First published in SMITHS — Goldsmiths University’s Student Magazine

When Geri Halliwell stepped onto the stage at the 1997 Brit Awards in the now legendary Union Jack dress, she symbolised a sense of patriotism during the Cool Britannia period. Her celebration of all things British went down in history. However, the Labour Party’s similar aim of embracing the flag will certainly not have the same effect on the British public.

The leaked strategy report on Keir Starmer’s vision for Labour, compiled by an external consultancy firm, has been heavily admonished in the media. A Morning Star article featuring Labour left…

In the US, the global gag rule has forever been a cultural and logical difference with the two major parties. The executive order prohibits medical and legal assistance to NGOs that grant abortion services to disadvantaged women in poorer countries. Since 1981, the ruling has been adopted or rescinded by every Republican and Democratic administration respectively. To pander to their religious base, conservatives have reviled its pro-choice connotations, whilst Democrats use it to showcase their liberalism and stance on female autonomy.

The global gag rule marks a sheer divide in the American political sphere. The same can be said for…

First published for Left Foot Forward (06/01/21) https://leftfootforward.org/2021/01/come-on-keir-where-is-labours-economic-plan-when-we-need-it/

As the pandemic wages warfare on our already unstable economy, Boris Johnson has delivered relief to working people with a furlough scheme, freeze on rental evictions and a more accessible universal credit system. Yet these policies do not go far enough — and all eyes are on Labour and the Leader of the Opposition to be bold.

Unfortunately, a risk-averse Keir Starmer has done little to promote radical measures to overcome the pandemic and reform the economic system. …

A few weeks ago, members of the NEC left slate staged a virtual walkout after a tense factional atmosphere ensued over the body’s chairmanship and Corbyn’s recent suspension. Prominent Corbyn-affiliated figures, from Laura Pidcock to Howard Beckett, have scolded Keir Starmer and general secretary, David Evans, for their purging of the Labour left.

This is a theme that has taken hold since possibly Starmer’s leadership win in April. According to the Times, Labour has witnessed an exodus of approximately 250 members a day since the spring. Adding to that, high-profile socialist figures have quit the party in protest at its…

To build a better future, Labour has a duty to end the Brexit impasse.

Four-and-a-half years of turmoil could come to a close in the coming days. The Conservative party’s Brexit bill is set to be voted on in the Commons, and with an 80-seat majority, Boris Johnson is likely to be successful in passing it.

The main debate that is sweeping through political circles is whether Labour under Keir Starmer should back the deal or choose to abstain to avoid blame after a possible economic fallout. The party notoriously lost a plethora of seats in leave-voting constituencies when proposing…

The role of a CLP Youth Officer, according to the Labour Party website, is “ensuring young members get as much as they possibly can out of their membership”. With a new Labour leadership, a global public health pandemic and a bleak future for young people looking likely; there’s a lot to tackle with U27 members in the local party.

The young vote is crucial in the outcome of elections. A surge in this demographic voting for Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 was a defining moment for the Labour Party. That year, 62% of 18–24 year olds voted Labour in the general…

The ship had already sailed by the time Hillary Clinton had time to ponder her lack of campaigning efforts in the Rust Belt, particularly in the now not so reliable blue state of Wisconsin. The Badger State was narrowly beaten by Trump in 2016 after voting for every Democratic candidate since 1988. What went wrong is that Wisconsin was overlooked and its history of a battleground was ignored.

A mere 25,000 votes were the difference between Trump and Hillary four years ago. A Google consumer surveys poll conducted a few days before the nation went to the ballot box had…

In 2015, just three months after assuming the leadership of the Labour Party, Corbyn was reprimanded for attending a Stop the War coalition fundraising event by his colleagues, calling the organisation “disreputable”. He hit back with remarks stating that opposition to war should not be “denigrated or condemned”. After five years of being labelled “unpatriotic” and “terrorist-sympathising”, Corbyn holds firm with anti-war rhetoric under new party leadership, energising the leftists once again.

Corbyn, notorious for defying the party whip under New Labour, rallied 17 other Labour MPs this week to oppose the new overseas operations bill being touted by the…