lemon revolution

Sunny Hundal's recent piece over on Liberal Conspiracy sketched out a body of reasoning outlining why, apparently, Tony Blair's recent reprisal, re-emergence, political respawning - call it whatever you like - within the Labour Party is nothing whatsoever to pay attention to. Ed Miliband, we are assured, is the very political python we've always dreamed of, navigating his victorious path through the jungle of leftist politics, wooing each and every ideological animal on his way to delivering 'responsible capitalism' for us all. An obvious problem is immediately raised: Tony Blair is not really a man many on the left want to be associated with at all, be it indeed, in mere capacity and not ideas. The acceptance of the Thatcherite consensus and two disgusting, flesh-drenched military adventures are two obvious reasons for Miliband to distance himself from Blair. Hundal assures us, however, that Miliband is simply utilising Blair's support-base - presumably amo...

They just never learn. " The swiftly changing paradigms of the political world pose a vital question for the future of the Labour Party ; evolve to incorporate new, radical ideas and provide a visionary, specific future for the British electorate with which the public may engage and participate within, or simply wither away to political insignificance, fighting the Conservatives over tiny fractions of ideological battleground. Whether or not Labour as a political party has the capacity and internal will to evolve in such a way however, is an entirely different question altogether. "

Just when you thought you'd finally discarded that throat wrenching verbal turd you probably once picked up from a news-stand, once upon a time, to the black hole of your cerebrum. Just when you, for a brief, brief moment, trepidly allowed the mere thought of escape to slip through barrier of your conscience. Just when perhaps, perhaps, maybe, possibly, you considered, people were beginning to see sense. Out of nowhere it seemed, sprang Nick Boles , and that folks, was that. The painful tsunami of memories instantly ransacks what good will remains left inside you, words such as 'Hayek' and 'Friedman' begin appearing all over the shot and you're left, sprawled on your bedroom floor, to ruin by a fit of frustration. That's correct, ladies and gentlemen, the neoliberals are back. Back with a bank's worth of bullshit, downright lies and conjobbery. Be prepared for phrases such as; 'we're faced with the worst economic crisis since the war due to a ...

Friday night's ' Newsnight ' offered a discussion on the political apathy generated by the recent crises, in light of not only "Liebor", yet a broader, public sentiment of distrust of Westminister and the city. Paul Mason introduced the topic by highlighting a certain contempt held by the public for 'bankers' and politicians that appears to have fostered and developed since the onset of the financial crisis. Mason has since been labelled, among many things, a ' Trotskyite ' - usually a sign these are going pretty well - on the ever-reliable Twitter. This was then followed by a debate involving author and journalist Owen Jones, former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton, financial-sector Grandmaster Richard Sharp and the novelist, Anne Atkins. Jones - a known socialist who authored a much-publicised book in defence of those scrambling upon society's periphary, "Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class" - was perhaps an unusual choice fo...

With the Eurozone ostensibly, ever on the brink and with crisis upon crisis frothing from an unshakable cauldron of melting capital, the world demands rethinking. Last Thursday's Newsnight defined the contours of the present debate: with such a polarisation in economic performance between member countries, just what exactly remains for the European Union? Peter Altmaier, the German Environment Minister spoke of a willingness to preserve the EU through financial solidification, or a fiscal pact. In principle, this includes a provisional, central bank for the entire Eurozone, and numerous forms of relief for the debts of the struggling, peripheral nations. The latter comes after months of German insistence that the debts of Greece, Spain, Ireland and Italy required only government austerity, rather than continental support and is symptomatic of the sheer depth and scale of Europe's economic woes. On the other side of the table sat Joseph Stiglitz, the renowned, American Keyne...