For the Many …
Afterword By Jon Lansman
"Our manifesto was a key reason for our gains in the 2017 general election. Now its ideas need to be developed and radicalised. This book is a vital contribution to that process"
- Shadow Chancellor John McDonnellabout the bookabout
Afterword By Jon Lansman
This lively anthology explores the pivotal role played by Labour's manifesto during the extraordinary British election of June 2017, one in which the party, under the radical leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, closed a twenty point opinion poll deficit to come within a whisker of winning. It analyses the policies outlined in a widely-acclaimed programme showing how they can be developed further to become an effective blueprint for a future Labour government.
Mike Phipps's introduction, based on discussions with key insiders, looks at the way the manifesto was assembled and at the crucial role it played in transforming Labour’s electoral fortunes. It is followed by chapters that expand on each of the manifesto's sections, written by specialists who are expert in their respective fields. The contributors discuss the strengths and shortcomings of the policies and look at the ways they have been tested by events since the election, including the government's floundering negotiations on Brexit, the catastrophic Grenfell tower block fire, and the escalating crisis in the National Health Service.
For the Many ... provides a vital tool for activists who want to see the policies of Labour's 2017 election manifesto expanded and radicalised as the party prepares for power.
Contributors: David Beetham, Malia Bouattia, Gregor Gall, Jeremy Gilbert, Stuart Hodkinson, Ewa Jasiewicz, Ruth Lister, Allyson Pollock, Glen Rangwala, Kiri Tunks, Hilary Wainwright and Chris Williamson.
About The Author / Editor
Preview
From the Introduction by Mike Phipps
The 2017 election was a battle between two competing narratives-a stable government offering a competent Brexit versus an insurgent Opposition, committed to fighting austerity and overcoming the divisions of the 2016 Brexit referendum with a promise of unity and inclusivity. To many, it looked like fear versus hope. These sound like platitudes, but they have content. The referendum campaign a year earlier had seen the stabbing to death of a pro-EU Labour MP by a neo-Nazi, who, according to witnesses, shouted, "Put Britain first" as he carried out the act. Following the referendum, racist attacks rocketed—by over 50% in the immediate aftermath.
It was thanks in no small part to the way Labour fought the 2017 general election that only 6% of people surveyed felt that immigration was the most important factor determining their vote. This breaks down as 9% of Conservative and 3% of Labour voters, down from 47% and 28% respectively in the 2015 general election.
Corbyn's narrative was unifying on other fronts. The Brexit referendum pitted 'left behind' rural areas against urban 'metropolitan elites'. It divided people on generational and ethnic lines, creating conditions where Theresa May felt she could shamelessly pitch for the 'patriotic working class'. Faced with the inclusive themes of Corbyn's campaign, this utterly failed to resonate.
The refusal of Corbyn to continue New Labour themes of demonising benefit claimants continued this unifying approach, ending the artificial division between the deserving and undeserving poor, which Labour had helped perpetuate in the past. One of the factors that fuelled popular support for Corbyn in his 2015 Party leadership bid was the abject failure in the summer of that year by Labour MPs to vote against Conservative Government benefit cuts. Corbyn's principled position on this was reflected in his campaign, which exposed the nonsense that is talked about 'unworthy' benefit recipients, by highlighting how much of the welfare bill goes to people in work to subsidise their poverty pay.
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For the Many …
Afterword By Jon Lansman
"Our manifesto was a key reason for our gains in the 2017 general election. Now its ideas need to be developed and radicalised. This book is a vital contribution to that process"
- Shadow Chancellor John McDonnellabout the bookabout
Afterword By Jon Lansman
This lively anthology explores the pivotal role played by Labour's manifesto during the extraordinary British election of June 2017, one in which the party, under the radical leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, closed a twenty point opinion poll deficit to come within a whisker of winning. It analyses the policies outlined in a widely-acclaimed programme showing how they can be developed further to become an effective blueprint for a future Labour government.
Mike Phipps's introduction, based on discussions with key insiders, looks at the way the manifesto was assembled and at the crucial role it played in transforming Labour’s electoral fortunes. It is followed by chapters that expand on each of the manifesto's sections, written by specialists who are expert in their respective fields. The contributors discuss the strengths and shortcomings of the policies and look at the ways they have been tested by events since the election, including the government's floundering negotiations on Brexit, the catastrophic Grenfell tower block fire, and the escalating crisis in the National Health Service.
For the Many ... provides a vital tool for activists who want to see the policies of Labour's 2017 election manifesto expanded and radicalised as the party prepares for power.
Contributors: David Beetham, Malia Bouattia, Gregor Gall, Jeremy Gilbert, Stuart Hodkinson, Ewa Jasiewicz, Ruth Lister, Allyson Pollock, Glen Rangwala, Kiri Tunks, Hilary Wainwright and Chris Williamson.
About The Author / Editor
Preview
From the Introduction by Mike Phipps
The 2017 election was a battle between two competing narratives-a stable government offering a competent Brexit versus an insurgent Opposition, committed to fighting austerity and overcoming the divisions of the 2016 Brexit referendum with a promise of unity and inclusivity. To many, it looked like fear versus hope. These sound like platitudes, but they have content. The referendum campaign a year earlier had seen the stabbing to death of a pro-EU Labour MP by a neo-Nazi, who, according to witnesses, shouted, "Put Britain first" as he carried out the act. Following the referendum, racist attacks rocketed—by over 50% in the immediate aftermath.
It was thanks in no small part to the way Labour fought the 2017 general election that only 6% of people surveyed felt that immigration was the most important factor determining their vote. This breaks down as 9% of Conservative and 3% of Labour voters, down from 47% and 28% respectively in the 2015 general election.
Corbyn's narrative was unifying on other fronts. The Brexit referendum pitted 'left behind' rural areas against urban 'metropolitan elites'. It divided people on generational and ethnic lines, creating conditions where Theresa May felt she could shamelessly pitch for the 'patriotic working class'. Faced with the inclusive themes of Corbyn's campaign, this utterly failed to resonate.
The refusal of Corbyn to continue New Labour themes of demonising benefit claimants continued this unifying approach, ending the artificial division between the deserving and undeserving poor, which Labour had helped perpetuate in the past. One of the factors that fuelled popular support for Corbyn in his 2015 Party leadership bid was the abject failure in the summer of that year by Labour MPs to vote against Conservative Government benefit cuts. Corbyn's principled position on this was reflected in his campaign, which exposed the nonsense that is talked about 'unworthy' benefit recipients, by highlighting how much of the welfare bill goes to people in work to subsidise their poverty pay.