IAN LAVERY MP warns that decades of neoliberal policies have left former industrial communities behind — but a renewed Labour commitment to working people could change the political landscape
Take another look at Labour
Two-faced, untrustworthy, backsliding, careerist politicians — this is what has replaced Corbyn’s front bench. This is not likely to win back lost Labour voters, writes RICHARD RUDKIN
Keir Starmer visits Croydon
PAOLO SANTALUCIA reports on how an Italian region defies US pressure to end a Cuban doctors programme
HENRY FOWLER outlines the GFTU’s new 2026-27 education programme and argues that investing in trade union education is essential to building worker power, developing leaders and strengthening collective action
We need a government that invests in saving lives not destroying them, argues SOPHIE BOLT
More expensive by weight than gold, saffron is surprisingly simple to grow. MAT COWARD explains
The public inquiry is the result of more than a decade of determined campaigning. Now, those who fought for justice want the full story of government involvement and police conduct to be told, says KATE FLANNERY
The Durham Miners’ Gala is a celebration of working-class culture, but also a call to action — to rebuild workers’ collective strength, says KIM JOHNSON MP
TWO years ago, following his successful bid to become the Labour leader, Keir Starmer announced to the waiting press, “We’re under new leadership,” then went on to say: “We’ve just lost four elections in a row. We’re failing in our historic purpose. Be in no doubt I understand the scale of the task.”
What Starmer ignored was that despite losing the election, in 2017 under Jeremy Corbyn Labour succeeded in securing more votes than Tony Blair achieved in 2005. And yes, it could have been built on to secure a victory in 2019 — however, as we now know, many in Labour put more effort into getting Corbyn out of office than getting Johnson out of Downing Street.
In the end, it was the decision to change Labour’s stance on Brexit that would finally do the damage — a path that was suggested and encouraged, of course, by Starmer. After all, only a naive person would suggest losing 52 seats to the Tories of which 50 were in constituencies that voted Leave was a coincidence.
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