Apart from a bright spark of hope in the victory of the Gaza motion, this year’s conference lacked vision and purpose — we need to urgently reconnect Labour with its roots rather than weakly aping the flag-waving right, argues KIM JOHNSON MP
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Betting it all on red: why the dodgy donors are backing Labour once more
Some shadow ministers have turned to gambling moguls, former Tory and Lib Dem donors, financiers and other questionable types to fund their individual offices — why is it only ‘sleaze’ when the Tories do it, asks SOLOMON HUGHES
WINNING BIG: Wes Streeting (left) and Rachel Reeves have trousered thousands in gambling industry donations
In the face of funding cuts, closures and a shift into women’s centres providing criminal justice-only services rather than a holistic approach, RUTH HUNT urges women to protect existing resources, volunteer and build new networks of support
The CPB's congress aims to build the united front against monopoly capitalism, utilising the YCL’s promising new generation of militants — but our party remains far from the strength history requires of it, despite recent progress, writes JOHNNIE HUNTER
From Palestine, to racism, to fiscal rules and migrant rights, DIANE ABBOTT surveys some of the main themes of Labour conference this week
We must remember how the CPGB led anti-fascist movement defeated Mosley’s BUF in September 1936 and apply the lessons of mass mobilisation and open, unapologetic confrontation to the rise of the far right today, writes DYLAN MURPHY
On the anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, DAVID ROSENBERG reflects on his encounters with those who were there that day in 1936 – and suggests two urgent tasks for the anti-fascists of today
LABOUR is seeking “billionaire cash” to replace lost subscription money caused by large numbers of members resigning. Attempts to find big money donors have met with only limited success but shadow cabinet ministers are attracting individual donors to fund their offices.
The current register of MPs’ interests show Labour’s top recipients of these donations include shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves (£279,000), shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (£133,000), shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper (£71,000) and shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson (£42,000). The donations favour the right of the party and bring controversial donors into apparently more direct contact with policymakers.
Last year Reeves accepted £10,000 from Richard Flint “to support the shadow chancellor’s office.” Flint was a director of Sky Betting, a gambling firm fined £1 million when he was in charge for failing to protect vulnerable gamblers. He is currently a director of Flutter PLC, the gambling giant owner of Sky Betting, Paddy Power and other betting brands. Flint was a former Lib Dem donor.
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The new angle from private firms shmoozing their way into public contracts was the much-trumpeted arrival of ‘artificial intelligence’ — and no-one seemed to have heard the numerous criticisms of this unproven miracle cure, reports SOLOMON HUGHES
It is rather strange that Labour continues to give prestigious roles to inappropriate, controversy-mired businessmen who are also major Tory donors. What could Labour possibly be hoping to get out of it, asks SOLOMON HUGHES
Keir Starmer’s hiring Tim Allan from Tory-led Strand Partners is another illustration of Labour’s corporate-influence world where party differences matter less than business connections, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
MBDA’s Alabama factory makes components for Boeing’s GBU-39 bombs used to kill civilians in Gaza. Its profits flow through Stevenage to Paris — and it is one of the British government’s favourite firms, reveals SOLOMON HUGHES
