This article originally appeared in The Times on 6th May 2021 The voters in Hartlepool will soon pass judgment on the Boris Johnson era. In the months that have passed since the Conservative Party hammered away at Labour’s Red Wall there has been much talk of a “new normal”. In the first contest of the … Continue reading By-election lessons from Warrington to Hartlepool

This year, Christmas and the New Year might still feel a bit different than usual. But while it may be tough not seeing our relatives and friends , most of us can hopefully look forward to a festive break in secure homes where we can feel safe, warm, and well-fed. Not everyone in Britain has … Continue reading Help Feed a Family this Christmas: The Labour Movement Charity Calendar

Twenty years ago, the Conservative Party was at its lowest ebb. But on the night of New Labour’s greatest triumph, one man promised to revive their fortunes…  As the sunset on eighteen years of Conservative rule in May 1997, Tony Blair had already set his sights on his next task. His primary focus was to … Continue reading New Labour and the Making of Boris Johnson

Taking an opposition party into government is a rare feat in British politics. At the 1979 General Election, the first-time voters who witnessed Mrs Thatcher take power are now in their sixties. In the intervening period those voters have seen the government change hands just twice. Keir Starmer is the latest in a long line … Continue reading One year of Sir Keir: How does Starmer compare to Thatcher, Blair and Cameron?

“Austerity is repealed for a day as Britons swarm to the pubs” The story of 1966 – the last time England were in a major a final Harold Wilson launched the tournament at a meeting of FIFA in London and claimed England had a good chance of winning.  “England are playing together as a team. … Continue reading Route 66: Have you noticed how we only win the World Cup under a Labour government?

In the 1970s, the Daily Mail “outed” Maureen Colquhoun – making her the first openly lesbian MP in British political history. But she wasn’t accepted in society so easily. Maureen Colquhoun was born on 12 August 1928 and joined the Labour Party aged 18 She read for a degree in Economics at the LSE before … Continue reading Maureen Colquhoun (1928-2021): “My sexuality has nothing to do with my ability to do the job”