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Hilary Wainwright

Hilary Wainwright
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Email: wainwright.hilary [at] googlemail.com

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New Politics
Hilary Wainwright

Research Director of the TNI New Politics programme

Hilary Wainwright is a leading researcher and writer on the emergence of new forms of democratic accountability within parties, movements and the state. She is the driving force and editor behind Red Pepper, a popular British new left magazine, and has documented countless examples of resurgent democratic movements from Brazil to Britain and the lessons they provide for progressive politics.

As well as TNI fellow, she is also Senior Research Associate at the International Centre for Participation Studies at the Department for Peace Studies, University of Bradford, UK and previously research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics. She has also been a visiting Professor and Scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles; Havens Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison and Todai University, Tokyo. Her books include Reclaim the State: Adventures in Popular Democracy (Verso/TNI, 2003) and Arguments for a New Left: Answering the Free Market Right (Blackwell, 1993).

Wainwright founded the Popular Planning Unit of the Greater London Council during the Thatcher years, and was convenor of the new economics working group of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly from 1989 to 1994.

New forms of political agency; Redefining the State; participatory democracy and budgeting; British Politics; Political parties; Social Movements; Civil Society; Social Forums; Brazil under Lula; Venezuela under Chavez; European Left; Trade Unions

Honorary Fellow in Sociology at Manchester University, UK

English

Hilary has written for The Guardian, The Nation, New Statesman, Open Democracy, Carta, Il Manifesto and El Viejo Topo, as well as appearing as a commentator on BBC1, BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.

Selected publications: 
Reclaim the State: Experiments in Popular Democracy (Seagull, 2009)
Public service reform - But not as we know it! (Picnic Publishing, 2009)
Reclaim the State
Arguments for a new left

Recent content by Hilary Wainwright

Indignados movement takes root in Barcelona (18 Oct 2011)

Five months since the launch of the indignados movement, Spain is witnessing the emergence of an experimental movement committed to profound democratisation where leadership is shared and learnt.

AV is not perfect, but we need it for plurality (29 Apr 2011)

The first-past-the-post voting system in the UK has led to the slow death of a critical political culture. Saying yes in the referendum on a proposed Alternative Voting (AV) system would at least give oxygen to debate.

Crack capitalism or reclaim the state (10 Feb 2011)

In a fascinating debate, two leading Left intellectuals John Holloway and Hilary Wainwright debate the potential for democratising the state, how labour can be empowered to enact change, and how capitalism is best confronted.

Ed Miliband needs trade unions (20 Oct 2010)

To create real political change, the new Labour leader must look beyond his party to the unions that helped him win power.

The resistible rise of corporate power (20 Oct 2010)

The massive concentration and growth of corporate power poses a major threat to what remains of public services, highlighting the ever-deepening crisis of democracy, and the urgent need for people to reclaim the state.

Social efficiency: reforming public services in 21st Century (28 Jul 2010)

The ideological reasoning behind UK government policies is that the market is the only way to make public services 'efficient'. Isn't it time we talked about social efficiency, maximising public benefit rather than maximising profit?

UK election: No political parties offered "big ideas to match the depth of crises” (13 May 2010)

What we saw in the UK election campaign and the recent coalition deal is the level of opportunism amongst the political parties, and the real absence of politics and ideas on how to deal with major crises in the economy, over climate change and of our political institutions.

Left Forum 2010: Hilary Wainwright (15 Apr 2010)

Is it possible to democratise the capitalist state? Interview with Hilary Wainwright at the Left Forum in New York.

Beyond the casino state (28 Mar 2010)

Still in thrall to neoliberal nostrums, British politicians compete to dismantle the state as a provider of services, leaving its function as primarily a prop to private capital.

Don't blame voters for the low turnout (25 Feb 2010)

Fewer than half of Dutch voters are expected to head for the polls in Wednesday's local elections. Turnout could be better if politicians weren’t afraid to share power with citizens.

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