Jade Azim · Tue 27 May, 2014
The success of UKIP in last week’s European and local elections has prompted much soul-searching within the Labour party.
First of all, we have come to realise that we cannot dismiss concerns regarding immigration felt by the worst off in society. As the Searchlight Educational Trust revealed in their groundbreaking report ‘Fear and Hope’, there is a “clear correlation between economic pessimism and negative attitudes towards immigration.” This in turn leads to a fear of the ‘Other’, leading to the Islamophobia and racism that now run rampant on the continent in the guise of populist and far right parties like the Front National in France. Now this fear has reached our shores under UKIP’s purple and yellow banner.
Ade Adeyemi · Sat 24 May, 2014
Giving patients a say on how their healthcare is provided should be at the heart of Labour's health and care policy, but the party’s policy review consultation ‘Your Britain’ currently lacks focus in this area. 65 years ago, Labour won the moral argument with the British electorate for a National Health Service. Labour’s policy on ensuring the health service is truly accountable to, and owned by, the British people needs to be just as innovative if the ideals of the NHS are to survive in the 21st century.
Alex Bjarnason · Mon 19 May, 2014
Recent peace talks between Israel and Palestine have come to an abrupt and disappointing end, leaving many supporters of the two-state solution despondent and pessimistic about the future.
Jessica Toale · Wed 14 May, 2014
YF Internationalism Launch Event
Over the past few years, international issues have taken a backseat to more pressing domestic issues. Even despite a strong tradition within the Party, the idea of internationalism as a key pillar of “One Nation Labour” is often met with mystified doubt.
This is why the Ideas Series project on Internationalism has the potential to be one of the more interesting explorations of the ideas and principles that underpin a Labour approach to governing in 2015. The launch of the project on April 30 aimed to explore some of the challenging issues that comprise internationalism and involve members in setting the direction of the project. Taking in a wide range of topics and perspectives, the event produced an impressive and lively debate amongst members.
Samuel Fawcett · Thu 08 May, 2014
As anyone who either is- or has a sibling- aged 15 or 16 will know, GCSE exams are on their way. But this isn’t a blog about the impending terror faced by the country’s school leavers. It’s about something that leapt out at me as I was helping my younger sister with her history revision: namely that demonising the poor and vulnerable at times of economic hardship has a far longer pedigree than many realise.
James Bartholomeusz · Fri 02 May, 2014
2014 marks two anniversaries of great importance for Europe. One is the centenary of the beginning of the First World War; the other, a quarter century since the fall of Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the eastern bloc.
Jade Azim · Wed 30 Apr, 2014
paulina jakubec · Mon 28 Apr, 2014
Over the course of the last year the media rediscovered its fascination with feminism- a movement that is now going through its fourth wave. An unprecedented amount of articles tracking the progress women have made towards achieving genuine gender equality was published this International Women’s Day. The statistics they contained demonstrate why feminism is still very much needed in modern society. One in three women worldwide will be beaten or sexually abused in their lifetime. Two women a week are killed by an intimate partner in the UK, and only 1% of the world’s property is owned by women.
Hari Ramakrishnan · Fri 18 Apr, 2014
Hadleigh Roberts is a candidate to the European Parliament for the South West of England and Gibraltar. A graduate from Bath University and possessing an MA in interpreting and translation, Roberts works as a professional translator (French/Spanish to English) with experience in French, Spanish, UK and European Union (EU) politics.
Jack Philo · Wed 09 Apr, 2014
Last Saturday saw the Young Fabians begin in earnest our campaigns programme, as we headed to Ilford North for some canvassing on behalf of Wes Streeting, the Labour candidate. For some of us, including myself, this was effectively an introduction to canvassing and an opportunity to experience the kind of door to door campaigning that is so crucial in winning votes and seats.
Thomas Redfearn · Mon 07 Apr, 2014
In September 2013 the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that due to funding cuts, they needed to reduce their workload and stop collecting certain statistics. They suggested that a good first step would be to stop collecting data on child mortality.
Joel Mullan · Thu 03 Apr, 2014
Ahead of the launch of the Young Fabians China Programme, Joel Mullan explains the rationale behind the programme and the importance of engaging with the world's new superpower. This article was first published on Fabian Review Online.
Oliver MacArthur · Thu 27 Mar, 2014
The next edition of Anticipations focuses on the Labour Party's relationship with the European Union, and explores the challenges and opportunities it faces in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in May and beyond. Young Fabians Member Oliver MacArthur asks what more Europe could do to end the scourge of youth unemployment.
Samuel Fawcett · Mon 17 Mar, 2014
Received wisdom maintains that the UKIP vote is made up of disaffected, older Tories who are dissatisfied with Cameron’s socially liberal policies and relatively progressive stance on Europe. But look closer and you will see this is simply not the case. While UKIP does disproportionately draw support from Tory voters, polling has shown they can also boast substantial support from working-class Labour voters too.
Jay Morton · Sun 09 Mar, 2014
The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis with demand dramatically outstripping supply. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, “Britain is heading for a property shortage of more than a million homes by 2022 unless the current rate of housebuilding is dramatically increased”.
Alex Bjarnason · Fri 28 Feb, 2014
John Robert (J.R.) Clynes, born in Oldham on the 27th of March 1869, committed his life to trade unionism and politics, leading the Labour party during the breakthrough election of 1922, then becoming the Labour’s first Deputy Leader, and later Home Secretary.
Sophia Morrell · Thu 20 Feb, 2014
Once the sole domain of providers like the Co-Op, over the past decade, the concept of socially responsible investing (SRI) has come to the fore as investors of all sizes consider the ethical credentials of their portfolios. It then begs the question, what level of SRI do we want in our own pension funds, which for many are their only contact with the equities market? Can we afford the ‘luxury’ of meeting minimum ethical standards when we face an upcoming pensions crisis, or should the primary concern be yield at any cost to prevent the next generation living in poverty? Moreover, as stewards of what is effectively large sums of public money (although not in the literal sense) do the largest pension schemes have an implicit duty to bring about positive change?
Alex Bjarnason · Mon 27 Jan, 2014
Istvan Reiner stares straight into the camera with his big, dark eyes- he looks happy, playing with card and a hole-punch. Not long after the photo was taken, he was deported to Auschwitz, and sent with his grandmother into the gas chambers and murdered.
Alex Bjarnason · Fri 17 Jan, 2014
Deputy Leaders of the Labour Party have included some of the most important and interesting figures in our movement's history. Throughout the year we will profile each of the 16 Deputy Leaders in separate blogposts. The first Deputy Leader was J.R. Clynes (1922-1932), a Fabian and Trade Unionist, who began working in a cotton mill when he was ten years old, helped form the Piercers' Union at seventeen years old, leading the Labour party in the 1922 elections before becoming Deputy Leader. In his final years as Deputy, Clynes shared the position with Scottish MP William Graham (1931-1932).