Facing economic turmoil, Jim Callaghan’s government rejected Tony Benn’s alternative economic strategy in favour of cuts that paved the way for Thatcherism — and the cuts-loving Labour of the present era, writes KEITH FLETT
Sun, sea and socialism: what Engels thought of the Isle of Wight
From military inspections to geological observations, KEITH FLETT recounts how the communist’s 1857 visit to Ryde combined health recovery with a sharp analysis of Britain’s defences

MARX AND ENGELS were frequent visitors to a range of English seaside resorts, primarily in Kent and Sussex. The east coast was also a consideration.
Marx favoured Margate and Ramsgate and in later life Ventnor.
Engels ranged more widely. His liking for Eastbourne is well known but he spent time at a number of south coast locations including Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton. Correspondence reveals him often searching for a source of Pilsner beer to enjoy.
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Facing economic turmoil, Jim Callaghan’s government rejected Tony Benn’s alternative economic strategy in favour of cuts that paved the way for Thatcherism — and the cuts-loving Labour of the present era, writes KEITH FLETT

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Starmer’s slash-and-burn approach to disability benefits represents a fundamental break with Labour’s founding mission to challenge the idle rich rather than punish the vulnerable poor, argues KEITH FLETT

Modern Christmas as we know it, with its trees, dinner menu, cards and time off from work, only dates back to the early days of modern socialism as we know it, writes KEITH FLETT, checking in on Marx, Engels and the Chartists in the 1800s

Marx and Engels’ concern with soil provides a focus for understanding the relationship between capitalism and the environment, argues the MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Statues and other icons can enforce power and domination but they can also help us challenge that power, writes the Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School