Articles
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Beyond the Red Wall : Why Labour Lost, How the Conservatives Won and What Will Happen Next? By Deborah Mattinson Biteback publishing 2020
This book looks at the "Red Wall" seats that Labour lost at the 2019 general election. It contains a lot of interesting material on the state of the communities involved and why the Tories won them. Despite this it manages to draw entirely the wrong conclusions about the way forward for Labour, focusing on knee-jerk right-wing reactions rather than addressing the profound structural problems facing those communities which require radical change.
Friday, August 20, 2021
Boris Johnson's quick-fix Brexit deal created a de facto border down the Irish sea, creating turmoil in Northern Ireland. Unionists in particular, see their interests threatened by this and have launched strong opposition politically and in the streets. On the other hand nationalists see it as a possible route to a united Ireland. Meanwhile the UK government is seeking an amnesty for soldiers responsible for killings during the troubles.