From London’s holly-sellers to Engels’s flaming Christmas centrepiece, the plum pudding was more than festive fare in Victorian Britain, says KEITH FLETT
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Governing London from the left
They called us the 'loony left' but we showed the world what was possible once socialists take power even over one city, from free transport and free festivals to recognising same-sex partnerships — we need that ambition once again, writes KEN LIVINGSTONE
Ken Livingstone pictured on the London Eye in 2000
Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
From a lockdown digital project to a vital tool for class solidarity, ROBERT POOLE and HENRY FOWLER reflect on half-a-decade of struggle
After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
The June 2025 attacks on Iran have heightened the risk of a wider war, exposed the fiction of a rules-based international order and left ordinary Iranians trapped between external aggression and internal repression, says the Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
A WWI hero, renowned ornithologist, medical doctor, trade union organiser and founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain all rolled in one. MAT COWARD tells the story of a life so improbable it was once dismissed as fiction
IT IS hard to believe that last year marked 20 years since I became mayor of London and that this year marks 40 years since the Labour left gained the leadership of the Greater London Council (GLC).
The Morning Star gave great support in both of these struggles and although the world — and British politics — are very different to 20, yet alone 40, years ago our socialist principles are still just as important in both understanding the key challenges facing us and developing policies that can tackle them — for the future of the planet and its population.
While looking at both experiences there are of course many things I would do differently and we certainly made mistakes, but I am still deeply proud of both periods of running London from the left. Additionally, where we could, we also sought to give a platform and support to communities and campaigns organising for a better society.
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