Current
Contact - thenextfutures@gmail.com
THE NEXT ELECTION
How can Labour break through in leave-voting areas? The way we communicate our ideas grew from our origins in working class militancy. Much later, the old working class communities were broken up by Thatcherism, de-industrialisation, selling off of social housing, and other changes. This was justified at the time by the myth that everyone would become middle-class and prosperous, but this myth has now completely broken down. We are currently facing a new kind of deep division in our society between mostly metropolitan areas with their elites (THE FEW) - well connected into global financial trading and communications networks - and peripheral areas where everyone else is scraping by and seeing their living standards fall. Our problem is that THE MANY are not nearly such a solid group as the old industrial working class. They are fragmented and scattered through small towns, rural areas, post-industrial zones, and deprived areas of cities, and if they have jobs these are not likely to generate anything like the old trades-union solidarity. This new constituency knows itself to be disenfranchised and abandonned, and is likely to vote for populist movements like the Brexit campaign that provide a simple narrative of blame.
On our website THE NEXT FUTURE we took a first step towards figuring out what this means for Labour. We felt, and still feel, that the Left has let the Right become the representatives of individual freedom as against the collectivism of the Left. That’s why we insist that Labour must say loud and clear how we will transform the lives of every individual in this country and that we should go into the next election with this message loud and clear. Empowering people means giving them the resources to make important and positive decisions about shaping their own lives. This is exactly what we plan to do.
But there are further steps to be taken. We need to be innovative and we need to go on the attack. This means organizing new kinds of event as part of our campaigning. We need a new geography of the political terrain to place these events strategically. Here is just one example. We could organize events in local cinemas in small towns with screenings of “Sorry we missed you”, the new Ken Loach film, combined with a public meeting about zero-hours contracts. Apart from the content, the point here is that this is a new kind of event and it is coming near you, it’s not in an arts cinema in a city centre you can’t afford to get to.
Do MPs representing constituencies that voted leave already have their own forum? If not, such a forum should be set up as a matter of urgency with a view to working out the best ways to campaign for a Labour victory in the coming election: winning will depend on breaking through in marginalised brexit-Britain.
May 25th 2019
The party should crack down on ALL abuse of individuals. And it should be done regardless of whether it is sexist, racist or anti-semitic.
There is far too much abuse, especially on social media, of people some of us may disagree with. We should have the freedom of expression to disagree with others' views, but gratuitous insults should not be allowed.
It's hard to understand the thinking of some people who go so far as to suggest particular targetted MPs should be killed - after one of our MPs WAS actually murdered.
Of course we should continue to try and eliminate all sexism, racism and anti-semitism in the Party, but we should include ALL abuse and threats.
Most of us have never done this in the past, and wouldn't do so now, so it's hard to understand why ANY of our colleagues would do it. But it IS happening, and it is an aspect of social changes.
We have to stand up against it and DEMONSTRATE how we are taking action to eradicate it, and to protect our members from personal attacks.
Ken Hyder and Tim Hodgkinson
March 2019
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In case you forgot, May's government was formally found to be in contempt of parliament last December. It's the first time this has ever happened. Some people are blaming "parliament" or "politicians" for delaying Brexit. But this entire business from beginning to end is a Tory catastrophe. It was the Tories who forced the referendum to try and solve their problem with Ukip. They then lost it. They then wasted two years of negotiating time by failing to state a clear negotiating position to Europe. They tried to suppress parliament's right to vote on any deal they might reach. They witheld information from parliament, and repeatedly tried to sideline parliamentary procedures, delaying crucial votes to panic MPs and voters - blackmailing them with the threat of No Deal. They consistently tried to exclude parliament from the whole process. No-one should blame "parliament" or "politicians" for delaying Brexit. If Brexit is now delayed or revoked, the reponsibility for that lies squarely and exclusively with the Tory party.
19th March, 2019