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 […]
You are browsing archives for
Tag: citizens’ convention
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: 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 […]
Achieving Catalonia’s right to self-dete
Catalan political leaders and activists remain locked up in jail in Madrid, awaiting trial on sedition, rebellion and misuse of funds. Carles Puigdemont, the president of Catalonia, is in Belgium fighting extradition. Catalonia’s Parliament remains closed and the region’s ministries and police are under the control of officials despatched by Madrid. This is the reaction […]
Brexit crisis a chance to turn the table...
If talk of the “constitution” leaves you cold, think again because the political crisis blowing up around Brexit can be made into an opportunity for citizens to shape the future in their own interests. The UK constitution – like any other country’s – is basically a set of rules and laws that lay out the […]
Six reasons to demand a fresh general el...
The Tories are playing for time, desperately trying to reorganise themselves after their harrowing election campaign. That’s a good reason why we should step up the campaign for a fresh election and complete the unfinished business of June 8 by consigning Theresa May’s weak and divided government to history. The tens of thousands on London’s […]
Remake democracy to end Toryism
The unpredictable political and constitutional crisis sweeping the UK is a sure sign that we have to remake our democracy from top to bottom. Building on the social movement that all but toppled the Tories on June 8 can provide the momentum to change the UK in a deep-seated way. The entire system is unstable […]
Get ready to defend a Corbyn government ...
If Labour wins next week’s general election, a Jeremy Corbyn government would come under immediate assault from the political establishment, the secret state and the financial markets to name just a few enemies of the people. We need to plan the resistance now. Corbyn’s manifesto may not overtly challenge capitalism – in fact the word […]
Real Democracy as an ideal whose time ha...
A critique of the system of representative democracy that has dominated the major capitalist economies and states over the last 150 years is not difficult to assemble. Much more of a challenge is coming forward with some outline proposals about where we go from here. That’s what confronted a group of activists when we set […]
Another Brexit is possible
We should use the Brexit process to talk about what matters to us rather than what’s good for British business in terms of trade, access to markets and regulations. That’s the corporate agenda, which is the priority for all the major political parties. Why not set our own agenda? Why be dictated to as to […]
After Brexit vote, ‘Nobody expects the S
Always expect the unexpected. That should have been the government health warning at the bottom of the European Union referendum ballot paper. For the outcome has unlocked a whole load of log-jammed processes and sent the political class into panic mode. At the same moment, the Real Democracy Movement has an outstanding opportunity to build […]