Essays & Interviews
Red Fightback’s Final Crisis
Red Fightback was a communist and anti-imperialist organisation that aimed to take oppression seriously, adopting an intersectional approach that sought to address patriarchy, racism, and ableism, in contrast to much of the left in Britain. But the project has come to a sudden end, leaving both its membership and onlookers confused about contradictions within the party and its seeming failure to combat oppression within its ranks.
Starmer and Siege Social Democracy
Keir Starmer’s response to the cost-of-living crisis by doubling down on Labour’s appeals to 'law and order', attempting to outflank the Conservative Party from the right, demonstrates the relevance of Stuart Hall’s underutilised concept of social democracy 'adapted for siege conditions'.
British Communism’s Patriotic Disease
Left-wing patriotism in Britain carries the shameful legacy of the Second International’s self-destruction, and even a progressive patriotism presents a paternalistic narrative in which workers of colour are the ‘good immigrants’ who helped rebuild the nation rather than resisted colonialism.
Social Democracy and its Discontents: Race and Class in the Fallout of the UK General Election
An insidious narrative surrounding the election result is that Corbyn and the Labour left erred by subordinating ‘authentic’ class issues to identity politics and diversity. One thing is certain: socialists must confront racism head on, and foster working-class unity in all its diversity.