Tag Archives: Jeremy Corbyn

‘Why Labour’s Brexit strategy may be in trouble – and why Theresa May has reason to worry too’ (with Alan Wager), New Statesman, 5 February 2018.

In spite of the fact that it accords with common wisdom – or maybe because of it – aside from the odd (sometimes very odd) political scientist, not many people will have heard of ‘May’s special law of curvilinear disparity’. Essentially, it … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘On Brexit, Labour is about to take a big gulp from a poisoned chalice’, New Statesman, 27 November 2017

What we always seem to talk about when we talk about Brexit is the Tories. Given that they’re in government, and given the mess they seem to be making of the whole thing, that’s wholly understandable.  But it’s also dangerous, … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Tim Bale: Inside Labour’s massive membership base’, LabourList, 6 October 2017,

People who join political parties are abnormal.  Even if we take into account the phenomenal growth of Labour’s grassroots support since 2015, fewer than five per cent of British adults are party members. That doesn’t mean, of course, that people … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘Labour in Brighton: it’s not a cult, it’s too big for that now’, The Conversation, 27 September 2017.

If you’ve ever been to a party conference – maybe any conference actually – you’ll have experienced that disconcerting feeling you get when you walk out of the building it’s being held in and re-enter the real world. Sometimes the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘EU referendum: one year on – political parties’, UK in a Changing Europe, 26 June 2017.

As far as the UK’s political parties were concerned, last summer’s EU referendum was a bit like one of those tag-team wrestling matches you see on TV. Although the bout began with everyone thinking they knew who was on which … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Forget culture wars, the election was about power, cash and opportunity’, Observer, 11 June 2017

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,” wrote Wordsworth, “but to be young was very heaven!” OK, maybe that’s going a little too far, especially if you didn’t get a wink of sleep on Thursday night. But still. If … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Britain’s Labour Party is seeing a flood of new members. That’s why it’s in such trouble.’, Washington Post, 10 May 2017

Whether you look at the opinion polls or at the beating it’s just taken in a slew of local elections, Britain’s Labour Party is in a lot of trouble. Theresa May, the country’s Conservative prime minister, called for an early general election next month. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘What matters for Labour is not the general election but what happens next’, New Statesman, 19 May 2017

A handful of recent polls suggest Labour is doing better than many expected at the start of the campaign.  Whatever the reason, though, the gap between it and the Conservatives is still a yawning one.  Bluntly, it remains the case … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Corbynism might not actually end – even if Labour loses the election’ (with David Jeffery), The Conversation, 26 April 2017

Because the general election looks set to produce an impressive win for the Conservatives, its main interest lies not in the result itself but in the result of that result. The House of Commons will look very different on June … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘The true picture of Labour members and supporters and their election campaigning’ (with Paul Webb and Monica Poletti), Labour List, 16 April 2017

At elections, a good ground game may not be everything but it still means something. In a tight race, it may even mean the difference between a party winning and losing.  But, if “boots on the ground” are at least … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment