely in the UK, it is would continue to play a vital role other progressive Think Tanks.

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EDITORIAL

The Party like most of those on the Continent should establish its own Foundation). One auspicious sign is that the current leadership has already transformed the Party’s relation - ship. Neither Blair, nor Brown saw European solidarity as other than an impediment to the apolit - ical wheeling and dealing of inter- governmentalism. Unlike them, since becoming leader Jeremy Corbyn has been a regular fixture at PES leaders meetings and active in dialogue and debate set - ting a positive tone. This is in sharp contrast to past years when Labour paid lip service at best to PES membership, rarely invest - ing in these alliances while putting every position of the European party through New Labour and Third Way filters that stripped them free of con - tent. In 2014, Labour told the PES that during the European Portuguese socialist leader working with Labour Election campaign our/their can - didate for Commission President and more on building these pro - ical work would be an important Martin Schulz, the then leader of gressive fronts, as the current demonstration of the Party’s com - the Socialist Group in the EP, Spanish general election is mitment to progressive socialist was not welcome in the UK. This demonstrating where the socialist Patrick Costello policies across Europe and it made the mainland UK the only PSOE will almost certainly need has worked in would finally draw a line under part of the EU where there was a deal with Podemos and the different the ill-fated Blair-Aznar- no campaigning by either Schulz United Left to build the required European Berlusconi Declaration of 2002 or Juncker, the eventual winning majority to govern. institutions for which did so much destroy New candidate. He did make a cam - The PES candidate for over two Labour’s influence within the paigning visit to Belfast where President of the European decades. European Party and paved the the SDLP’s writ runs rather than Commission, Frans Timmermans, way for Blair to propose a that of Labour. Compared to that, is openly talking about seeking a Glyn Ford was an Portuguese conservative, Jose despite claims of euroscepticism coalition of progressive forces in MEP between Manuel Barroso, for Commission amongst parts of the leadership the new Parliament rather than 1984 and 2009. President. more heard in Britain than the usual alliance with the centre But more important than abroad, Labour will have no diffi - right EPP. Here the Labour They both rejecting the past it could start culty in working constructively Party, and its components like contributed to the process of promoting a new with the PES post-Brexit. Momentum, can play a special (and Glyn edited) kind of left unity in Europe cru - But Labour can go further. As role as in many senses it is itself the collection of cial to turning the tide against the largest left party on the conti - already a coalition of these same essays on a the right. Since 1999, the EPP nent, we should show a level of political tendencies. Labour could Labour approach has been the biggest group in the ambition and leadership in help - create a space for these parties to Europe, Our EP and, for most of that period, ing shape policy and politics. The across Europe, promoting the Europe not having the largest number of EU big lesson of the last few years for kind of dialogue between them Theirs , Lawrence heads of state and government. socialists in Europe has been that that will be more and more neces - and Wishart Their successful strategy was to the most successful way to sary as the traditional right is updated edition expand rightwards, bringing into counter the electoral rise of the pulled towards the policies and (2016) their Christian Democrat core right, the far right and the pop - practices of the populists and first the big conservative parties, ulists is to build coalitions and xenophobes. There can be no ene - the Spanish PP, Forza Italia and alliances between PES parties mies on the Left. albeit briefly the British and other parties of the left, This will be no easy work. Conservative Party, then post- whether the Portuguese Socialist Replicating the Portuguese and enlargement parties such as government supported by Left German experience will be that Viktor Orban’s Fidesz in Block and Communists in much more difficult where previ - Hungary. Parliament or the German ous Parties have been shattered The strategy on the right is regions governed by SPD and by impossible choices, personali - beginning to reach its limits but if PDS coalitions. These govern - ties and events. Putting together the Left is to challenge this gen - ments have demonstrated success the Humpty Dumpty of what once erational dominance that has in government proving there are was the Italian communist party done so much to alienate people alternatives to austerity, chal - or getting Tsipras’ Syriza and from the EU and politics, it would lenging the orthodoxies of liberal - Papandreou’s PASOK in the do well to absorb the lessons, to ism with growing successful same room will be a challenge. fight like with like, reaching out economies. Labour is perhaps the only leftwards to build the Europe of Future electoral success for the European party that could reach the future. Labour has a role to left in Europe will depend more out to all of them. To do this polit - play, in or out of the EU. C

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ANTISEMITISM

Fighting racism in all its forms The charge of widespread antisemitism on the left of the Labour Party is damaging the necessary fight against racism in all its forms. Don Flynn explains how this is happening

he renewed charge of antisemitic racism, directed against Labour just as April poll show - ings put the party Tahead in the public popularity stakes, has the feel of a doomsday weapon about it – intended to put an end to any strand of leftist activism that has placed distance between itself and Blairite acqui - escence to the established main - stream. Stripping away the obvious glo - rying in the opportunity to have a go at Labour in its new left-wing configuration, there are issues which certainly need to be addressed in this area. The huge increase in membership over the last few years – making the party by far the biggest in Europe – has opened up the problem of getting discipline and principle into its Diverse opinions on antisemitism protest ranks. Broad-based social demo - cratic parties have not been these groups have official status Support for Labour was down to strong on the question of political with the party. As such the way around 13% of Jewish voters, giv - education, with the presumption in which the group is adminis - ing credibility to the argument being that efforts to change the tered and the comments allowed put most vigorously by the minds and behaviour of people on their sites cannot be consid - Campaign Against Antisemitism, smacks a bit too much of ered as representative of views that the party was seen as being Leninism. The slap-dash, ‘big held by senior party members or irredeemably hostile to Jews. tent’ legacy the party has been left any significant current of opinion The catalyst for this negative with has put it in a poor position within its ranks. assessment of the Labour Party is to deal with some, possibly many, Yet while these charges are the criticism of the actions of the new members who, to put it kind - batted backwards and forwards Israeli state towards the ly, are ‘work in progress’ when it by critics and defenders of Jeremy Palestinian people, made across comes to reliability on crucial Corbyn and his leadership it decades by Jeremy Corbyn and issues like the battle against seems to be having little impact of others with whom he is considered racism and antisemitism. . the views held by the majority of politically close. In principle what Improving the party’s capacity to voters. A Populus survey con - has been said over the years dif - deliver on the political education fers very little from the condem - members need is a critical task for nation of other states and the Labour, as well as taking stern In their attempts to repressive policies they pursue disciplinary action against those argue the rights and which is common enough on the who show themselves to be reso - left. From this perspective Israel lute racists and antisemites. wrongs the Corbyn figures on a list of countries The problem for democratic which, at various times, has socialists in the party is that the leadership on the left included South Africa and Chile. right has made this chronic failing have periodically Smaller scale research and action an opportunity to attack Corbyn groups, operating with similar, and the group of senior MPs who wandered in quagmires broadly leftist perspectives have form his staunchest supporters, taken up the cause of victims of making them the problem rather ducted in 2018 found that only 5% repression in numerous other than the deeper problems of the of respondents acknowledged the countries, with numerous exam - racism and prejudice that are issue as a significant news story ples across Latin America, Africa, entrenched in the traditions of which had had an impact on the Asia, and including even the British culture. In its most recent way they were thinking about United States (Black Lives attack on the party, the Sunday political affairs. Amongst Jews Matter) and the UK. The point Times claimed that its analysis of levels of concern registered much here is that internationalist cur - postings on twenty ‘pro-Corbyn’ more highly. Eighty-three per - rents within the left – those oper - Facebook groups had “found rou - cent felt that antisemitic state - ating with the concept of imperial - tine attacks on Jewish people, ments were insufficiently chal - ism as a key part of their analysis including Holocaust denial.” lenged by the party’s leaders, MPs of the contemporary world – have Labour’s response is that none of or rank-and-file members. continuously engaged with the

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duty of solidarity with all people Walker herself, led to widespread make plain its standing in the contending in their daily lives vilification and eventually expul - global rollcall of oppression. with the unadorned realities of sion from the Labour Party. Nor Though the charge against exploitation and oppression. The is it any defence, as Walker Israel’s critics in the Labour Palestine/Israel conflict is just one attempted to marshal to her aid, Party frequently links the terms more example of the way in which that the alleged mis-speaker is ‘racist’ and ‘antisemitic’ there is imperialist interests are working herself Jewish. Right wing, revi - in fact little interest on the part of out across the globe. sionist Zionism offers up the pur - those who pursue the charge to Supporters of the political ide- ported psychological phenomenon link it with other egregious exam - ology that sustains the actions of of the ‘self-hating Jew’ to account ples of discrimination. If, as is the Israeli state against the for the fact that a significant por - clearly the case, antisemitism is Palestinian people – Zionism – tion of their co-ethnics occupy on the rise, how does this relate to offer an alternative reading of his- positions which place them firmly the shocking increase in other tory which centres on the claim on the side of critics of Israel. racisms, directed against people that their cause should be From this perspective Zionism is of colour, refugees and immi - exempted from the criticism nor- seen as being so intrinsically grants? Does the fact of this mally meted out to repressive linked to Jewish identity that any upsurge tell us anything about states on the grounds that it has departure from faithful support the character of a capitalist sys - its origins in the striving of a peo- for the Israeli state can only be tem that is adjusting to the fail - ple who were (and are) them- seen as repudiation of the fact of ings of its globalised, neoliberal selves oppressed and in need of a being a Jew. mode and its efforts to find a new space providing safety and the The effect of setting up discus - basis for rule over the masses, opportunity to exercise self-deter- sion in this way has been to lay akin to the ‘divide-and-rule’ tac - mination. Further, lined up minefields and tripwires across tics of previous times? If this is against this assertion of Jewish the terrain in order to keep partic - the case, what are the implica - rights are people who unquestion- ipants well within the bounds of tions for strategies which appear ably merit the ascription of racist to aim for a defence of the Jewish antisemites, seeking to deny the people which mark of the dangers Jewish people not only a place in If racism is to be taken they face by presenting anti - which they are secure, but even semitism as a unique manifesta - their basic right to existence. on and defeated the tion of racist prejudice that In their attempts to argue the underlying reasons for belongs peculiarly to the left? rights and wrongs of these issues Corbyn and other international - the internationalist currents asso- its pernicious existence ists within the Labour Party and ciated with the Corbyn leadership have to be taken on and on the left in general have a dif - on the left have periodically wan- ferent response. If racism is to be dered in quagmires that have pro- undermined taken on and defeated the under - vided some basis for the viewpoint lying reasons for its pernicious put forward by Zionist critics to ‘acceptable’ criticism, which existence have to be taken on and the effect that criticism of Israel is inevitably falls far short of locat - undermined. Some of this always at risk of becoming ing the dispute within the frame undoubtedly relates to irrational straightforwardly criticism of of a critique of colonialism and prejudices that go back to the Jewish hopes and aspirations, imperialism. In this the issue is dawn of human history, with anti - and therefore becomes sealed off from the themes which semitism having its deepest ori - quintessentially antisemitic. The can be explored in other scrutiny gins in the tensions that existed border between ‘legitimate criti- of the actions of repressive within the Romano-Hellene world cism’ and anti-Jewism becomes a regimes. The deadly work of the at the time of the ascendency of zone amenable to intensive polic- Saudi Arabian regime in pum - Christianity. But if this forms the ing, looking for the slips and eli- melling the people of Yemen to long-duration cultural backdrop it sions in the language used by crit- the point of mass starvation can is essential to face up to the fact ics of Israeli state actions which still legitimately be set out as a that antisemitism has gained its are held to be revealing of under- part of a wider scheme to secure current vitality from the immedi - lying antisemitism. When this the hegemony of the United ate political and economic crisis of level of scrutiny is underway, the States across the Middle East. global capitalism, which is gener - concentration on the content of Daring analysts of the Latin ating populist and nationalist verbal utterances entirely dis- American scene can explain how responses to the problem of social places consideration of context, Bolsonaro’s election victory in control. From this perspective the and rhetoric which belongs to the Brazil has to be understood as a Don Flynn is ex need to mount a fight against traditions of anti-imperialism and part of the rolling back of the director of racism in all its forms is the anti-racism are presented as advances made by the democratic Migrant Rights salient issue, with antisemitism aphorisms that equate to hardline left in recent decades, all under Network and a featuring as one type alongside antisemitism. the direction of Washington’s for - Chartist EB others in the morphology of preju - Jon Pullman’s film on the way eign policy gurus. Researchers member dice; all with the same objective of in which one leading anti-racist into the policies pursued by undermining solidarity between campaigner has been dealt with Indian prime minister Narendra society’s underclasses. The con - under this process shows how the Modi are just about allowed to stant attack on Corbyn and his system works out. The Political unpick the linkages between supporters for his expressions of Lynching of Jackie Walker is a domestic repression and aspira - support for the Palestinian people case study of the way in which tions towards regional and global is a prime example of how divide- discussion about the conflicts in power, but criticism of Israel is and-rule works, with the outcome Palestine/Israel has become sub- expected to stay silent on the of sustaining the prop that racism ject to a degree of examination specificities which uniquely provides to the capitalist system, which, in the case of Jackie describe the state and which help rather than defeating it. C

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UKRAINE

A servant of which people? A comedy actor will be the next president of Ukraine, but he will have trouble following through on his anti-corruption promises reports David Dalton

n Ukraine’s presidential elec - tion in April, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a politically inexpe - rienced comic actor, easily beat the country’s incumbent Ileader with 73% of the vote. In the first round Zelenskiy had taken over 30% of the vote in a crowded field. His nearest rival, Petro Poroshenko, a veteran of the Ukrainian political scene, won just below 16% of the national vote. Third placed Yuliya Tymoshenko, receiving 13.4% of support in the first round, complained about manipulation of the vote, although most credible observers reckoned the mechanics of the election itself were broadly free and fair. In the parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk Ukraine real wage growth Source: Statistical Service of Ukraine regions not held by Russian-backed separatists, the “eastern” vote was helped to boost the comedian’s economic and political pressure split between Yuriy Boyko (with appeal among young voters and to from Russia, refused to sign the 11.6% of the national vote) and bring on board some well-known long-promised EU association Oleksandr Vilkul (4.2%), both of the Maidan activists. agreement, disappointing expecta - Opposition Bloc, the successor to the The central tenet of Zelenskiy’s tions. ruling party under the presidency of campaign was the need to tackle Foremost among Poroshenko’s Viktor Yanukovych, Poroshenko’s pervasive, high-level corruption in achievements is the survival of ill-fated predecessor. Had Boyko public and economic life. However, Ukraine as a sovereign state, with and Vilkul combined forces, one of during the campaign he did not wholesale reform of the army and them might have been facing show in detail how he intends to go David Dalton is a the defeat, despite large territorial Zelenskiy in Poroshenko’s place. As about it and otherwise his political Phd candidate at loss, of Russia’s expansionist “New in 2014, the far-right performed programme is sketchy. So far, then, UCL London poorly, with its “unified” candidate, he is something of an ideological School of East Ruslan Koshulynskyi, trailing in blank screen onto which different European and The central tenet of ninth place, with just 1.65% back - social groups are able to project Slavonic Studies ing. their hopes and values. This helps studying political Zelenskiy’s campaign to explain the unusually high and economy of was the need to tackle Zelenskiy and his campaign even spread of the actor’s support modern Ukraine Zelenskiy stars in hit satirical TV across regional, ethnic and linguis - pervasive, high-level series Servant of the People, playing tic divisions. corruption in public and Vasyl Holoborodko, a straight-talk - ing history teacher who is unexpect - Poroshenko’s record: the past 5 economic life edly launched into the presidency years after a video of him castigating offi - Poroshenko ran on a patriotic, cial corruption goes viral. In the real ‘nation-building’ platform, under election, Zelenskiy’s poll ratings the slogan “Army! Language! Russia” project in south-eastern took off in January this year, follow - Faith!”, presenting himself as a reli - Ukraine. Over the same period, ing his appearance on a prime-time able war-time leader. This failed to however, a series of high-profile cor - sketch show on New Year’s Eve on secure him remotely the level of ruption scandals beset the political the 1 + 1 TV channel, which is backing he required, even among elite, including Poroshenko person - owned by Ihor Kolomoiskiy, one of soldiers on the front line. ally. Most recently, the story broke Ukraine’s leading oligarchs. The result confirmed the over - that the son of a close associate of Zelenskiy’s popularity rests there - whelming disappointment with the president had been involved in fore not just on being seen as a Poroshenko’s record in office. At smuggling spare parts from Russia “fresh face”, or an honest political first glance, this is at odds with the which he then sold to the Ukrainian outsider along the lines of the TV range of significant policy and insti - military at inflated prices. character he plays, but also on his tutional reforms undertaken since Besides the president’s failure to considerable media exposure. the Maidan protests of 2013-14. eradicate the most blatant kinds of Alongside his use of unorthodox The Maidan was a popular revolt high-level corruption, the persis - campaign methods, including live against the Yanukovych govern - tence of low living standards is like - performances with his comedy ment, which was considered espe - ly to have undermined Poroshenko’s troupe and an extensive social cially corrupt. It was triggered in support. Amid war, recession and media presence, these factors late 2013 when Yanukovych, under financial destabilisation, real wages

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KOREA

fell by a quarter in 2014-15 and only cians for the status quo. He tried to policy platform—not least to reas - surpassed 2013 levels last year. portray Zelenskiy as a hypocrite, sure more national- and security- Real disposable income is likely to railing against the corrupt practices minded citizens that he will be no have fallen more steeply still as the of the oligarchy—the informal insti - pushover in the conflict with government cut social transfers, tution behind the scenes of Russia, and especially in any while raising domestic gas prices Ukrainian politics, which unites the future negotiations with the eightfold, under the auspices of the very rich with successful political Russian president, Vladimir Putin. country’s IMF macroeconomic sta - leaders and the state elite—while Aside from the conflict with bilisation programme. Ukraine now being in the pocket of one of its lead - Russia, the other big question- vies with Moldova for bottom place ing figures (that is, Kolomoiskiy). mark hanging over the prospect of among European countries in terms Zelenskiy continued to focus on a Zelenskiy presidency must be of income per head of population. the issues where Poroshenko was that he appears to lack the quali - What Next? most vulnerable, and which ties, expertise and resources neces - German chancellor Angela remain most resonant to sary to successfully tackle the Merkel invited Poroshenko to Berlin Ukrainian voters—corruption and entrenched informal power struc - in mid-April, indicating a broad living standards. He now needs to tures that remain at the heart of preference among Western politi - offer some concrete details of his Ukraine’s political system. C Will Korea denuclearise? Carol Turner looks at what’s at stake

fter the breakdown of talks this February, the prospect of resumed US-DPRK nuclear dialogue has Asurfaced again. Both President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have suggested a third summit could take place before the end of 2019. By the time of the second round of denuclearisation discussions in Hanoi, North Korea had already taken some first steps. But talks broke up with Trump insisting on complete denuclearisation before any US sanctions would be lifted.

Both Trump and Kim have recently indicated willingness to talk again, however. Speaking on Trump and Kim - deal or no deal? the eve of his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, region though. South Korea is – and many others in the region – Trump said he was open to a host to the third-largest number it means denuclearisation of the third summit, telling the media of US troops overseas, with entire Peninsula, including the ‘various smaller deals’ were possi - 35,000 US military personnel sta - removal of US nuclear parapher - ble. tioned across 83 sites. US-led mil - nalia, which would be best Kim has also said he would itary exercises take place annual - assured by establishing a nuclear participate in another round of ly, amongst the biggest in the weapons free zone. C talks before the end of this year if world. In 2017 an American anti- Trump is open to changing his missile system based in South There will be a rare opportunity to stance on sanctions. In a speech Korea became operational, Carol Turner is view events from a Korean to the DPRK People’s Assembly, Terminal High Altitude Area Vice Chair of CND perspective at the beginning of May, Kim said the US was mistaken to Defence (THAAD). and author of when Francis Daehoon Lee tours the believe ‘maximum pressure’ North Korea’s good will gesture Corbyn and UK at the invitation of Campaign for would ‘subdue’ North Korea. notwithstanding, US military Trident: Labour's Nuclear Disarmament. Lee is Denuclearisation talks drills on and around the continuing Research Professor of Peace Studies resumed in 2018, after President Peninsula took place in autumn controversy at SungKongHoe University, Seoul, Moon’s initiative at the 2018 2018 which Kim branded a provo - and a founder People’s Solidarity for Winter Olympics. That April Kim cation. Be it by mistake or design, Participatory Democracy, a South announced he was suspending nuclear confrontation remains a Korean NGO which campaigns for ballistic missile testing with real possibility. public participation in government immediate effect and dismantling The elephant in the US-DPRK decision making, socio-economic an underground test site, later summit room is the different reforms and peace on the Korean confirmed by US sources to have interpretations of what denucle - peninsula. Lee will be speaking at taken place. arization actually means. For meetings in London, Glasgow, North Korean nukes are not Trump this is getting rid of North Edinburgh and Leeds. Visit the only military threat in the Korean nuclear capacity; for Kim www.cnduk.org for details.

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LONDON UNITED

Defeating the far right Unmesh Desai explains how London United can mobilise nationally

ondon United (LU) was political discourse is now nor - formally launched at the malised. As David Lammy so elo - 2019 London Labour quently riposted ‘Our country’s Conference. A motion in proudest moment was defeating '( "&(" support, unanimously the far right...Now we are sup - pLassed, was moved by the Chair of posed to sit back while xenophobic Unite London and Eastern and nationalists and isolationists do now Chair of the London Labour their best to tear Europe apart Party, Jim Kelly, on behalf of again.’ Unite. The motion was seconded by It is against this backdrop that Barking Labour Party. This was a we have also seen a worrying rise in symbolic move. The concept of hate crimes and witnessed terrible London United is about united incidents like Christchurch. In !"#$%& action against the Far Right and London alone there are 60 hate !"#$%&'()*(+&#($&,#-*'"&#.#)(+/& hate politics by all sections of the crimes reported every day and we "#0)+1- &#($&/-2%&3 #-"&").2/ - labour movement. Further, this know that most cases go unreport - - - - - unity was so successfully demon - ed. The Metropolitan police warn 45()*(+65()/7

strated in Barking and Dagenham that the threat of far right extrem - !2%&8 *"9&*3&,*($*(&5()/%$&)+&+'::*"/%$&- 7; when it saw off the BNP just under ism is their biggest concern now a decade ago. with 1/3 of referrals to the Prevent There were a number of reasons programme from people attracted to for the launch. Firstly, the alarm in white supremacist ideology. some sections of the movement at So in the context of these very global developments over the last worrying developments how do we year. A series of demonstrations in go forward? How can the visionary L abour through the Regional Boa r d the name of ‘Free Tommy call by New Zealand Prime to join with the trade unions to Robinson’- (Stephen Yaxley- Minister, Jacinda Ardern, for global form a joint trade union and party Lennon), founder of the English action to root out racist right wing steering committee to coordinate Defence League, who had been ideology be localised at all levels the campaign and spread the same imprisoned for contempt of court and the ‘hostile environment’ chal - message via constituencies, develop over a grooming case- were attract - lenged in all parts of our public life? a much-needed online presence, ing thousands. Robinson, now advi - This is where LU, which has seek affiliations and most impor - sor to UKIP leader, Gerrard already attracted the support of Unmesh Desai is tant of all change a still inward Batten, himself was fast becoming major unions and the backing of a member of the looking party culture to get our a cult figure for the international Shadow Chancellor, John Greater London members out in mass mobilisations far right movement. Groups like McDonnell, has a role to play. Assembly Valuable work is being done in the so-called ‘Democratic Football We need to spread the message other aspects of public life. Groups Lads Alliance’ were providing the underpinning the rise of the ideolo - like Show Racism The Red Card in numbers for the street movement gy we oppose to the six million the football world do great work that fascism and the Far Right members of the trade unions along - and LU should seek to develop need in terms of a street presence side the mass membership of the partnerships and not duplicate. with Robinson the equally-neces - Labour Party. Music and culture is another arena sary ‘charismatic’ leader. Counter-demonstrations last and whilst it may not be possible to Secondly, various alt-right year were by comparison small and replicate Rock Against Racism, so groups with a sophisticated social clearly the first task is get our own crucial in its time to the ANL’s suc - media presence and money from members mobilised. The political cess, thought has to be given to America to fund ‘The Movement’, a will is there as exemplified by reviving in the capital the Rise fes - grouping to organise an assortment McDonnell’s calls for a new Anti tival initiated by Livingstone and of right wing forces for the forth - Nazi League movement. Unions ditched by Johnson. I have asked coming European elections provid - like the FBU and RMT have been Mayor Khan to consider funding ed a backdrop to attempts to latch instrumental in getting members to and organising an annual London on to very genuine concerns over help steward anti-fascist mobilisa - cultural event bringing our commu - Brexit uncertainties. tions. Trade unionists marched in a nities together. Finally, we had the coming fairly cohesive bloc on the recent There are many challenges and together in meetings of the ‘pop - International Day Of Action LU has its work cut out. Maximum ulist’ and ‘respectable’ right in the Against Racism. We need all unions unity in action is the way forward. form of Steve Bannon and Boris to come together. Unions like Unite But the first steps have been taken Johnson. Johnson has made do some impressive educational in developing a unified and cohesive inflammatory remarks comparing work and this needs to be emulated labour movement campaign and Muslim women wearing burkas to everywhere. Hopefully the summer challenge to the far right, main - letter boxes and Jacob Rees-Mogg trade union conferences will further streamed in all aspects of our work. has approvingly quoted the leader this process and the national The message of No Pasaran, of the German far-right AfD, senior Labour conference will add a enshrined in the history of our figures from which have called for national dimension. movement, has got to be translated refugees to be shot, indicative of a At a party level, the resolution to into action and passed on to future political terrain where far right conference calls upon London generations. C

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CHARTISM

Chartist heritage Ian Bullock on the implications of Chartism

t does seem appropriate for a journal called Chartist to occasionally consider what might be the implications of its title. So what we can Ilearn from the Chartist move - ment? There were of course 'physical force' Chartists – and not only in the Newport Rising of 1839 – but most Chartists, espe - cially from the later 1840s, wished to pursue their goals non- violently, if loudly and vociferous - ly. The Chartist heritage can be seen as twofold: a commitment to politics and a commitment – eventually – to democracy. It's important to distinguish between these two. I don't need to rehearse the famous 'six points' here but had, by some miracle, all six of them been immediately implemented the result would not have been democracy. Clearly, there is much, much more to democracy than simply the right Chartists gather at Kennington common London 1838 to vote. But it is rather crucial. There were advocates of universal a sort of Chartist revival. The they were Chartism's 'legitimate suffrage in the movement and early SDF did indeed contain a heirs and successors'. Its Fabian many women Chartists but the number of 'old Chartists'. The adversaries, above all George demand was for 'manhood suf - hyphen in Social-Democratic and Bernard Shaw, didn't dispute this frage' – votes for males of 21 or Social-Democracy is vital. It – but saw it as something to be over. stood for the symbiotic relation - sneered at. In Fabian Essays of Adult suffrage in Britain was ship between political and socio- 1889 Shaw referred to the SDF as achieved only in 1928 and even economic advance. The first was 'Chartism risen from the dead.' then some anomalies remained. an essential pre-condition of the He was still going on in the same So, to begin with, what the second. vein when the Social-Democrats Chartists were committed to – In his second volume of remi - had the audacity to oppose – on with the exceptions already noted niscences published a couple of democratic grounds – what - was political action, that is try - years before World War I, Henry became the Education Act of ing to achieve their aims by politi - Hyndman, the main founder of 1902, which the Fabians had pro - cal means in an environment the SDF, refers to 'the modern moted in cahoots with Balfour's where campaigning for radical Socialist, or renewed Chartist, Tory government. Shaw dis - change was possible, though movement, set on foot by the missed such opposition as 'old- never easy. There was no level Democratic Federation in 1881'. fashioned Chartist Radicalism.' playing field, but political activity The first plank of the DF pro - Well we know where Shaw – did take place – with a struggle. gramme was 'adult suffrage' – and some of the other Fabians, No one, either among the certainly an advance on the old notably the Webbs – ended up. Chartists or later suffrage cam - 'six points' demand but clearly of But let's not go there. Instead let paigners, saw achieving their the same heritage. Soon the SDF Ian Bullock’s us ask ourselves what are the demands for the vote in isolation. programme would begin with a latest book is implications of keeping faith with Rather their assumption was that whole series of 'immediate Under Siege: a our Chartist forebears. Clearly political equality was the key fac - demands' for the 'democratisation history of the we should always defend democ - tor for securing every other kind of government machinery', pro - interwar racy however imperfect its form. of equality– a view I think we all portional representation and the independent It is as we all know now under accept. initiative (a feature of direct Labour Party attack from so many essentially The Chartists certainly have democracy where a set number of right-wing directions. But we had a significant influence on electors could initiate a referen - should also be looking for ways to every later socialist and radical dum). deepen democracy, to make it political movement in Britain. It wasn't only Hyndman who more real, and assist it in pursuit None more so than the first saw the SDF, and socialism gen - of greater equality of every kind. organisation of the 'socialist erally, as descended from the We won't always agree about revival' – the Social-Democratic Chartists. In 1903 for example – which way to do this, but that Federation (SDF) which began as and not for the first or last time – debate is itself part of the demo - the Democratic Federation, itself the SDF paper Justice claimed cratic process. C May/June 2019 CHARTIST 21 #298 workingreal_01 cover 29/04/2019 05:25 Page 22

YOUTH VIEW

A Prevent style plan will not reduce serious violence Alice Arkwright on the wrong way to tackle knife crime

addening stories of youth violence, specifically knife crime in London, have dominated head - lines in the first few mSonths of 2019. Since 2014 the numbers of children and teenagers killed as a result of blades has been rising, with 36 deaths in 2017, 37 in 2018 and 11 teenagers had died by 10th March this year, many of them in London. This loss of life has led to increasing public debate and anal - ysis as to the causes behind this rise. Reasons including the corre - lation between school expulsion and knife crime; reduced police Protesting against knife crime numbers and funding; cuts to local authority children’s services, edu - young people is needed, this latest as there is little transparency on cation and social services; and the proposal sounds very similar to how the police retain personal data impact of country wide drug deal - Prevent, which has been heavily passed on from services or which ing operations have all been dis - criticised by political parties, other agencies it has shared it cussed. Whilst the reasons for any human rights organisations, public with. Increased data-sharing is a youth violence are complex, the sector workers and researchers. primary principle of these new pro - vulnerability of teenagers effected Under the Prevent strategy, a posals for youth violence, suggest - by poverty, mental illness, abuse, range of public services have a ing that the same issues could toxic masculinity, austerity and legal duty to “have due regard to arise. special educational needs is clear. the need to prevent people from Prevent has also been criticised The multitude of causes is being drawn into terrorism”. for limiting discussion in educa - matched by numerous, and some Teachers and educational institu - tional contexts as both teachers worrying, suggestions of how to tions are required to report stu - and students feel what they say is solve the problem, from using stop dents they believe to be at risk of being policed. Not only does it sti - and search tactics in schools to extremism – worryingly defined in fle the debates that can occur in deploying the army and armed Prevent strategy as “opposition to educational environments, but it police patrols to inner-city neigh - fundamental British values”. can risk damaging relationships of bourhoods. Concerns surrounding Prevent openness and trust that should The latest suggestion from the have been that the strategy exist to support vulnerable stu - government is that professionals encourages professionals to view dents. Good education should allow across health, education, local gov - others with suspicion, particularly young people to ask questions, lis - ernment, social services, the police Muslims and ethnic minorities. ten to and understand others, par - and the voluntary sector would be The majority of referrals under ticipate in respectful discussion legally required to spot and report Prevent have been of Muslims and and explore issues that are affect - warning signs that a young person there is a risk of racial profiling ing their lives. This is much harder might engage in serious violence. and stereotyping occurring under to do under environments of suspi - Under the proposal A&E staff these new proposals as there is no cion and fear and the proposal would have to report young people clear way of judging pre-criminali - risks further alienating those stu - who present suspicious injuries ty. The new proposals offer little dents at risk. and teachers would be required to guidance on what behaviours pro - Alice Arkwright Public sector workers and report children displaying concern - fessionals should be looking out for works for the unions have also expressed anger ing behaviour. These professionals and what kind of behaviour they TUC that teachers, nurses and doctors would be held accountable for the would report. would be responsible for rising prevention of violence and any fail - The ineffectiveness of this knife crime at a time where ser - ure to do so. method is also shown in that only vices, including specialist support The Home Office has said that a small proportion of Prevent services, are under funded and the government would issue guid - referrals need further action and under resourced. ance, but it would be up to services most are rejected, highlighting No one would deny the impor - to figure out how to comply with that the policy serves to label peo - tance of ending youth violence, but the new duties on top of their ple as dangerous without actually any new proposal must take the existing safeguarding responsibili - helping at risk young people or lessons of Prevent on board and ties. Whilst a joined-up approach further protecting society. importantly respect young people’s across multiple sectors and ser - Liberty have also stressed con - concerns, confidentiality and vices to tackling violence amongst cerns around data under Prevent human rights. C 22 CHARTIST May/June 2019 #298 workingreal_01 cover 29/04/2019 05:25 Page 23

TV REVIEW

An indictment of a culture Zoe Mavroudi on Leaving Neverland and leaving behind our glittery illusions

believe the two men inter - viewed in the documentary Leaving Neverland . By this I don’t simply mean that I think allegations made by JIames Safechuck and Wade Robson that they were sexually molested by Michael Jackson as children are ‘their’ truth -as goes the careful wording- but that their accounts are the truth and director Dan Reed’s new film is now part of the historical record. The men allege they were promised life-time love and career opportunity by the singer as their middle-class families received material rewards: toys, jewellery, cash, trips, even a house. The indirect price for these gifts was devastation, depression, divorce and a suicide. This is a story of innocence and hope betrayed. When Safechuck met Jackson, after co-starring in his Pepsi com - mercial, the singer was “happy, at the peak of his success. And then he likes you.” The boys were made to feel special or as Robson puts it, “anointed”. What they were anointed for is alleged dur - ing four hours of on-camera con - fession in excruciating, graphic detail. Reed skips the traditional mega-star. Critics of the film as a one- flash-back to Jackson’s early The film’s co-producer HBO is sided account misunderstand the career. As a child-prodigy, he currently embroiled in a lawsuit nature of both documentary and showed performative maturity filed by the Michael Jackson child sexual abuse, a hidden, and sensuality comparable to Estate and Reed has been wrong - mostly unreported crime. A film those of older stars. When his ly accused of supposed inconsis - about war victims matches testi - solo career sky-rocketed during tencies in his reportage. But mony with documented carnage the Reagan era, his overtly mas - Leaving Neverland cannot be but this story is about the inter - culine stage persona and mili - undone. Jackson’s legacy will nalization of undocumented vio - taristic choreographies countered from now on be filtered through lence. Reed, a meticulous inter - his image as a reclusive Peter this film. (One wonders how the viewer, films his subjects’ strug - Pan, who defended his unusual National Portrait Gallery’s recent gle to contain their pain, intercut - closeness to children for years. Jackson exhibition might have ting archival footage of fun and The merging of child with adult addressed it). Oprah Winfrey, dancing. Drone shots of land - identity is a persistent theme in who interviewed the star in 1993 scapes -including Jackson’s for - Reed’s film. When Safechuck met inside his home-theatre but didn’t mer, up-for-sale Neverland Jackson, he told his idol: “we’re seem troubled by the surrounding Ranch- suggest a looming pres - the luckiest boys in the world.” bedroom cubicles for his child ence. When pain eventually sur - Elsewhere, an old video shows 5- guests, showcased the film in a faces -tears, a shaky hand- we year-old Robson perform TV special, saying its story “tran - confront integrity and bravery up Jackson’s floor-humping dance scends” Jackson. Indeed. The film close. The boys’ alleged grooming move to a cheering crowd, his implies that all this happened included instructions to guard the tiny pelvis thrusting in chore - under the watch of a gushing secret into adult life, a promise ographed imitation of copulation. media. Robson kept by testifying in Hindsight about what would soon Recalling his childhood experi - Jackson’s defence at his 2005 sex - overtake his life is mixed with ence, Robson says that at the ual molestation trial. The film befuddlement: how could this get time, “it didn’t seem that helps us understand his decision public approval? The answer can strange”. His words convey a con - and subsequent coming-out in be traced in his mother’s talk of fusion shared by too many culpa - 2013. Documentaries aren’t trials being swept away by “the good ble adults, making Leaving but narrative tools of history, life”, dreams of showbiz success Neverland an indictment of an which doesn’t have a statute of for her talented son and a mix of entire culture and its glittery illu - limitations. awe and pity for the “childlike” sions. C

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FILM REVIEW

Below the Surface

hen it comes to the work of American writer-direc - Wtor S. Craig Zahler, I Patrick have arrived late to the party. Having seen his monumental Mulcahy third feature, Dragged Across Concrete, a film about American on a slow have-nots that has the pulpy depth of an Elmore Leonard burner about novel, I am prepared to hand out flyers and put up the bunting. have-nots Set in the fictional city of Bulwark, it is a multi-character drama in the liberal tradition of John Sayles. Sayles privileged story structure, character and dry wit above flashy set pieces. In Dragged Across Concrete, Zahler does the same, but, with the artist cunning that Sayles lacked, he adds something extra: guts. Towards the end of the film – be advised it is a long one, almost 160 minutes, but I wouldn’t ‘Dragged Across Concrete’ is on release change the pace – Zahler shows one man fishing through another hooked into anti-glamour? Zahler, stick’. The ex-con loves his mother man’s intestines. Zahler’s world playing a series of B movie tricks and brother. Two thirds of the way view is anti-kitsch, the opposite familiar from exploitation films of through the movie, Zahler intro - of ‘without shit’, to paraphrase the 1970s and 1980s, gives us a duces a young mother, Kelly Czech author Milan Kundera. sex scene, involving a newly (Jennifer Carpenter) who recently However, the violence isn’t gratu - released ex-convict, Henry (Tory has given birth and is returning to itous. On the contrary, it is bru - Kittles). He returns home to find work for the first time. That tally functional, reflecting his mother (Vanessa Bell moment is wrenching. Her boss Zahler’s critique of American Calloway) prostituting herself – (Fred Melamed) is florid in his society. he threatens the customer with a appreciation. He gives a workplace Zahler casts two right-wing baseball bat, but doesn’t swing it speech of the type that we are not stars, Mel Gibson and Vince – while his younger brother is in used to hearing. It is – and we Vaughn, who are renowned for his room playing video games. know it – the lull before the storm. speaking their minds, in Gibson’s His favourite is ‘Shotgun Safari’ Zahler does not pretend that case in a career-destroying man - which the siblings play together. there is equivalence between cops ner, and contains them. They Wildlife is a recurring motif: and career criminals. The bad play two cops – Gibson the veter - Brett also watches lion cub docu - guys are remorseless. They state an Brett, Vaughn his protégé, mentaries with his teenage their intentions using a distorted Anthony – who get the job done, daughter, Sara. Henry is not so voice played on an old fashioned if not exactly by the book. Brett good at the game because, as it tape recorder during a robbery and subdues a suspect by putting his turns out, he hasn’t used a gun. follow through brutally. foot on his neck, but is filmed ‘I’ve never killed anyone,’ he says. Significantly, as the opening set doing so. The opening set piece Zahler entirely understands piece proves, the cops have to lie to isn’t full of pumped up violence, why right-wing populism has achieve results. It is a necessary where the audience is sucked into taken hold in the US. The left- tactic. This isn’t to say that lying is the cops’ seething righteousness wing response, also marked by presented as a virtue. At various – it is perfunctory. outrage, isn’t proportionate or points, Brett doesn’t say what he Brett also persuades a naked forgiving. Zahler isn’t interested has in mind – and his wife knows woman to reveal the location of a in figureheads or symbols of not to ask – so as to limit complici - stash of guns, but reneges on let - polarised views, rather how ty. ting her go. He gives the speech behaviour manifests itself in Although the film is a slow about getting through his ques - shared spaces. As the daughter of burner, it is not without entertain - tions quickly so he and Anthony two cops, Sara is assaulted by a ment or a moral compass. Playing can catch the breakfast special at passing cyclist who pelts her with the percentages means that Brett Bert’s – a local diner, but not the soft drink. Brett worries about doesn’t always play safe. The film best. Zahler is really interested in the long-term psychological dam - is about the unlikelihood of hope – digestion, how we consume infor - age done to her, the result of liv - or, if you prefer to quote former US mation, but he slows it right ing in a poor neighbourhood on President Barack Obama – its down. In one scene, Brett the wages he earns – his wife also audacity. The final image is of a describes Anthony as taking 98 has multiple sclerosis. Zahler face looking at us, a redeemed face minutes to finish a sandwich. ‘A puts loving relationships right at that tells us that the odds can be red ant could have eaten it the centre of the movie – Brett’s changed. ‘Dragged Across faster.’ partner loves his girlfriend who is Concrete’ is a genuinely radical How do you get an audience ‘smarter than him by a yard film.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Marx and Balzac Andrew A World to Win. The Life and Works of itics’ is largely philosophical. But he A World to Win gives substance Karl Marx. soon brings the issue of industriali - to the ideas that Marx developed. Coates Sven-Eric Liedman. translated by sation, the Industrial Revolution to This ranges from a discussion of Jeffrey N. Skinner. the fore. The account of the 1848 Method, from the 1959 Introduction on Verso £14.99. revolutions, above all in France, to the Grundrisse, the traps of the while lacking Jones’ familiarity with ‘metaphors’ of base and superstruc - conceptual have attempted to explain not the Gallic utopian socialism and ture, the category of the ‘totality’, only who Marx was in his time” communism, Christian social think - dialectics, form and content. There Marx Iannounces Sven-Eric Liedman, ing, and early social democratic poli - is a more accessible account of “but why he remains a vital source tics, portrays the bond between Marx’s studies of technology, of inspiration today.” This major social and political revolution. machinery, and the industrial revo - biography, published in Swedish in In the late 1860s Marx made a lution, its downside for the working 2015, aims to offer a “portrait of significant contribution to the classes, and, Liedman’s forte, sci - Marx unobscured by what happened International. While advancing his ence. In this the book deploys with a after his death.” views on the ‘abolition of the wages welcome freshness greater textual The book is, the Preface explains, system’, this involved ‘compromis - resources than other recent biogra - a counterweight to Gareth phies. Stedman Jones’ Karl Marx Was Marx, in this context, a Greatness and Illusions, which pioneering thinker of globalisa - appeared after the present work’s tion? Liedman’s claims about original publication. Jones, he his ‘prophetic’ insights are not asserts, tends to overshadow wholly convincing. Joseph Marx’s own writings through his Addison talked in the Essay on detailed portraits of the inspira - the Royal Exchange (1711) of tion of his thought, and the early merchants who “knit mankind socialist and workers’ movement. together in mutual intercourse”, Jones saw Marx’s crowning and Ricardo, of free commerce achievement in the years when creating a “universal society of the International Working Men’s nations”. Marx highlighted the Association, the First planet-wide development, and, International, began to flourish, while not thinking it through, from 1864 to 1869. did not regard colonialisation as Stedman Jones is known for an a straightforward boon. An interest in the way language observation that deserves forms class. He also stated that underlining for critics of globali - Marx was buoyed up by the belief sation is Marx’s view that, “free that, “the process of a transition trade expedited the classless from the capitalist mode of produc - society”. tion towards the society of associ - A World to Win, as a biogra - ated producers had already phy must, traces out a life. begun.” It was this that propelled Liedman gives Marx the benefit him to reach out to the activists in of some weighty doubts on his trade unions and the co-operative behaviour towards his servant, movement, associations that could his personal feuds (notably with change the course of history. It is Bakunin), and the abusive, from these origins that ‘Marxism’ often racist, vocabulary of his took political shape. ing’ with a variety of socialist, anar - correspondence with Engels, Liedman, by contrast, is inspired chist and trade union forces. described as ‘roguishly nonchalant’. by the approach of the largely Spreading the word of ‘solidarity’ A World to Win often cites one of German New Marx Reading (neue between workers’ struggles (the Marx’s favourite authors, Honoré de Marx-Lektüre) of figures such as body’s prime aim), to the ‘duty of the Balzac. For Liedman one tale, Hans Georg Backhaus. This aims to working classes to conquer political Melmoth Reconciled (1835), is a show Marx’s ideas, not the Marxism power’ allowed for leeway between “picture of capitalism” in which the that developed inside these move - opposing viewpoints. But the capitalists “live their lives at the ments. A large part of A World to months of the Paris Commune in Stock Exchange in a pact with the Win is taken up with the conceptual 1871 saw Marx convinced again that Devil.” After peeling away Marxism analysis of Marx’s categories, from “bloody conflicts as part of social from Marx, he reveals Marx’s pic - the method announced in the 1859 development that would be hard to ture of the ‘mechanism and the Introduction to the Grundrisse, that avoid.” Liedman is less informative scheme of the world’. Liedman has work itself, and the ‘unfinished than Stedman Jones on why many many pages on the thoughts of theo - Masterpiece’ of Capital. of the British trade unionists rists who have attempted to do the Marx nevertheless stood out as recoiled from the Commune. It was same. Little of this is accessible to more politically active “than any not just that they considered it ‘rash’ those not already familiar with the other political thinker in the nine - and ‘hopeless’. Their lack of sympa - terrain. Despite the great strengths teenth century”. He was “allied with thy extended to its plans for federal of the biography, many may come the working class” acting for their self-government faced with what away feeling, like Balzac’s Cashier, liberation, the pivot of “the libera - was already the foundation, under that such painstaking knowledge of tion of all humanity.” Liedman’s initial Orléanist (constitutional the great thinker’s ideas ends in account of Marx’s involvement in Monarchist) leadership, of the their wish to turn the final pages radical German ‘young Hegelian pol - French Third Republic. drying up.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Marx and more

Duncan Arise ye Wretched of the Earth The ‘global’ range is impressive. Not The First International in Global only are there essays on France, Bowie Perspective Germany and Switzerland and Brill £125 Belgium, but there are studies of the on the First On-line open access: First international in Poland, https://brill.com/view/title/33815 Russia, Italy, Spain, the Spanish International empire, the US and Latin America. his book follows on from previ - The final set of essays looks at the ous volumes of essays on inter - role of leaders and tendencies – Tnational socialist history spon - Marx, Proudhon and Bakunin, but sored by the International Institute also the roles of the positivist of Social History in Amsterdam. Professor Beesly (by Greg Claeys), Don’t be put off by the price as the Carlo Cafiero and a group of femi - book is available free on-line. This nists. time the essays are all in English. The authors are all specialists The 23 essays and the introduction and many of the essays summarise chronological study, I would recom - bring together recent international PhDs or studies published in other mend another lesser known study : scholarship. languages. The volume also includes Henryk Katz-The Emancipation of The first six specialist studies a chronology. For anyone interested Labour, published by Greenwood cover the organisation of and in the history of international social - press in the US in 1992. This study debates within the first internation - ism, this is fascinating reading. For adopts a pluralist approach, giving al, including essays by Fabrice those who want to focus on the due attention to leaders of the First Bensimon (one of the editors, who is Marxist/anarchist divide, there is International other than Marx and currently at UCL) on London pre - also a recent study from an anar - Bakunin, including the London cursors of the IWMA, an essay by chist perspective which at 600 trade unionists who were practical Detlev Mares on the IWMA and pages, provides a detailed commen - working class politicians not middle British radical politics and an essay tary on extensive primary sources: class or aristocratic theoreticians by Iorweth Prothero on the IWMA’s The First Socialist Schism, by and the Belgian socialists such as role in industrial conflicts in Britain Wolfgang Eckhart, translated from Cesar de Paepe and Eugene Hins, and France. The next eleven essays German and published by PM Press who were libertarian socialists and cover national studies. in California in 2016 at $38.95. followers of neither Marx or Anthony Taylor contrasts the For those who prefer a shorter Bakunin but independent thinkers IWMA in London and New York. comprehensive (and less partisan) and political activists. Waiting for the Revolution

Duncan The British Far Left from 1956 which discusses the IMG’s sup - Edited by Evan Smith and Matthew port for the IRA and the role of Bowie Worley Ken Livingstone. Manchester UP £14.99 There are essays on student on politics in the 1970’s and 1980’s, his set of essays is a follow focusing on the roles of IS and the revolutionaries up to the earlier volume IMG and the politics of the TAgainst the Grain. This vol - National Union of Students and ume includes fourteen short stud - on the Angry Brigade, the latter ies of aspects of the British left. I concentrating on the prosecution would question the use of ‘far left’ and defence rather than on the in the title given the Communist political motivations of the Party features heavily within the bombers, who referred to them - volume as does the Labour Party the role of the Communist Party selves as libertarian communists and the volume includes studies in the National Union of ‘who smoked a lot of dope and of the anti-apartheid movement Mineworkers, with a further spent a lot of time having a good - and of CND, neither of which essay on the support given by left time’. were far left dominated. There is groups in London to the 1984-5 The final three chapters deal also a study of civic politics and miners’ strike. with left ‘sects’: the Revolutionary community activism in Sheffield There are also essays on some Communist Party, Militant and in the 1980’s, when council leader under-researched areas - leftists one of the post-Communist Party David Blunkett promoted ‘social - within the Scottish nationalist dissolution ‘Stalinist’ continuity ism from the bottom up’, which movement (a somewhat theoreti - bodies – the Communist Party of involved seeking to constrain the cal piece focusing on Gordon Britain. Overall, a very informa - influence of ultra-left groups. Brown’s Red 1975 paper for tive set of studies and hopefully a There are two chapters on left Scotland), the left within the paperback at £14.99 will be read influence on trade unions – an Wales Labour Party and Plaid more widely than the original £80 essay on the role of the Cymru, and the links between the hardback edition. The earlier vol - International Socialists in a British radical left and Northern ume is also now available in Coventry car factory and one on Ireland during the ‘troubles’, paperback.

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Czechoslovakia 1968-71

Duncan Letters of Solidarity and friendship tion’ process in Czechoslovakia as by capitalism. The book also Edited David Parker the introduction of a ‘monstrous points to the use of state power, Bowie On-line open access: oriental despotism’ and reflected especially control of television to Bacquier books £14.99 on what he saw as the advantages ensure the political disengage - on reform of ‘bourgeois democracy’. He ment of the Czechoslovakian pop - his book comprises a corre - argued that a social revolution ulation. It could be argued that communism spondence between David did not in itself replace capitalism the use of force reflected the fail - TParker’s father, Leslie and exploitation and that democ - ure of political argument. Parker and a Czech doctor, Paul racy was central to the establish - Zalud between 1968 and 1971. ment of a socialist or communist Zalud was a reform communist state. He also stressed the cen - who wrote about the Husak trality of ethics. regime operating as a police state Leslie Parker however with the introduction of loyalty remained optimistic that commu - tests and the requirement to nism in Czechoslovakia and other report all foreign contacts and to soviet states would become more write political reports on col - democratic, welcoming moves leagues. He had left the towards liberalisation in Poland. Communist Party in 1941 It is interesting to note the high because he believed that their level of political discussion in the practice did not match the theory correspondence and also the and he demurred from Leslie development of a strong friend - Parker’s conviction that ship between the correspondents. Czechoslovakia was at least on Czech dissidents were seeking the right side of the revolution. reform communism rather than Zalud viewed the ‘normalisa - the replacement of communism Numbers and confusions

Sheila The Fall of the Ottomans sources consulted are varied: word ‘Ottoman’ is avoided. Whilst Eugene Rogan manuscripts in English, Turkish this may serve well as a stylistic Osmanovic Penguin £9.99 and Arabic languages (though feature, it undermines both his Arabic sources seem to be the afore-mentioned promise as well on an eastern his book presents a military translations and not the primary as his conclusion that the narrative of the First World documents). Ottoman collapse resulted more perspective on TWar. Much space is devoted Nonetheless, it is difficult not from the dominant Turkish to number crunching heavy mili - to question the purpose of the nationalism than from the mili - WWI tary weapons, rifles, ammunition, chapter on the suffering of the tary defeats they had suffered. soldiers, ratios and dead. It does Armenians in the context of the The choice to use the terms not concern itself much with the title and the objective of the book. Ottoman and Turkish in a blan - political backstage of the war nor The entire chapter seven is dedi - ket fashion in fact fails to present dwell on the whole array of cir - cated to the sufferings of the the Great War from a fresh per - cumstance at each global front Armenians in the World War and spective, since the majority of pre - that made the war the ‘Great the subsequent pogroms of thou - vious writings on the subject have War’. There is however a full sands of local Armenians. adopted precisely that approach. examination of the McMahon- The bulk of the story is narrat - Had the importance of the Hussein correspondence revealing ed through the memoirs of the nascent Turkish nationalism in some documents not previously Armenian Priest, Balakian, who the crumbling of the Ottoman published. Rogan’s narrative managed to disguise himself and state been more explicitly empha - endeavors to offer a measured thus escape the horrors of the sized, the choice of treacherous and balanced view. The material Armenian programs of 1916. Once truces made by the Ottoman used emphasizes the ambivalent safe in France, Balakian pub - Viziers would have been more craftsmanship of British diploma - lished memoirs and vouched to easily understood. The book cer - cy, with the secret dealings and make the crimes known to the tainly sets out all the treaties doublespeak emerging in a far world. The chapter is effectively made at the expense of the worse light than was previously populated with the excerpts from Ottoman state, and links it direct - known. the priest’s memoirs that depict ly to the present-day turmoil The book relies on an impres - in great detail ‘death marches’ devouring the modern Turkish sive collection of sources written which the Armenian victims were state and a myriad of issues sur - in different languages, some of forced to endure. rounding the current geopolitical which are difficult to access. A puzzle of the book is the use climate of the former Ottoman Rogan has made a great effort in of the terms Ottoman and lands. The Ottoman state may delivering his objective: to portray Turkish interchangeably. Rogan have been dissolved but the lega - the Great War from a different says that the choice is purely cos - cy continues to impact on the perspective and in an objective metic so that the tedious diplomacy in the current geo- light. It is irrefutable that the monotony of repetition of the political upheaval.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Freedom Fighters, Revolutionaries, Black Panthers

Duncan Algiers, Third World Capital quarters for the American Black tion of Students for a Democratic John Kelly Panthers, with a delegation led Society who wanted to use vio - Bowie Elaine Mokhtefi by Eldridge Cleaver. Cleaver had lence to overthrow the American Verso £16.99 fled from America after a shoot- government and became a terror - on not so out and to avoid a charge of mur - ist group) and with funding from romantic laine Klein was born in der, having previously been in an American hippy group, The New York. After college in prison for rape and attempted Brotherhood of Eternal Love, who revolution- EGeorgia, and taking a murder. He had first fled to believed in a psychedelic revolu - aries course in Spanish translation, she Cuba, but the Cubans considered tion. Elaine Mokhtefi, as she had got a job with the United World him as a liability and quickly now become, refers to the Learys Federation, an organisation moved him on. Cleaver was soon as ‘aging hipsters – take away the which campaigned for world gov - joined by other Black Panther LSD and they become ordinary’. ernment and was supported by exiles and escapees, including for - The Learys soon fell out with luminaries such as Bertrand mer hijackers, Byron Booth and Cleaver – they claimed Cleaver Russell and Albert Einstein. had held them hostage – but Losing her job following an managed to escape to internal organisational dispute, Switzerland. Klein travelled to Paris where Elaine Mokhtefi then travels she mixed with a group of left- to Paris to get assistance for wing intellectuals, including the Black Panthers from the communists and Algerian Trotskyist Michel Pablo. She workers, though she passes travels to Tunis with Cleaver, over the fact that the French with Cleaver travelling under Communist Party opposed a false British passport provid - Algerian independence. ed by Pablo. Cleaver and the She worked as a freelance Mokhtefis end up in Paris. As French translator on the inter - a result of a factional split national conference circuit, within the Algerian leadership taking her to newly indepen - (Ben Bella, the second dent Ghana as well as the Algerian prime minister and newly independent former friend of Castro and Nasser, French West and Central also being exiled), they are African states. Returning to forced into permanent exile New York, she got a job work - and end up in New York, with ing with the Algerian national - Mokhtar Mokhtefi dying in ist office which lobbied the UN, 2015. before moving in 1962 to Elaine Mokhtefi turned to Algiers to work with the newly painting. The memoir includes independent government, the an assessment of Cleaver long war having ended in which ends with a comment “I French withdrawal. gradually lost interest in The Algerian government Eldridge, when I read that he saw themselves as a centre for was designing pants for men to liberation movements and actual - Clinton Smith, and later by mould around their sex organs” ly set up an office to support them Stokely Carmichael and his wife She however makes no reference , and as a translator, Klein acted Miriam Makeba. Klein acted as to the fact that Eldridge Cleaver as a liaison between the Cleaver’s assistant and as fixer on returning to the US joined the Government and some of these for the Black Panther group. At Mormons and become a liberation movements. The ANC, the same time, she fell in love Conservative Republican! It is SWAPO from South West Africa, with, and married an Algerian curious that Elaine Mokhtefi fol - FRELIMO from Mozambique, nationalist, Mokhtar Mokhtefi. lowed Cleaver for so long, as she UNITA from Angola and ZANU- Much of the memoir describes was clearly aware of Cleaver’s PF from Southern Rhodesia, all the life in Algeria of the Black violent and macho behaviour. had delegations in Algiers, as did Panther group, who had a ten - Perhaps the book should have the Palestinian Al-Fatah. The dency to drive around in flash been titled ‘Revolutionary Martinician psychiatrist and cars and to be prone to violence – Gangsters’. philosopher, Franz Fanon, was Eldridge Cleaver appears to have The book is a fascinating mem - also based in Algiers and Klein killed Clinton Smith after he oir and paints a vivid if somewhat became a friend of Fanon and his slept with Cleaver’s wife. The pic - unpleasant picture of the lives of family. Klein was on the guest list ture given of the Panthers is not a mixed group of ‘revolutionary’ for the receptions at the an attractive one. Cleaver was exiles. It is tempting to have embassies of friendly countries then joined by Timothy Leary, some sympathy for the Algerian such as North Vietnam, North the promoter of LSD who had nationalists recovering from a Korea, China and the Soviet escaped from a US prison with long war and seeking to build Union. the assistant of the radical group, their country, in having to deal Algiers also became the head - the Weather Underground (a fac - with such a volatile group.

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Fruitless arguments

Dot Lewis Unmasked: Why the ANC failed to govern view, as well on Mandela’s warn - Unmasked echoes this: a confer - Khulu Mbatha, ings of the danger). Unmasked ence involving all sections of soci - on an insider HMM Review Publishing Co goes on to suggest ways in which ety is needed to create national the ANC may save itself -and the unity; “deliberative democracy” account of he ANC’s failure in govern - country. must be developed so that deci - ment since 1994 to “deliver Mbatha has been a member of sions are based on “delibera - ANC failures Tlong-lasting, meaningful the ANC since 1976 when he left tions, not merely voting along and tangible results” is rooted in SA, through to his return in 1990 party lines”. How? Mbatha offers “organisational and ideological and as an adviser to President developing education: ”…numer - shortcomings” argues Mbatha. In Ramaphosa today. He draws ous experiments...have crippled 30 years of exile from 1960, the extensively on ANC conference the very sector that was expected leadership was inevitably cut off papers, policy statements and to be the foundation for develop - from the masses back home while reports produced in exile through ing the society…”. it concentrated on building inter - to 2016. Critiques by ANC and Mbatha is hardly unique in national support and training other political commentators pro - identifying the economy as prob - military cadres. From 1987 nego - vide insight of past and ongoing lematic as poverty and inequality tiations with the apartheid disputes in the party. intensify. Unmasked points out regime (by Mandela in prison and In 2016 Mbatha was one of that since 1994 there have been the exiles in Lusaka) were simi - some 100 ‘stalwarts’ - ANC ‘veter - frequent changes in government larly cut off. Crucially, in addi - ans’ who, in the wake of the policies – none of them achieving tion, no consideration was given ANC’s poor showings in local elec - anything. Fruitless arguments to the outcome of the negotiations tions, published For the Sake of over whether the Freedom – the ANC did not focus on the our Future, suggesting changes in Charter was socialist or capitalist management of changing its iden - the ANC’s Constitution to achieve continue while the real problem tity from a liberation movement accountability and a ‘ lies in the lack of foresight – the to a political party in government Consultative Conference’ to ANC promised but never pro - (not a new idea, Mbatha draws on restore the ”culture, values and duced a single paper on the econo - Lenin and Fanon to support his traditions” of the party. my before 1994. Enemies of apartheid Nigel Watt Slumboy from the Golden City sionally too detailed, account of was at the time General Paul Joseph Paul’s life but it has considerable Secretary, employed them to on a memoir Merlin £15.99 value as an archive of the strug - manage our programme of devel - gle against apartheid in the opment volunteers. During their of struggle aul Joseph, whose mother 1950’s and 1960’s. It gives a pic - time in Botswana there were con - was a Catholic from Kerala, ture of the atmosphere of exile stant threats that they, and other Pwas born and grew up in and describes the excitement of exiles, would be killed by South poverty in Johannesburg as this returning to a liberated though African agents. Finally, the book’s title suggests. Exposure to imperfect South Africa. British High Commission forced racism led to his political awaken - Reading this book made me us to persuade them to agree to ing when he was still very young. reflect on the ‘rainbow’ nature of leave Botswana. The ANC direct - He began to read and help dis - those involved in the struggle - ed them to go to Angola. Six tribute the newspaper, New Age, the thousands of courageous months later a parcel arrived at and as his commitment deepened Africans, but also a good number Lubango University. Marius was he played a significant part in the of Indians such as Paul and his away at the capital. The parcel struggle against apartheid as a brothers along with a smaller exploded, killing Jeanette and member of the Communist party. number of ‘coloureds’ and whites. their little daughter, Katryn. The He met Adelaide, his wife, at the Among the latter, Jews were notorious agent, Chris Treason Trial. He joined MK, the prominent such as Joe and Ruth, Williamson admitted sending the armed wing of the ANC, and and also Ronnie Kasrils whose parcel but never apologised. spent some time on Robben excellent autobiography, Armed Island. and Dangerous, I have just fin - He was close to many of the ished reading. leading members of the ANC Much rarer were white including Joe Slovo and Ruth Afrikaners. I was reminded this First; and Winnie and Nelson month of the only one I knew by Mandela. He escaped from South the visit of a young American Africa into Botswana and came to scholar researching the story of London in 1965 where he and Marius Schoon who spent twelve Adelaide were good friends of years in prison for trying (and Colin Legum, the great commen - failing) to blow up a power cable. tator on Africa for the Observer After his release he married newspaper, and his wife Jeanette, another ‘banned per - Margaret. son’, and they hopped into This book is a detailed, occa - Botswana where IVS, of which I

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BOOK REVIEWS

Fifty Shades of Grey Keith Talking to North Korea: Ending the Ford is no apologist for the North ar technology. For long-term eco - Nuclear Standoff Korean government – not only nomic gain, Pyongyang was willing Bennett Glyn Ford repeatedly making this clear, but to take short-term pain, with more Pluto Press. £14.99. also often accepting the western ver - and tougher sanctions.” on North sion of events. But by no means There are other areas where this orth Korea is a nuclear- always. One of the greatest book may prove a revelation to those Korea armed state that is often in strengths of this book lies in his who have hitherto relied solely on Nthe headlines. One minute efforts to be dispassionate and to the western media. For example, US President Donald Trump stands present what he believes to be cor - Ford’s insistence that, unlike its at the rostrum of the United Nations rect. He is clearly on a mission to East European counterparts, General Assembly and makes an explain. In his view “the North’s Korean communism has strong astonishing threat to ‘completely nuclear and missile programme is indigenous roots, that have enabled destroy’ the country. The next, he an entirely rational response to the it to withstand both prolonged enjoys an unprecedented and appar - situation in which it finds itself.” nuclear stand-offs as well as devas - ently cordial summit with the North He explains this on a number of tating famine. As was the case with Korean leader Kim Jong Un in levels, noting, for example that Vietnam in the 1950s, he notes that, Singapore. The Korean following the Second issue has on more than World War, the US was one occasion brought the not prepared to see free world closer to a nuclear elections in the whole of conflagration than at any Korea, due to well-estab - time since the Cuban lished fears that the left Missile Crisis in 1962. would win. He also Yet, for the over - reminds us of the massive whelming majority of the destruction wrought by Labour movement, not to US bombing in the 1950- mention the wider public, 53 war, as well as the North Korea might aptly increasingly well-docu - reinvoke the phrase, ‘a mented atrocities against far-off country of which civilians, and that in the we know little’. This post-war period, North despite the fact that some Korea sustained some of 1,000 British servicemen the highest economic lost their lives in the last growth rates in the world. Korean War and that Ford’s focus is not sole - British forces still, with ly on the nuclear issue. He increasing frequency, gives a panorama of daily take part in military life in the country, rang - exercises with the United ing across education, States, South Korea and health and crime and Japan, anticipating a punishment. He explains future conflict. the economic changes still Fortunately, there is a underway, involving the notable and honourable emergence of a middle exception in Glyn Ford. A class and consumer soci - member of the European ety, especially in the capi - Parliament for some 25 tal, along with economic years, he has visited disparities, as have North Korea some 50 accompanied the develop - times over a couple of ment of China and decades, getting to know Vietnam. For Ford, North many of its senior leaders Korea is neither black nor and travelling to remote white, but rather fifty parts of the country. He shades of grey. He is by no combines this unusual means sanguine about the access with excellent contacts in the North Korea’s defence expenditure prospects of avoiding conflict, but is capitals of all the countries with a is just under 2% of the combined surely right in affirming that a stake in the Korean issue and has defence spending of the US, Japan peace process, however difficult this become the ‘go to’ person for and South Korea and falling and might prove, is the only non-catas - European social democracy in that South Korea’s military expendi - trophic solution. engaging with the country. Now, fol - ture alone is greater than the In seeking to pick his way lowing on from his ‘North Korea on North’s entire GDP. Besides refer - through a forest of claims and the Brink: Struggle For Survival’ a ence to how the tragedies of Iraq, counter claims, and to see all sides decade ago, Pluto has published his Libya and Syria are seen in the of a complex and emotive issue, new book. With astute analysis of North’s capital, Ford explains how Ford’s book may not entirely please the prospects following the the nuclear programme is aimed to anyone. It does however have the Singapore summit last June, it is as free labour and resources for eco - potential to educate everyone. It is up to date as any book can reason - nomic development, adding: “The probably the best topical introduc - ably be expected to be in this fast- goal was economic development, but tion to one of the most difficult moving situation. the means were rocketry and nucle - issues in world politics.

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Labour’s forgotten history Mary The Women in the Room per cent men who obtained the vote the contemporary narrative on elec - Nan Sloane in 1918 whereas property-less toral reform, often in the same cir - Southcott IB Taurus £20 women had to wait for 1928. The cles, but she illustrates how Labour property qualification was the rea - broke through in 1906 after a pact on Labour ots of books by and about son some working men opposed with the Liberals, to ensure Labour women appeared in 2018, the adult suffrage because it meant dou - did not split their vote and got 60 women Lcentennial of the partial vote bling the number of voting property men elected mostly from the trade for women. Nan Sloane’s book, owners. Some opposition to progres - union wing of Labour, not particu - chronicling the women in the ‘men’s sive factory acts came from women larly interested in women’s suffrage. party’ and its antecedents in the who needed longer hours to earn Since I researched our voting sys - trade union and suffrage move - enough to feed their families. There tem after the Tolpuddle Martyrs ments, is probably the most useful was constant tension from some and the Chartists, I know how much for Chartist readers. It names indi - male trade unionists who wanted more Sloane must have ploughed vidual women who struggled to have women in their own sphere, the through to write this book. I stand their voices recorded, even if in the home, not in the workforce under - corrected in thinking that the Great room, in the proto Labour mining their wages. Reform Act redefined voters as men. Movement before and after the There are many points in the A few women were included on the founding of the Labour book that Sloane does a “plus ca register and if they were not chal - Representation Committee in 1900 change?” relating these age-old lenged, voted. However, the main and subsequently through war and struggles with ones on-going. When thrust of the 19thcentury for the into government. Left was not women’s but Organisations and working men’s votes. acronyms are spelt out There were debates on along with a Timeline after adult versus universal suf - a Foreword by Harriet frage; individualism, often Harman. philanthropy, and collec - This contrasts with tivism; state intervention as recent books where more do good-ery like the “nanny famous women have been state”; and experiential profiled such as The Women knowledge versus academic Who Shaped Politics: research. Yet the arrival of Empowering stories of “in the interest of Labour” women who have shifted MPs did mean Old Age the political landscape, Iain Pensions and Free School Dale and Jacqui Smith’s Meals. Even the preceding two volume The Honourable Conservative government Ladies: Profiles of Women set up a Royal Commission MPs and Women of because the Poor Law and Westminster, in which Workhouses were not deal - Rachel Reeve points out ing with destitution. that in 100 years only 491 Women started to be elected women had been elected onto their boards of gover - and it was only in 2016 that nors and at local level, as the total women elected to recorded in Patricia Hollis’ date reached the number of 1987 book Ladies Elect: men elected in one election. Women in Local Sloane’s book starts when Government 1865-1914. electing all these women No Labour woman was MPs would have seemed a elected in 1918, though two success. She looks at other women were – the women she could find in Conservative Nancy Astor men’s biographies, minutes and the Sinn Feiner and reports of meetings Constance Markievicz. which often ignored or failed Three Labour MPs were to report on the women in elected in 1923- Margaret the room, who contributed to trade I received a Mary Macarthur bur - Bondfield, Susan Lawrence and union work either together with sary to study the International Dorothy Jewson. When Bondfield men or separately in women’s trade Labour Organisation, I pointed out lost her seat in the 1924 election unions, who either became promi - that COSATU (Congress of South (she regained it in 1929 to become nent in suffrage work, Millicent African Trade Unions) trade union - Minister of Labour), George Fawcett, or when Labour eventually ists were more gender balanced than Bernard Shaw wrote to her: “you got into parliament, Margaret the UK equivalents in the 1980s. I are the best man of the lot … they Bondfield. Often, they were married was turned on by most of the men in keep the safe seats for their now to famous men so we find Katherine the room. quite numerous imbeciles”. Bruce Glasier, Ethel Snowden and Events such as the Taff Vale judg - Documentation of Labour women’s Margaret MacDonald, with their ment and the Matchgirls’ strike are activism was often lost but Sloane’s born and later their husband’s sur - put in context. In fact, this is a work does much to remind us how names. crash course on the foundation of the many women were in the room, and This is an antidote to the 2018 Labour Party, with added women. helps us know more about our celebrations which neglected the 40 Disappointingly, Sloane leaves out founding mothers.

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VIEW FROM WESTMINSTER Tory Brexit shambles is Labour’s opportunity

Catherine West makes the case to put any deal back to the people

Catherine West is t’s almost three years now Labour MP for since the UK narrowly voted Hornsey & Wood to leave the EU. Three years Green of shambolic negotiations under this inept Tory Prime IMinister that have left Parliament gridlocked, Government paralysed, businesses in limbo and jobs lost. The three million EU citizens who have made the UK their home and who have contributed so much to our country have been made to feel unwelcome and uncertain about May with Juncker - a firm no to changing deal what their future holds. Our inter - national reputation has been to reopen that debate. But fear vying to be the next Prime Minister trashed and in the latest Sky can’t ever be a reason to press despite overseeing this campaign polling 90 per cent of people said ahead with something that we that has now admitted illegality the handling of negotiations is a know will be so damaging to our and the largest breach of campaign ‘national humiliation’. country and the communities we finance law in British history. I’m only surprised it wasn’t 100 serve. Instead, we must challenge Their actions during and since the per cent. the prejudice and bigotry that campaign should be fully investi - There has to be a change of Brexit unleashed and that saw a gated. course, but this Government refus - spike in hate crime after the first Achieving a referendum will only es to consider it despite Theresa referendum. I’m appalled at far- be part of the battle. We then need May’s deal being comprehensively right attempts to use this mess to to win it and that means working defeated three times. That’s why whip up racism. Remainers and together as a Labour Party to build Parliament had to take over, and in leavers alike must condemn this a progressive, internationalist case the indicative votes, I backed pro - and, with the latest delay meaning for a Europe that stands against posals to revoke Article 50 if no the UK is now contesting European austerity and anti-migrant policies deal is reached before exit day. elections, we must use these to and challenge a Tory Brexit that Over six million people signed the stand up for an inclusive vision and would be a disaster for workers’ petition calling for this, the biggest future for our country. rights, environmental protections in Parliament’s petition history. The spectacle of the Prime and consumer standards. We cannot risk stumbling into a Minister travelling to Germany and I’ve been speaking at packed catastrophic ‘no deal’ that would France to beg for the assistance of public meetings of Labour for a devastate our economy and throw European leaders, makes a farce of Socialist Europe, Another Europe is into complete uncertainty the lives the idea this is about “taking back Possible and Labour for a People’s of EU citizens living in the UK, yet control”. We must use the six- Vote in the past few months and even with the latest extension this month extension we’ve been grant - believe there’s a growing realisation will happen by default on 31 ed to hold a confirmatory public on the left of the party that we can’t October unless Parliament acts. vote on any compromise agreement rebuild prosperity at home if we S I also supported proposals to give that wins Parliament’s support and allow Brexit to destroy our econo - u the public a final say on any deal am pleased that Jeremy Corbyn my. b that comes forward from this pro - and his negotiating team have Any hope of a change of course s cess. I do understand the concerns made clear this is central to the on Brexit, and of a government that w c some of my colleagues have about a ongoing talks. challenges the failed austerity that w r second vote. The referendum created the conditions which led to ib campaign was so unpleasant Democracy didn’t stop on 23 the Brexit vote in the first place, is w e and divisive, splitting com - June 2016 and it’s crucial that the only going to come about through .c t munities and in many public have the opportunity to vote the Labour Party. We must seize h o cases families. For based on where we are now, not the the mantle and set out a positive a C areas that voted to spin, lies and electoral fraud of the vision of a fairer Europe with a r H leave or were original referendum campaign. well-funded industrial strategy for ti A divided 50:50 I We can officially say ‘electoral each region, a programme of invest - st R know it isn’t fraud’ now as it’s no coincidence ment in genuinely affordable hous - . T an easy that Vote Leave used the occasion ing, high quality and accessible o I deci - of the third meaningful vote to qui - transport and a sense of hope for rg S sion etly drop their appeal against their our young people. We did it after . T record fine for breaking electoral WWII when the EU was first u a law. It’s staggering that Boris founded and we can and must do it k t Johnson and Michael Gove are again for the 21st century. C