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Articles by Roger Liddle
David Marquand: A Political Assessment
The author draws on his own active role over five decades in the British Social Democratic and Labour parties to describe and analyse the part played in that history of his friend, the late David Marquand. The author considers Marquand's early experience as a Labour MP from the late 1960s until his disillusion with that party, his participation in founding the Social Democratic Party and his subsequent return to Labour.
Does the UK Need to Maintain a Nuclear Deterrent Capability?
“We need to recognize the irrationality and inhumanity of living in a world overshadowed by nuclear weapons” – Daisaku Ikeda Whilst the very concept of nuclear weapons is abhorrent to many, they have been the foundation of the UK’s national defence strategy for decades. Nuclear weapons have not been used since WWII. Given the challenging fiscal environment in which the UK SDR is being conducted, should the UK continue to maintain a nuclear deterrent capability?
Farage and Badenoch Go Two By Two Into the ARC
From Monday to Wednesday this week, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage spoke at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Forum. In normal times a gathering of the terminally online modern political right here in London with speakers like Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray, and Louis Mosley (before you ask, yes, he is) would not merit much analysis, but this year two people with a chance of being the next Prime Minister joined the fray.
The Increasingly Complex Fight for Peace in Ukraine
Keir Starmer’s commitment to send British troops to Ukraine is possibly the most consequential decision he has made as Prime Minister so far. Labour List niggled that it had won a mixed reception at this weeks meeting of European leaders in Paris. With impending elections for the German Bundestag and the Polish Presidency, this is no surprise: Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk would both have wanted to avoid speculative statements Europe is right to be cautious.
The Increasingly Complex Fight for Peace in Ukraine
Keir Starmer’s commitment to send British troops to Ukraine is possibly the most consequential decision he has made as Prime Minister so far. Labour List niggled that it had won a mixed reception at this weeks meeting of European leaders in Paris. With impending elections for the German Bundestag and the Polish Presidency, this is no surprise: Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk would both have wanted to avoid speculative statements Europe is right to be cautious.
Why is Hamas's sexual violence of October 7th being ignored?
The UN’s International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls on 25 November is a time to face reality: the atrocities of Hamas gunmen in on October 7 included the of women and girls. With most of the rape victims subsequently murdered, a full account may never be possible. Nonetheless, this was a well-documented case of mass sexual violence, partly because the perpetrators filmed and shared their crimes, and partly because of extensive evidence left behind.
A U-Turn to Austerity: A Reality Check On The Chancellor's Autumn Statement
The Chancellor struck an optimistic tone on Wednesday as he stood up to address the Commons with his Autumn Statement proudly stating the country ‘has turned a corner’ and that his plan for the British economy is ‘working’. Sadly, as we heard at our immediate reaction event that evening with Steve Reed MP, NEF economist and PPC Jeevun Sandler and Politico Playbook Deputy Editor Eleni Courea, even basic interrogation reveals how half-baked, opportunistic and miscalculated the Autumn Statement was.
Review: Richard Toye's Age of Hope
Richard Toye’s Age of Hope is the first major study of the post war Attlee government to be published since 1997.
By-Election Briefing - August 2023
This year’s Progressive Britain Conference was one to remember, with esteemed speakers and guests. Progressive Britain Conference remains one of the year’s best opportunities to engage in policy debates with Labour policymakers, meet old friends and share ideas with new people. We want to thank all of the 400 attendees and our partner, the Progressive Policy Institute, for making the 2023 Ambition For Britain Conference a fantastic success.
No More Sticking Plasters: Labour's Health Mission
The publication of Labour’s ‘Health Mission’ was the first time in a long time that we heard anyone describe their ambition for health and health services in the round. The inexcusable absence of a current and coherent workforce plan, plans for social care, or public health means we have got terribly used to piecemeal announcements that make headlines for a few days, but won’t shift the underlying drivers of unprecedented health and care pressures.
Progressive Britain Summer Social - August 2023
This year’s Progressive Britain Conference was one to remember, with esteemed speakers and guests. Progressive Britain Conference remains one of the year’s best opportunities to engage in policy debates with Labour policymakers, meet old friends and share ideas with new people. We want to thank all of the 400 attendees and our partner, the Progressive Policy Institute, for making the 2023 Ambition For Britain Conference a fantastic success.
As long-term figures hits 1 million, Tories show they can't
The Conservative Party fought three general elections promising to slash immigration to the tens of thousands. Recent net migration statistics show that after thirteen years in government the Conservatives have failed utterly to achieve this. The Office for National Statistics confirmed that net migration for 2022 was a new all-time record high of 606,000.
'The Death of Consensus' With Phil Tinline
In the first of 2023’s Progressive History events, the Times Red Box reporter Lara Spirit was joined by journalist Phil Tinline to discuss his recent book ‘The Death of Consensus: 100 Years of British Political Nightmares’. Lara and Phil talk us through the historic shifts and political nightmares that have signified the creation (and destruction) of political consensus in the UK, how our current, divided society has been conditioned by fear – and what we can learn to secure a brighter future.
Labour Party Conference - 25th-27th October 2022
In 2022 year we partnered with various organisations to bring you events in areas that are at the forefront of innovative progressive thinking, such as care, housing and the new politics of work. We’re thrilled with the fantastic turnout we saw, and want to thank our guests, friends and partners for the support they gave to all the essential conversations we had. We can’t wait to see you all again next year! We want to give another special thank you to our sponsors for each of these events.
Progressive Britain Conference - May 2021
This year’s Progressive Britain Conference was one to remember, with esteemed speakers and guests. Progressive Britain Conference remains one of the year’s best opportunities to engage in policy debates with Labour policymakers, meet old friends and share ideas with new people. We want to thank all of the 400 attendees and our partner, the Progressive Policy Institute, for making the 2023 Ambition For Britain Conference a fantastic success.
Keeping the Show on the Road: Harold Wilson, Labour, and Britain - 4th April 2023
A two-time winner who oversaw both technological and social revolutions in Britain, Harold Wilson’s reputation is sometimes overshadowed by the economic and political challenges he wrestled with. But with the power of technology to shape our future, and the threat of economic stagnation both back on the agenda – what can he teach us about the current moment?
Prospects for Labour Victory in the UK - 13th April 2023
What can a Keir Starmer government achieve, and what obstacles stand in its way? After the warm welcome of its first edition in November 2022, FEPS and Karl–Renner-Institute organised another iteration of the new feature of the #NextLeft Research Program: the Next Left Lectures.
2023 Progressive Britain Conference - Ambition For Britain
This year’s Progressive Britain Conference was one to remember, with esteemed speakers and guests. Progressive Britain Conference remains one of the year’s best opportunities to engage in policy debates with Labour policymakers, meet old friends and share ideas with new people. We want to thank all of the 400 attendees and our partner, the Progressive Policy Institute, for making the 2023 Ambition For Britain Conference a fantastic success.
Starmer Steers Labour Back to Home Port
Like the lawyer he is, Keir Starmer seems to be calmly and methodically building a conclusive case for Labour’s return to power after a 13-year absence. True, he’s gotten a big assist from Boris Johnson’s downfall and the ensuing succession chaos among the Tories. But Starmer has deftly steered Labour away from the reefs of doctrinaire socialism — which contributed greatly to its shattering 2019 defeat — and back toward its “home port” among working-class voters.
Prospects for a Keir Starmer premiership: what he can achieve and what stands in his way
I am an optimist about Keir Starmer. His achievement in masterminding Labour’s recovery from its worst defeat since 1935 has so far been remarkable. His leadership of the party is secure: his potential premiership is still a work in progress. But he is well on the way to what would be an astonishing turnaround in Labour’s electoral fortunes: to take the party in a single Parliament from the edge of the electoral abyss at the end of 2019 into government by 2024.
Cholecystokinin receptors in GtoPdb v.2023.1
IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology CITE, Apr 2023 Margery Beinfeld, Quan Chen, Fan Gao, Roger A. Liddle, Laurence J. Miller, Jens Rehfeld. , IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology CITE, 2023, Volume 2023, Issue 1,
Starmer at Work: Will Labour’s new ‘politics of work’ achieve workplace dignity?
Dignity at work has formed a central theme of Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party. In April last year, John Cruddas published a persuasive book making the case for recentring the Labour Party upon a ‘new politics of work’. In building upon a wealth of academic research Cruddas provided a compelling account of the importance of paid work for our wellbeing and that, therefore, enhancing dignity at work should form the basis of Labour’s political project.
Publications - Progressive Britain
Discover our thought-provoking work with Progressive Britain publications. Engaging with the pressing issues of our time, our publications offer a progressive perspective on UK politics, society, and policy. Discover insightful articles and analyses that challenge conventional thinking, foster inclusive dialogue, and advocate for a progressive perspective. Become part of the conversation for a progressive future.
The UK in the post-Covid world — Policy Network
For the previous instalment in this series on ‘Covid-19 and Brexit’, click here. A new strategy for growth Higher taxes will not be enough in themselves to bring down debt and finance an expanded state. Britain will need a strategy for the revival of UK economic growth. If it proves impossible to cut the numerator of public spending, the only strategy is to raise the denominator of national output with a comprehensive growth strategy.
A Brexit extension will allow time to think - UK in a changing Europe
The horrors of Covid-19 have pushed Brexit out of the headlines. Yet crucial negotiations are approaching a June crunch. Complacent silence is no longer good enough. A better Brexit can still be achieved, but it will not happen without a pause to think. Right now, Mrs. May’s notion of a “deep and special partnership” seems to be heading for the dustbin of history.
No more excuses: politicians need parental leave
Formal parental leave for those in public life is still too rare – Labour must step up and change the status quo, explains Claire Reynolds You cannot have it all, women are often told. However, as work-life juggles go, having to choose between delivering your baby by caesarean as planned, or having your vote against the Brexit deal counted, is a fairly extreme dichotomy.
Postponing article 50 can be done, here's how - Progress
Today Emily Thornberry, standing in for Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs, floated the idea of extending article 50.
68. Taking Brexit out of parliament – with guest Jess Phillips - Progress | Centre-left Labour politics
What does Keir Starmer’s speech mean for Labour’s Brexit position? Does Theresa May secretly want no deal to be blocked? And what will parliament do for the next week before the big Brexit vote? Conor Pope, Alison McGovern and Stephanie Lloyd discuss, while Jess Phillips explains why the Brexit conversation needs to be taken out of Westminster. Progressive centre-ground Labour politics does not come for free. It takes time, commitment and money to build a fight against the forces of conservatism.
Discover the route to a public vote
This is originally from the Progress Daily Email. If you like what you see and would like to sign up to receive it, click here. Theresa May dominated the news bulletins last night by making a statement on the steps of Downing Street that added precisely nothing to what she had already said. Despite the government crest on the lectern, it was a solely party political ploy.
EXTRA: Biggest government defeat ever – with guest Alastair Campbell - Progress | Centre-left Labour politics
Theresa May suffered the biggest government defeat of all time, then her Tory backbenchers kept her in office – while the campaign for Labour to lead a pro-European referendum campaign steps up a gear. Conor Pope discusses what next for Brexit with Alison McGovern, Stephanie Lloyd and guest Alastair Campbell. ALSO: Find out what happened when Alison and Alastair had a run-in with Boris Johnson on the way to recording.
Labour should have the courage to come out for Europe
Adapted from his speech to the House of Lords, Roger Liddle argues that despite its faults, the time has come for Labour to proudly stand with the European Union We are living through a political crisis without equal in our post-second world war history. Labour’s frontbench in the Commons has to play a decisive in the outcome. Without their support it will be difficult for any option to carry. Yet their present stance comes across as a supine unwillingness to declare their hand.
The next seven days 🗓
This is originally from the Progress Daily Email. If you like what you see and would like to sign up to receive it, click here. Next week could define British politics for years to come. How Theresa May’s government survives through to next Friday depends on what Labour’s response to the result of Tuesday’s big vote is.
Extra: The week before
Next week sees Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement finally come before the House of Commons. With the government already suffering two Brexit defeats this week, it is unlikely to pass – but what will Labour’s response be? Conor Pope and Stephanie Lloyd discuss which way things are likely to go, and how much time there is to call a general election.
The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy
Roger Liddle finds that Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin’s analysis leaves room for optimism for the future of our country This is an important book about one of the most important challenges to our politics: the rise of nationalism and populism. It is well written, well argued, highly accessible to the lay reader, and mercifully free of political science jargon. The authors have an established track record in the field.
63. Brexit coverage: could the news be better?
Could we still see a parliamentary vote on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement before Christmas? Is there any way the 29 March deadline can be done about? And why are these still unanswered questions? Conor Pope discusses that with Alison McGovern and Stephanie Lloyd, while Stefan Rollnick interviews journalist Luke Lythgoe from InFacts.
No more 'nothing has changed' - Progress
This is originally from the Progress Daily Email. If you like what you see and would like to sign up to receive it, click here. Last night’s confidence vote has changed the Brexit process. The first steps towards breaking the parliamentary deadlock have now been taken. A general election or public vote on the Brexit deal are starting to look like feasible ways forward.
National Populism: The Revolt against Liberal Democracy
Roger Liddle finds that Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin’s analysis leaves room for optimism for the future of our country This is an important book about one of the most important challenges to our politics: the rise of nationalism and populism. It is well written, well argued, highly accessible to the lay reader, and mercifully free of political science jargon. The authors have an established track record in the field.
Israel and Iran: Syria's new war? - Progress
There is a real possibility that we are on the verge of a big conflict between Israel and Iran. The international community must recognise this now and do more to ease tensions. If they do not, we could be sleepwalking into another regional crisis, writes Jack Clayton The time for a conversation about the increasing violence between Israel and Iran is upon us.
What we can achieve in local government
We may not be in national government, but there is still much we can do, writes Ibrahim Dogus I was grateful to be chosen by my Labour comrades to be the next deputy mayor of one of London’s most diverse boroughs. I feel pride, as well as a great sense of responsibility, to have won a seat on the council for Bishop’s ward, and to be elected deputy mayor for a year. I look forward to serving residents to the very best of my abilities.
We could be doing so much more to support mental health
I have never been as open about my mental health as I have about other parts of my life – but the Tory government’s dereliction of duty has brought me to speak out, writes Katie Curtis for Mental Health Awareness Week Let me take a very deep breath. Hello, my name is Katie and I suffer with anxiety. Actually, I have ‘panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder’ – but what are labels between friends?
A custom-made deal for Britain?
Could Tory splits over the customs union give progressives the opportunity to set the agenda – and what would that look like? Conor Pope, Alison McGovern and Richard Angell discuss that – as well as the new LabourSay campaign to give members a say on Brexit at conference – with Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds. You can also download the episode on iTunes here.
The Last Word: centrists for Corbyn?
Labour will have to do better if it wants to be in government, writes Robert Philpot Despite the excitable claims of the massed ranks of Jeremy Corbyn’s Twitter armies, Labour’s local election performance last week was decidedly underwhelming. Leave aside the party’s chronic expectation-management failure. Despite a net gain in seats, and a tightening of its grip on London, Labour ended the night at a level-peg with the Tories in the projected national share of the vote.
Why we need a People’s Vote
For Brexit to be democratic, we must give the public a say on the final deal, writes Will Dry Having voted Leave, I was proud as dawn broke on Brexit Britain on the 24th June. Proud that my fellow citizens would bravely stand against the experts – the IMF, the Treasury, the Bank of England, and the Prime Minister, instead favouring their own intuitions.
Trading a three course dinner for a bag of crisps
Labour’s commitment to the customs union means little unless we also endorse the single market, writes Roger Liddle Thursday’s disappointing local elections change little on Brexit. On the most important issue facing Britain, the Conservatives remain irreconcilably divided, Labour to its shame, hopelessly confused.
Having our cake and eating it: why we need the customs union
It is time we faced up to the necessity of the customs union, writes Alison McGovern ‘Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!’ shouts the Wizard of Oz, after being exposed as a charlatan and snake-oil salesman. Given the current debate around leaving the customs union, he might as well have been played by Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, or any of the other duplicitous Brexit-cheerleaders.
Squaring up for a fight
Labour must treat the local elections as the starting gun of a fight for a fair deal for our communities, says Jack May Even while storm clouds of international tension continue to brew and shocking instances of actively harmful government incompetence dominate the headlines, both Labour and the Tories march inexorably closer to the local elections.
Emperor Gove’s new clothes
While we are all distracted by the Westminster intrigue, we must not ignore Gove’s machinations in the countryside, writes Martyn Sloman. On 4th January Michael Gove made an important speech. As secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs he outlined his vision for British farming after Brexit. It received precious little publicity and there has been no response to date from Labour.
Just who was Boris Johnson supposed to be ‘reaching out’ to?
The foreign secretary’s trumpeted olive branch to ‘Remain’ voters reaffirmed his opposition to the one thing that could be construed as a ‘liberal Brexit’, finds Keir Bradwell On the same day the home affairs select committee warned that Britain’s immigration system is completely unprepared for Brexit, the foreign secretary lamented that the prime minister’s current Brexit plans are simply not turbulent enough.
A sense of entitlement
The Brexiteers’ indulgence of ‘British exceptionalism’ exposes the false truth of leaving the European Union, argues Roger Liddle The best book I read over Christmas was David Cannadine’s masterly Victorious Century. A central theme of this history of the United Kingdom from 1800 to 1906 is the myth and reality of ‘British exceptionalism’.
Editorial: The single market unites Labour
Time is running out for the leadership to adopt a position that the membership, unions and sister parties already support 2018 will be the year that shapes the next century for Britain.
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