Rebecca Long-Bailey’s call for a “democratic revolution” in the wake of Labour’s election debacle is welcome. In doing so, she raises crucial questions about where power is located, the nature of the state and removing the Tories sooner rather than later. Clearly, Labour cannot simply rely on harvesting the votes of traditional supporters at the […]
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Category: constitution
Iraqi protests demand democracy
By Farah Alrajeh Academic and PhD researcher in Iraqi Literature,Sussex University Iraqis around the world are accusing the Baghdad government of crimes against humanity in a brutal crackdown against opponents. Some 300 people have been killed since demonstrations against the Abdul Mahdi regime began in early October. Iraqis are appealing to the United Nations and […]
As crisis deepens, what it will take for...
As the Supreme Court’s unanimous judgement against prime minister Boris Johnson was read out, there was a sharp intake of breath in the court as it was held that “the Prime Minister’s advice to Her Majesty was unlawful, void and of no effect and should be quashed”. All were keenly aware that this was an […]
How to block Johnson’s threat to ‘make B
Boris Johnson is a clear and present danger to the UK political system and to everyone’s democratic rights. Yet the man who is set to become prime minister next week is having a clear run at moving into 10 Downing Street. The Islamaphobe and misogynist – on record encouraging a physical attack on a journalist […]
Parliament’s two civil wars: time for a
As the Tories brutally turn on each other in their bid to replace Theresa May as prime minister, significant sections of the Parliamentary Labour Party have decided it’s time to launch yet another attack on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. So we have two parallel civil wars in Parliament as both major parties consume themselves over Brexit […]
How Labour can answer the far right’s at
As Theresa May reaches out to Jeremy Corbyn in her efforts to solve the Brexit crisis in Parliament, it’s clear that the usual form of politics in the UK has ended. Brexit is viewed by many people as an unnecessary and dangerous right-wing diversion from the big issues facing society as a whole. But this […]
Constitution is broken – let the people
Such is the fragility of the political system in Britain that it only takes a few words in the shape of an indicative ruling by the Speaker of the House of Commons to spark off what the government’s Solicitor General has described as a “major constitutional crisis”. Leaving aside what a minor crisis would look […]
Why a second referendum would be a big m...
As the political crisis over Brexit spins out of control, support for a second referendum – also known as a “people’s vote” – seems to be gathering momentum in and outside Parliament. In my view, going down this road is not only wrong but is a recipe for disaster. Firstly, for most of those demanding […]
Brexit crisis shows political system is ...
The dramatic deadlock in the UK over Brexit is a spectacular expression of a broken political system. Our existing form of democracy is simply incapable of representing the diverse interests of the people, whichever way they voted in the 2016 referendum. Ravaged by decades of neoliberal-driven globalisation, the system is but a shell, a shadow […]
Brexit crisis: beware threat of a nation...
A deepening, unpredictable political and constitutional crisis sparked by Brexit could have far-reaching consequences before the year is out. Some commentators have suggested that it is the biggest political challenge facing the ruling elites since the General Strike of 1926 when power seemed to pass – temporarily – into the hands of the trade union […]
Homage to Haitian Revolution
“… we are all descendants of the Haitian Revolution, and responsible to these ancestors” – thus historian Laurent Dubois in his book, Avengers of the New World. A new display at the British Museum touches on why this is so. Haiti’s image today is of a broken nation at the mercy of earthquakes, colonial powers […]
A democratic revolution can unite for an...
Is the alternative to Brexit simply the UK remaining a member state of the European Union? Or is there a case for a more imaginative and democratic option that could appeal to both leavers and remainers? It’s worth asking these questions because Brexit is clearly a multi-layered challenge that will dominate politics for the foreseeable […]
In Tory Britain, the only certainty is u...
The break-up of the Tory government is more than just a crisis of a party that lost its majority, with many preferring a genuinely warm person like Jeremy Corbyn instead of a robotic prime minister. Corbyn promised an end to austerity and change to benefit the many, while Theresa May promised more pain allied to […]
Why we need a governing legislative fram...
In the e-book Democracy Unchained, Chapter 2 charts the rise of a corporatocracy that has re-fashioned the state to serve the needs of powerful corporations and their shareholders – particularly over the last 30 years. It states: “By the 21st century, fewer than 100 transnational corporations (TNCs) dominated the world economy …” and “… some […]
Time to dump Trump
Trump’s comments about the conflict in Charlottesville at yesterday’s news conference – if it can be called that – have sent shock waves around the United States. Veteran presenters on CBS television said they had “never seen a news conference like this one” after the POTUS returned to his original stance of equating alt-right and Nazi demonstrators […]
“..it will take regime change…”
Introductory considerations As the world’s temperature rises, and wildfires burn across southern Europe, the western United States of America and Canada, scientists warn that just three years remain for the emissions curve to be turned downwards if runaway irreversible climate change is to be avoided. In the Middle East, temperatures above 50oC […]