Hartlepool and the dignity of Labour
After losing Hartlepool to the Conservatives, the Labour Party would do well to take heed of Jon Cruddas’s new book
How the pandemic has exacerbated our struggle for dignity
David Goodhart’s recent book is a reminder that we need to look out for those whose lives, jobs and purpose are disappearing
How the pandemic has remade women ‘the Angel in the House’
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, has a year of lockdowns shown us that equality in the home is still a fantasy?
The idealisation of everyday life
Natascha Engel delves into Marc Stears’s new book, and asks: is there anything in here that will help us rebuild the Red Wall without losing our big city majorities?
Are hanging baskets the key to community cohesion?
The party that misunderstands what hanging baskets mean to communities is already planting the seeds of its failure
The trouble with political parties
Starting a new political party is not as easy as it looks
More freedom, less information
The Freedom of Information Act was supposed to guarantee honesty and transparency in government, but has ensured that controversial decisions will be forever shrouded in secrecy
Parliament’s Dragon’s Den
The former inaugural chair of Parliament’s Backbench Business Committee recalls its first ever meeting
Parliament is Labour’s best friend
Labour needs to learn to use the new hybrid arrangement to their advantage
Give power back to the people
The reality of localism, planning reform and house building