Jump to content

British left

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from British Left)

The British left (or The Left in Britain) can refer to multiple concepts. It is sometimes used as shorthand for groups aligned with the Labour Party. It can also refer to other individuals, groups and political parties that have sought egalitarian changes in the economic, political, and cultural institutions of the United Kingdom. There are various sub-groups, split between reformist and revolutionary viewpoints. Progressives and social democrats believe that equality can be accommodated into existing capitalist structures, but they differ in their criticism of capitalism and on the extent of reform and the welfare state. Anarchists, communists, and socialists, among others on the far left, on the other hand argue for abolition of the capitalist system.[1][2][3]

History

[edit]

Leftism in the United Kingdom is thought to stretch back to the aftermath of the English Civil War in the 17th century, represented by groups such as the 'True Levellers' or Diggers. Chartism was one of the first post-civil war left-wing movements. Notions of socialism in Britain have taken many different forms from the utopian socialism and philanthropism of Robert Owen through to the reformist electoral project enshrined in the birth of the Labour Party.

The Great Unrest of the pre-WW1 years and the strikes of 1919[4] represented surges in left-wing activity. The Attlee ministry's establishment of the welfare-state is often considered a victory for the left. The New Left of 1968 represented another wave of activity. The miners' strike of 1984–85 saw the most recent large-scale working class movement; the anti-Poll Tax campaign of the late 1980s/early 1990s was also a significant left-wing social movement. The alter-globalisation and Occupy movements had a presence in Britain in the early-late 2000s, anti-austerity campaigns made up the bulk of the left's activity in the 2010s, and Black Lives Matter, pro-Palestine movements and environmental protests remain the largest movements of the 2020s.

Historical

[edit]

Contemporary

[edit]

Key figures

[edit]

The following is a list of figures considered[by whom?] significant for the British Left.

Activists

[edit]

Journalists

[edit]

Politicians

[edit]

Thinkers

[edit]

Left-wing electoral organisations active in Britain

[edit]
Timeline of parties in the broad socialist movement

The largest political party associated with the British left is the centre-left Labour Party, which is also the biggest political party in the UK by membership levels, with 415,000 members as of July 2022.[45] Labour has 412 seats in the House of Commons.[46] The current Leader of the Labour Party is Keir Starmer, who was elected as the party's leader on 4 April 2020.

The second largest party on the British left, by membership, is the centre-left Scottish National Party (SNP), which had 72,186 members as of March 2023, despite only being active in Scotland;[47] the SNP have 9 MPs.

The third largest party on the British left is the Green Party of England and Wales, whose membership reached over 54,000 in 2021;[48] following the most recent general election the Greens have 4 MPs.[49]

The other three political parties on the left and with representation in parliament are the centre-left Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) of Northern Ireland; the centre-left Plaid Cymru (who are only active in Wales) and Sinn Féin, also from Northern Ireland. Plaid has 4 MPs,[50] the SDLP have 2 MPs, and Sinn Féin has 7 MPs,[51] but the latter party does not sit in Westminster as it refuses to take the parliamentary Oath of Allegiance.

Labour Party

[edit]
Labour Party individual membership, excluding affiliated members and supporters

The biggest party on the political left in the United Kingdom in terms of members and representation is the Labour Party, which was founded as the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in 1900. With the party's rebranding as New Labour in the 1990s under the leadership of Tony Blair, the party accepted a number of economic policies associated with the Right, causing it to be identified as centrist (Blair himself stated that his ministry would have governed from the political centre) rather than socialist, despite adding democratic socialism to the party's constitution, and was considered by fewer critics as being a party of the left; Blair described New Labour's ideology as Third Way, like Bill Clinton's Democratic Party in the United States. The Labour Party under Blair's leadership accepted many of the neoliberal economic policies enforced by the previous Conservative Party governments in the 1980s and 1990s, and continued in successive Conservative governments in the 2010s.[52][53]

When Ed Miliband was elected as Leader of the Labour Party in 2010, he announced the abandonment of the New Labour agenda, and promised to return to socialism,[54] clamp down on tax avoidance, introduce a wealth tax in the form of a mansion tax, raise income tax for high earners, and break up the banks.[55] The party was subsequently criticised by some, including Blair himself, as straying leftwards from the centre ground of British politics,[56] and that Miliband was a more traditional left-wing politician.[57] Others disputed this view, and put Labour's loss at the 2015 United Kingdom general election down to the party being too right-wing.[58][59]

Labour's status as a socialist party has been disputed by those who do not see the party as being part of the left,[60][61][62] although the general consensus under Jeremy Corbyn was that Labour was closer to the Left on the left–right political spectrum.[63][64] As a result of this, there has always been tension between the Left and the Labour Party.[65][66][67] The Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign, which led to a landslide victory at the 2015 Labour Party leadership election held in the month of September,[68] represented a revival of the Labour left and led to a significant increase in membership;[69] in the shadow cabinet reshuffle that followed, John McDonnell (chairman of the Labour Representation Committee) and Diane Abbott (member of the Socialist Campaign Group) were both appointed to Corbyn's shadow cabinet.[70] While not winning, Labour made significant gains in terms of vote share and modest improvements in terms of seats, enough to deny a Conservative majority and led to a hung parliament, at the 2017 United Kingdom general election,[71][72] which was taken as a vindication by some of the left turn.[73][74] The party fell in the 2019 United Kingdom general election to its lowest share of seats since 1935, although it was not the party's worst election in terms of vote share (it did better than in 1931, 1983, 1987, 2010 and 2015); many believe this was due to a complicated Labour Party manifesto and Brexit policy, a poor approach to campaigning, and the unpopularity of Corbyn's leadership.[75][76][77]

Internal groups

[edit]

Magazine support

[edit]

Green Party of England and Wales

[edit]

In 2015, the membership of the Green Party of England and Wales quadrupled, and its support in national opinion polls sextupled.[78] Several factors contributed, including the collapse of the Lib Dem vote, the influence of social media and greater awareness among younger people about the rise of other left-wing parties in Europe such as: Podemos in Spain and Syriza in Greece, as well as a rise in anti-austerity movements across the UK and Europe.[79] Other factors included the Scottish independence referendum, which proved to be an inspiration for a new kind of politics. Other key factors had been the contrast in conferences of the Green Party and Labour in September 2014, and the media exclusion of the Greens during and following their successes at the European elections; a petition against the media blackout of the Green Party reached 260,000 signatures.[80]

The party also received a significant spike in membership during January 2015 following David Cameron's demand that the Greens be included in the leaders' debates for the 2015 general election. The Green Party has been included in a seven-way television debate.[81] The Greens' 2015 spring conference had a record 1,300 members attend; the party became the second-largest of the European Greens in this period, as well as increasing significantly in national polls from an average 1% to 7%. It beat the Liberal Democrats to fourth place at the 2014 European Elections with 8%, under a proportional voting system, having a third MEP elected. However the Greens achieved only a 1.6% vote share at the 2017 general election,[82] following a rejection by Labour of an election pact[83] and an increase in vote share by the two major parties.

In the 2019 general election, the Green Party increased their vote share by 65% to 2.7%.[84] In the 2021 United Kingdom local elections, the party made a net gain of 91 council seats, taking its national total to a record 444.[85] As with Labour, the status of the Greens as a party of the political left has been disputed.[86]

Internal groups

[edit]

Other organisations

[edit]

The Workers Party of Britain was formed in December 2019.[87] It is a socialist and socially conservative party.[88] Its leader George Galloway briefly became the Member of Parliament for Rochdale in 2024, following a by-election.[89]

The now defunct Respect Party (formed in 2004), which at one point had the support of other left groups (such as the Socialist Workers Party and Socialist Resistance) and some electoral success, lost its last local councillors in 2014[90] and its sole MP George Galloway – who was also the party leader. Respect disbanded after twelve years, on 18 August 2016.[91]

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), founded in 2010, comprises the Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party and RMT trade union. As of 2016, TUSC had a small number of affiliated local councillors. Following the 2015 election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, TUSC floated plans for a future electoral pact with any Labour councillors standing on an anti-austerity platform;[92] subsequently TUSC stood fewer candidates in the 2016 and 2017 local elections, based on a case by case reckoning of the political stance of local Labour candidates.[93] In May 2017, TUSC confirmed that it would stand no candidates at the forthcoming general election,[93] and give full support to Labour.[94] In 2018, TUSC suspended electoral activity until further notice.[95] In September 2020, TUSC became active once again as its steering committee agreed it would stand candidates in the 2021 local elections.[96] In 2024, TUSC stood 40 candidates in the general election.[97]

Left Unity was formed in November 2013 and backed by a number of existing left-wing parties. Left Unity had an electoral pact with TUSC for the 2015 elections[98] but renounced independent electoral activity, in favour of Labour, under the Corbyn leadership.[99]

The Communist Party of Britain (CPB), is a split from (and effectively the political successor to) the historical Communist Party of Great Britain, once the largest British far-left organisation.[100] In 2017, the CPB announced that it would field no candidates at that year's general election, and give support to Labour instead.[101] In 2024, the party fielded 14 candidates in the general election.[102]

Some small left and far-left parties continue to contest elections independently, such as the Socialist Party of Great Britain (the oldest extant left-wing political party, having formed in 1904). Other parties and groups are electorally inactive, renounce participation in elections,[103][104][105] or work unofficially in support of, or advocate a vote for, the Labour Party.

Electorally active parties

[edit]
Entryist groups within Labour Party
[edit]
Parties working within Transform
[edit]
Parties working within TUSC
[edit]
Others
[edit]

Active only in Scotland

[edit]

Active only in Wales

[edit]

Local parties

[edit]

Media and culture

[edit]

The following is a list of media organisations and other progressive British cultural outputs explicitly associated with the Left.[114]

Comics

[edit]

Events

[edit]

Film

[edit]

Television

[edit]

Theatre

[edit]

Independent news sources

[edit]

Journals

[edit]

Online content creators

[edit]

Music

[edit]

Literature

[edit]

Publishing Houses

[edit]

Publications affiliated to political organisations

[edit]

Think tanks

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Williams, Raymond (April 1965). "The British Left". The New Left Review (I/30): 18–26.
  2. ^ "The Left in Britain | CRL". crl.edu. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  3. ^ Murray, Andrew (October 2019). The Fall and Rise of the British Left. Verso Books. ISBN 978-1-78873-513-1.
  4. ^ "Unrest in Britain in 1919 | libcom.org". libcom.org. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  5. ^ Rosenberg, David (4 October 2020). "Remembering the Battle of Cable Street". Tribune. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  6. ^ "British Library". bl.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  7. ^ Wills, Matthew (10 November 2020). "What Did the Diggers Really Believe?". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. ^ Crossley, James (30 May 2023). "Remembering the Peasants' Revolt". Tribune.
  9. ^ Pidd, Helen (16 August 2019). "The Peterloo massacre: what was it and what did it mean?". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Francis, Patricia (7 June 2021). "Black Lives Matter: how the UK movement struggled to be heard in the 2010s". The Conversation. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  11. ^ "The History of CND". CND UK. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  12. ^ Booth, Robert (24 August 2022). "Enough is Enough movement gathers pace with Andy Burnham latest backer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  13. ^ Seaton, Lola (11 September 2020). "The two faces of Extinction Rebellion". New Statesman. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Is Extinction Rebellion Still 'Beyond Politics'?". Novara Media. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  15. ^ Townsend, Mark (29 October 2022). "Roadblocks, soup hurling, superglue ... Just Stop Oil protests divide activists on direct action". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  16. ^ McSmith, Andy (2 December 2015). "Stop the War Coalition: This group of left-wing enemies has survived many rifts". The Independent. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  17. ^ Partington, Richard (14 February 2023). "Number of days lost to strikes is highest since the Thatcher era". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  18. ^ "The remarkable story of Mark Ashton, the campaigner who brought communities together". Metro. 17 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Bob Crow obituary: A working class hero who never shirked from industrial action". The Independent. 11 March 2014.
  20. ^ "JONES, CLAUDIA (1915–1964)". English Heritage. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  21. ^ Gilbert, Jeremy (23 June 2022). "Union boss Mick Lynch is a media star – and Labour has much to learn about why". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Never Walk Alone". High Profiles. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  23. ^ SubZorro (7 May 2021). "Remembering Albert Meltzer 25 years on". Freedom News. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  24. ^ Harris, John (28 February 2014). "In search of Arthur Scargill: 30 years after the miners' strike". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  25. ^ Bastani, Aaron (4 May 2018). "Karl Marx at 200: Aaron Bastani picks five books to understand Marxism". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  26. ^ Sawer, Patrick (13 April 2012). "Paul Foot dies at 66". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  27. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (19 September 2020). "Owen Jones: 'A lot of people in the parliamentary Labour party are horrible'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Tony Banks, minister and maverick, dies aged 62 after massive stroke". The Independent. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Tony Benn's Lessons for the Left". tribunemag.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Tony Benn". penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Andy Burnham burnishes his brand on Labour's left". The New Statesman. 30 November 2022.
  32. ^ "The Resilient Radicalism of Barbara Castle". Tribune. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  33. ^ "The New Statesman's left power list". New Statesman. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  34. ^ "Never a Yes Man". Tribune. 27 January 2017.
  35. ^ "'Red' Ken Livingstone has been a divisive figure during his 40-year career". The Independent. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  36. ^ "Brighton's Caroline Lucas ranked UK's most left-wing MP". The Argus. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  37. ^ "John McDonnell's last stand". The New Statesman. 26 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  38. ^ "Profile: Dennis Skinner". The Guardian. 20 March 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  39. ^ "ELLEN WILKINSON". Time and Tide.
  40. ^ "Is This the Most Important Book So Far This Century?". Novara Media. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  41. ^ Loudis, Jessica (27 September 2017). "Why We Need Stuart Hall's Imaginative Left". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  42. ^ Kettle, Martin (26 February 2003). "Christopher Hill". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  43. ^ Jones, Jonathan (24 March 2016). "William Morris: a Victorian socialist dreaming of a life in symmetry". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  44. ^ "A Century of Raymond Williams". tribunemag.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  45. ^ Fisher, Andrew [@FisherAndrew79] (21 July 2022). "It was reported to the Labour NEC on Tuesday that membership had fallen to 415,000, including 33,000 members in arrears (e.g. ineligible to vote but may renew), so 382k paid-up members
    Membership was reported to be 570,000 in July 2020. That's a huge loss of members and revenue"
    (Tweet). Retrieved 10 August 2022 – via Twitter.
  46. ^ "UK general election results in full: Labour wins in landslide". TheGuardian.com. 26 July 2024.
  47. ^ "SNP says its membership has fallen to 72,000". BBC News. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  48. ^ https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Api/Accounts/Documents/24347 [bare URL]
  49. ^ Grierson, Jamie; Walker, Peter (5 July 2024). "Green party quadruples its number of Commons seats to four". The Guardian.
  50. ^ "Wales' 13 new MPS after General Election 2024". 5 July 2024.
  51. ^ "Sinn Féin becomes NI's largest Westminster party". 4 July 2024.
  52. ^ Shafi, Jonathan (6 July 2013). "Labour, Neoliberalism and the Future". International Socialist. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021.
  53. ^ Hain, Peter (5 January 2015). "A smaller state? It's what got us into trouble to begin with". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  54. ^ "Ed Miliband: I'm bringing socialism back to Britain", The Daily Telegraph, September 2013.
  55. ^ "Labour will restore 50p top rate of income tax, says Ed Balls", The Guardian, January 2014
  56. ^ "Tony Blair says Labour 'left-wing' warning 'misinterpreted'". BBC News. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  57. ^ "Blair claims 'left-wing' comments about Miliband were 'misinterpreted'". ITV News. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  58. ^ Stanley, Tim (15 May 2015). "Labour didn't lose because it was too Left-wing. But it will lose again if it becomes too Right-wing". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  59. ^ Wintour, Patrick (13 May 2015). "Labour did not lose election because it was too leftwing, says Unite chief". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  60. ^ Singh, Amit (8 May 2015). "The most embarrassing part of the election? Seeing people mistake Labour for a left-wing party". The Independent. London.
  61. ^ "Socialist Party :: Labour conference – no socialist policies". socialistparty.org.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  62. ^ "The Labour Party and socialism". Socialist Worker (Britain). 21 April 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  63. ^ "The uphill battle for left wing Labour". Opinium. 15 September 2015.
  64. ^ "9 charts that show the 'left-wing' policies of Jeremy Corbyn the public actually agrees with". The Independent. 23 July 2015.
  65. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn: 'We Didn't Go Far Enough'". tribunemag.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  66. ^ "Left-wing pressure groups in the Labour Party". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  67. ^ "A Party with Socialists in It". Pluto Press. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  68. ^ ToHelm (13 September 2015). "Corbyn hails huge mandate as he sets out leftwing agenda". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  69. ^ "Labour claim membership surge after Corbyn election". Channel 4 News. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  70. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn unveils 'unifying' shadow cabinet team". BBC News. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  71. ^ Agerholm, Harriet; Dore, Louis (9 June 2017). "Jeremy Corbyn increased Labour's vote share more than any leader since 1945". The Independent. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017.
  72. ^ Pickard, Jim (8 June 2017). "Jeremy Corbyn confounds critics with 'gobsmacking' gain". Financial Times. London.
  73. ^ Younge, Gary (10 June 2017). "Despite all the smears and distortions, this was a victory for hope – Gary Younge". The Guardian.
  74. ^ Weigel, David (9 June 2017). "American left sees hope in Britain's socialist surge". The Washington Post.
  75. ^ Helm, Toby (14 December 2019). "I take my share of responsibility for this defeat, says Jeremy Corbyn". The Observer.
  76. ^ Proctor, Kate (13 December 2019). "Five reasons why Labour lost the election". The Guardian.
  77. ^ Proctor, Kate; Murray, Jessica (27 January 2020). "Labour defeat due to gimmicks and division, say members". The Guardian.
  78. ^ Ramsay, Adam (6 March 2015). "Today, Natalie Bennett must deliver the speech of her life". New Statesman. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  79. ^ See: list of political parties in the United Kingdom opposed to austerity.
  80. ^ ""Invite the Greens" petition handed in to the BBC". Green Party of England and Wales. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  81. ^ "Election 2015: Seven-party TV debate plan announced". BBC News. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  82. ^ "Results of the 2017 General Election". BBC News. 9 June 2017.
  83. ^ Walker, Peter; Elgot, Jessica (19 April 2017). "Labour and Lib Dems reject Greens' call for electoral pact against Tories". The Guardian.
  84. ^ Benson, Imogen (13 December 2019). "2019 general election: Greens increase vote share by 60 per cent". Green World.
  85. ^ Harvey, Fiona (16 May 2021). "Green party co-leader tells Keir Starmer: My door is open for talks". The Guardian.
  86. ^ Moore, Suzanne (28 January 2015). "Forget the Greens – if the UK wants a truly leftwing party, it might have to grow its own". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  87. ^ Norfolk, Andrew (22 June 2021). "George Galloway is pulling no punches in Batley & Spen". The Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  88. ^ "Rochdale by-election 2024: Who are the Workers' Party of Britain?". Mancunian Matters. March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  89. ^ McKiernan, Jennifer (1 March 2024). "Rochdale by-election: Landslide win for George Galloway". BBC News. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  90. ^ Pidd, Helen (23 May 2014). "Labour gains control of Bradford as Respect fail". The Guardian.
  91. ^ Pidd, Helen (28 October 2013). "Who is the leader of the Respect party these days?". The Guardian.
  92. ^ Ian Silvera (14 September 2015). "Far-left TUSC seeks anti-austerity electoral pact with Jeremy Corbyn's Labour". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  93. ^ a b "Local elections 2017: The TUSC results" (PDF). tusc.org.uk. 7 May 2017.
  94. ^ "TUSC CONFIRMS NO CANDIDATES IN JUNE AND FULL SUPPORT FOR A CORBYN LED GOVERNMENT WITH SOCIALIST POLICIES". tusc.org.uk. 11 May 2017.
  95. ^ "TUSC SUSPENDS ELECTORAL ACTIVITY NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE STATEMENT". tusc.org.uk. 8 November 2018.
  96. ^ "Back at work! TUSC to stand in elections again against pro-austerity politicians". tusc.org.uk. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  97. ^ "The TUSC candidates on July 4th". 7 June 2024.
  98. ^ Hill, Dave. "On relations between Left Unity and TUSC". Left Unity. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  99. ^ "General election: Left Unity calls for a Labour victory – Left Unity". leftunity.org.
  100. ^ Wheeler, Brian (13 June 2012). "What happened to the Communist Party of Great Britain's millions?". BBC News.
  101. ^ Smith, Mikey (24 April 2017). "Communist Party backs Corbyn and won't stand any candidates in the election". Daily Mirror.
  102. ^ "Communist candidate accuses BBC of bias against left as party concludes its 2024 election campaign". 3 July 2024.
  103. ^ FRFI. "General election: Don't vote – fight for socialism!".
  104. ^ "The General Election – More Ruling Class Mystification". Leftcom. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  105. ^ "The ballot box won't give us a voice, collective action will!" (PDF). union-communiste.org. 2017.
  106. ^ a b c Somerville, Ewan (28 November 2019). "Every candidate standing in London constituencies this election". Evening Standard. London.
  107. ^ Wagner, Veronika (20 November 2019). "US health corporations are already embedded in the NHS. The question is how to get them out". Bright Green. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  108. ^ Payne, Mark (12 November 2019). "'I'll be a voice for change': The former Hartlepool councillor now standing to be the town's MP". Hartlepool Mail.
  109. ^ "Editorial: Towards a general election". Socialist Party of Great Britain. November 2019.
  110. ^ "VOTE WRP ON DECEMBER 12! BREAK WITH THE EU! FORWARD TO A WORKERS GOVERNMENT AND SOCIALISM! WRP 2019 Election Manifesto". 5 November 2019.
  111. ^ Barberis, P. et al. Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black, 2000, p161
  112. ^ "TUSC STEERING COMMITTEE AGREES CANDIDATES FOR MAYS COUNCIL ELECTIONS". tusc.org.uk. 27 March 2017.
  113. ^ "Why we are relaunching Workers Power". workerspower.uk.
  114. ^ Dean, Jonathan (2023). "Left politics and popular culture in Britain: From left-wing populism to 'popular leftism'". Politics. 43 (1): 3–17. doi:10.1177/0263395720960661 – via SAGE.
  115. ^ Jeffries, Stuart (18 December 2010). "Bill Bailey: 'It's genius, evil genius'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  116. ^ Burrows, Marc (30 March 2023). "Frankie Boyle's "shock" comedy was vile – no wonder he's given himself a makeover". New Statesman. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  117. ^ Gammie, Joe (8 December 2019). "Comedian Steve Coogan calls on people to vote tactically to boot out the Tories". mirror. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  118. ^ Ibekwe, Desiree (1 April 2021). "His BBC Comedy Show Is Canceled. His Political Fight Continues". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  119. ^ Lee, Stewart (6 September 2020). "The divided land of 'woke' and Tory". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  120. ^ Banerjee, Rohan (17 October 2017). ""I have nothing against privileged people": Josie Long on class, Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn". The New Statesman. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  121. ^ "Alexei Sayle: Stand-up Communist – 3:AM Magazine". Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  122. ^ Stack, Pat (11 April 2006). "Linda Smith 1957–2006". Socialist Worker. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  123. ^ "Comedian Mark Steel on politics and personal relationships". The Argus. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  124. ^ "The Defiance of Durham". New Socialist. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  125. ^ Digital, Pretty Good. "Glastonbury Festival – Left Field". Glastonbury Festival – 22–26 June 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  126. ^ "The World Transformed". Progressive International. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  127. ^ Kellaway, Kate (31 August 2014). "When miners and gay activists united: the real story of the film Pride". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  128. ^ Reynolds, Mark (24 August 2018). "Boyle 'too Left-wing' for Bond movie". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  129. ^ Williams, Hannah (11 August 2021). "Why Millennial Leftists Have Made a BBC Filmmaker a Cult Hero". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  130. ^ devadmin (9 February 2023). "Ken Loach: "I don't agree you need a political cause to make a movie."". A Rabbit's Foot. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  131. ^ Parry, William (27 March 2019). "Always political: director Mike Leigh weighs in on Peterloo, Palestine and beyond". The National News. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  132. ^ Cookie, Lez. "Bleasdale, Alan (1946–)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  133. ^ "About the New Statesman". New Statesman. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  134. ^ Chakelian, Anoosh (25 September 2017). ""Luxury communism now!" The rise of the pro-Corbyn media". New Statesman. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  135. ^ "How left or right-wing are the UK's newspapers? | YouGov". yougov.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  136. ^ Waterson, Jim (27 September 2018). "New owners of Tribune shrug off criticism from former staffers". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  137. ^ "Historical Materialism". Brill. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  138. ^ "A Brief History of the New Left Review". The New Left Review.
  139. ^ "Race & Class". Institute of Race Relations. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  140. ^ "About the Journal | Socialist Register". socialistregister.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  141. ^ a b c Burman, Nicholas. "Is There a Future for Left-Wing YouTube?". Tribune. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  142. ^ "Attila The Stockbroker – 35 years a punk poet – documentary and tour". Repeatfanzine.wordpress.com. 23 February 2017.
  143. ^ Obituaries, Telegraph (23 November 2018). "Roy Bailey, folk singer who toured with Tony Benn – obituary". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  144. ^ "The political importance of Billy Bragg". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  145. ^ Lake Smith, Aaron. "Chumbawamba's Long Voyage". Jacobin. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  146. ^ Gilmore, Mike. "The Clash: Anger on the Left". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  147. ^ Berger, George (2006). The Story of Crass. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-012-0.
  148. ^ "EASTERHOUSE: PASSIONATELY POLITICAL". Los Angeles Times. 7 December 1986. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  149. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (23 January 2017). "Brian Eno: 'We've been in decline for 40 years – Trump is a chance to rethink'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  150. ^ "Album review: Thee Faction, Good Politics (Soviet Beret)". The Independent. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  151. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; @ben_bt (25 August 2021). "Sam Fender: 'Leftie is now a slur in working-class towns'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  152. ^ "Gang of Four on their political roots, new box set "'77–'81" and more". Alternative Press.
  153. ^ London 0 Hull 4 – The Housemartins | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 10 May 2024
  154. ^ Austin, David (14 November 2018). "The Radical Politics and Poetics of Linton Kwesi Johnson". Pluto Press. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  155. ^ Denselow, Robin (21 July 2011). "Robb Johnson: Some Recent Protest Songs – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  156. ^ "John Lennon and the Politics of the New Left". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  157. ^ Spencer, Neil (25 January 2015). "Ewan MacColl: the godfather of folk who was adored – and feared". The Observer. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  158. ^ Michaels, Sean (15 December 2008). "Sir Paul McCartney: I politicised the Beatles". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  159. ^ "Massive Attack's 'Eutopia' Isn't Subtle With Its Politics, and That's the Point". Study Breaks. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  160. ^ "McCarthy Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | ..." AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  161. ^ "How Radiohead Became, for a Time, the World's Biggest Political Band". Pitchfork. 11 May 2016.
  162. ^ "Like The Fall meets The Four Tops". The Redskins. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  163. ^ Black, Johnny (March 1996). "Red Wedge: bringing Labour party politics to young music fans". Q. Retrieved 4 September 2017 – via The Guardian, 22 April 2015. A Red Wedge retrospective.
  164. ^ Jonze, Tim (23 August 2022). "'If there are death threats, don't tell me' – how Rock Against Racism fought fascism". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  165. ^ "Classic Album Revisited: THE STYLE COUNCIL – Our Favourite Shop". xsnoize.com. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  166. ^ Lucas, John (2005). "Auden's politics: Power, authority and the individual". The Cambridge Companion to W.H. Auden. Cambridge Companions to Literature. pp. 152–164. doi:10.1017/CCOL0521829623.012. ISBN 978-0-521-82962-5.
  167. ^ "Edward Carpenter". The Open University. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  168. ^ Winter, Jessica (28 September 2022). "The British Socialist Who Rewrote the World for Children". The New Statesman. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  169. ^ Schacht, Benjamin. "Keeping George Orwell on the Left". Jacobin. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  170. ^ Rosen, Michael (23 May 2012). "Michael Rosen: Confessions of an accidental communist". The New Statesman. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  171. ^ Self, Will (1 May 2015). "Will Self: Oscar Wilde, champagne socialism and why I'm voting Labour". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  172. ^ Rosen, Michael. "The Scientific Socialism of H. G. Wells". Jacobin. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  173. ^ Fallon, Donal (18 February 2021). "The Radical Politics of Oscar Wilde". Tribune. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  174. ^ "Workers Revolutionary Party". wrp.org.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  175. ^ scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com
  176. ^ "Socialist Resistance". Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  177. ^ "Socialist Standard". worldsocialism.org. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  178. ^ "Socialist Studies". socialiststudies.org.uk.
  179. ^ "Socialist Worker (Britain)". Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  180. ^ "Workers' Liberty". Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  181. ^ "Sanctions will not solve conflict in Ukraine" (PDF). newworker.org.
  182. ^ "Tories split – strike now! – The Socialist 23 March 2016". socialistparty.org.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  183. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  184. ^ "World Socialist Web Site". wsws.org. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  185. ^ "Values". Compass. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  186. ^ Emily.Redding. "IPPR". Smart Thinking. Retrieved 2 April 2023.

Further reading

[edit]