It may seem obvious that every person ought to have the right to live, freely and securely, in their own village, town or city. But in these increasingly hyper-capitalist times, this does not always seem to be the case. The more economic privilege you possess, the more freedom you have to make full use of the area you live. The more disposable…
As I write this, I’m looking out of my window at torrential rain. The same rain is falling fifty miles away in Glasgow, on tens of thousands of undeterred flag-waving independence supporters, marching in support of another referendum in 2020. Five years after 55 percent of Scottish voters backed staying in the Union, the issue isn’t going away. The independence faultline remains…
I love being Scottish. We are a very proud nation, and happy to think of ourselves as a bit more progressive than other parts of Britain. But in 2019, I made the big decision to leave my homeland for the big city: London, in England – the part of the UK that Scottish people stereotypically hate. It’s been interesting, to say the…
As a Corbyn fan, second referendum remainer and a member of the metropolitan elite (whether real or imagined), I am bracing for the incoming tide of blame after the result last week. In the last couple of days I have felt painful and true sadness like never before. Before this gets washed away with the introspection to come, I want to remember…
I am privileged enough to work for a Labour MP in a marginal seat that the party managed to hold on Thursday, bucking national trends and polls on the night to increase our vote share. Friends and family and acquaintances and all manner of people have, since this result was announced, been calling me and messaging me to say congratulations; to say…
It is impossible to overstate what a catastrophe the result last night means for vulnerable people in this country. We can’t wait five years. There must be a mass mobilisation of people on the ground to run community projects and expand existing ones. We did not lose because our activists lacked energy or drive. We must channel this into projects that can…
After weeks of solid campaigning, one thing I keep hearing from activists up and down the country is that we’re all speaking to voters who say they’re still undecided. They’ve read the manifestos, watched the interviews, met the candidates, but they still say they’re not sure whose name to check at the ballot box. But if there’s one thing we know for…
As we approach the general election, the Parliamentary Labour Party is preparing for a substantial shakeup. A wave of defections and resignations has meant dozens of winnable Labour seats were suddenly up for grabs. In most cases, CLPs were given the right to choose their next candidate – and they did. In Nottingham East, Independent Group defector Chris Leslie – described by…
