Rather than hoping for the emergence of some new ‘party of the left,’ EMMA DENT COAD sees a broad alliance of local parties and community groups as a way of reviving democratic progressive politics

THERE’S an increasingly surreal air to the war scare over Ukraine.
The original roles in the drama seem to be reversed. Back in December Ukrainian Foreign Minister Oleksii Reznikov was warning that “not provoking Russia — that strategy does not and will not work,” claiming that Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 because Nato hadn’t let it join (in fact Georgia began that war by attacking South Ossetia, but these details rarely trouble politicians or journalists).
In December the US seemed much more reluctant to escalate matters. President Joe Biden said it would not deploy troops to Ukraine, and ruled out a military response to any Russian incursion.

