Parliament's numbness to the million-strong march against the Iraq war has left a legacy of profound scepticism about parliamentary politics as we know it. As widespread protest grows against the coalition's erosion of public services, could AV make our political institutions any more sensitive to outside the political class?My starting point is Thomas Rainsborough's powerful argument for... Read more

Please note: a longer, more detailed version of this article will appear in the December issue of Red Pepper.... Read more

Nye Bevan, the driving force behind the creation of the NHS, gave a succinct description of the process now destroying one of the greatest achievements of the Attlee government – indeed, of any Labour government. He declared that: ‘In practice it is impossible for the modern state to maintain an independent control over the decisions of big business. When the state extends its control over big... Read more

'Anyone who thinks the spending review is just about saving money is missing the point,' said a Treasury official as David Cameron announced the government's first round of cuts in public spending. 'This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way that government works.' [i] The need to transform the public sector is not in question. What is contested however is the character of... Read more

El 15 de mayo, Tariq Alí se dirigió a un grupo de estudiantes de la UM. Tuvo que hacerlo en el exterior, frente al Mansion Building, al prohibírsele el acceso al interior de la universidad. Poco antes del comienzo de la intervención, los estudiantes que se encontraban dentro del edificio salieron a unirse con sus compañeros y escuchar a Tariq Alí. Estas fueron sus palabras:“Queridos amigos, me... Read more