Labour Outlook

"In the fight against apartheid in South Africa it was the long campaign for ‘Sanctions Now’ coming to fruition that eventually had the effect – it is clear that governments need to act."

Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs statement on a Green New Deal “The recovery from covid-19 must tackle the urgent climate crisis facing our planet. With the highest ever temperatures recorded in the Arctic Circle we cannot delay in taking action to save our planet and future generations. We believe that the necessary and urgent…

Continue reading ➞ The fight for climate action must be at the heart of everything as we rebuild after the pandemic – Socialist Campaign Group Statement

"The core and fundamental purpose underlying annexation is that it permanently puts the ‘nail in the coffin’ of a two-state solution. It leaves no room for any conceivable viable Palestinian state."Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs. “With the new Government in Israel threatening further illegal annexation in July of occupied Palestinian land, including large swathes…

Continue reading ➞ As an internationalist & democratic socialist party, Labour must give real support to the Palestinian people – Socialist Campaign Group of MPs statement

"The pandemic crisis is creating a new climate of opinion. Along with the threat of a climate crisis it has the potential to create a new political agenda. Whether it is exploited by the right to bolster some form of crisis capitalism or whether those of us on the Left can channel a movement for progressive change, the creation of a People’s Agenda that can reshape the future, is in our hands." - John McDonnell.

"After 36 years we have to support the Miner’s struggle for justice, just as we will have to fight many other working class injustices – the Tories’ hostile environment – the Windrush & Grenfell Scandals are testament to that." - Nadia Jama, Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign.

"As we watched the moving scenes of the final public memorial for George Floyd we know that the unprecedented global movement for racial justice that his death unleashed will live on in this struggle for equality, for real social &economic change." - Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham

"It is understandable that people in Bristol have finally become exasperated with the years of debate on having a statue of a man whose wealth was founded on slavery, as Edward Colston's was, and have taken action." - Jeremy Corbyn

"I can’t help but think that as a country, we would be better equipped if we were governed and represented by more MPs who are actually representative of the parts of the country that elect them." - Jon Trickett MP.

"As anti-racists, we stand shoulder to shoulder with all those in America and across the world who feel anger, hurt and fear after yet another instance of discriminatory state violence." - Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.

"International solidarity is vital. The Brazilian peoples' fight for policies based on saving lives and putting public health first is our fight." - Claudia Webbe MP.

"The scandal over Dominic Cummings really does highlight that the Tories believe there is one rule for them and another for the rest us – and that they get to write both." - Diane Abbott MP.

"Within the last four and a half years, we had begun to talk about sharing our values of peaceful diplomacy, solidarity and protecting human rights. This was a break from the perspective that sought to justify the horrendous decision to go to war with Iraq."

"As Gaza’s healthcare system has been starved of resources due to the siege, it would be a particularly disastrous place to have a coronavirus outbreak."

"It’s time to kick the chancers and the profiteers out of our health system, and put the NHS back in charge of its own supply chain." - Cat Hobbs, We Own It,

"Over the coming days we have a huge task on our hands to stop those who want to end the lockdown prematurely from succeeding. Put simply, it’s a fight to ensure that people are put before profit." - Richard Burgon.

"When the Coronavirus crisis passes, there must be no return to the politics and economics of the past." - Jeremy Corbyn/

We are pleased to reproduce this Facebook status from Claudia Webbe MP on how Labour members stand in solidarity with Diane Abbott MP.

"Banks have been bailed out, and now the people must be." - Carlos Martinez.

"Through his ineptitude and denialism Trump is making a bad coronavirus situation at home even worse, the brunt of which will be borne by poor Americans and Americans of colour, and, at the same time, his ideologically driven foreign policy is going to wreak havoc across vast swathes of Latin America." - Adrian Weir.

"We believe people must stay & fight for a Labour Government, organise to defend out socialist manifesto and push for action." - Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.

"The Corbyn leadership has left an inspiring legacy – a mass politics that dared to argue for the fundamental transfer of wealth & power necessary to build a better world. It falls to us to defend it." - Sam Browse.

"Jeremy has always insisted a better Britain and a better world is possible. That better future is socialism. Let’s make it happen." - Claudia Webbe MP

"We can build a society based on social justice, equality, & care for our environment. But it will not come about unless we fight for it." - Jeremy COrbyn

"Humanitarian assistance beats sanctions and war any day ,and certainly during a pandemic threat." - Murad Qureshi AM.

"The test for our society is whether we come through this strengthened, with greater solidarity forged in the heat of a crisis; or whether we emerge diminished, having failed to do everything possible to support each other." - Jeremy Corbyn

"These funds are vital for Palestinian refugees to survive and used for essential core services, including infrastructure, health and education."

Coronavirus is creating an economic crisis and, for far too many, a deepening social crisis. But it can not be resolved without addressing the public health crisis." - Richard Burgon MP.

"The major crises we face as a society cannot be solved by the market. Cornonavirus, the climate emergency, huge levels of inequality.. these can only be solved by people working together, & not against each other." - Jeremy Corbyn.

"A difference between now & in WWII was the emergency powers during the War allowed the government to requisition property. The current Government though is only interested in the regulation of people... Absent from the Bill is any infringement on the so-called rights of the holders of private property." - Adrian Weir, Campaign for Trade Union Freedom.

"What the Government has proposed so far for people whose work lives are affected by coronavirus is inadequate."

"Rent needs to be suspended for those adversely affected by the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The government’s three-month ban on evictions should be extended to six months."Jeremy Corbyn Dear Prime Minister, Thank you for our meeting on Monday evening and for sharing with me the draft emergency legislation in response to the coronavirus outbreak.…

Continue reading ➞ Jeremy Corbyn – We must ensure the most effective action is taken to protect people in every community, for reasons of public health as well as social justice #covid19

"At a time like this we need to urgently come together to protect each other, no matter what it takes, but for those at greater risk and those who are already financially insecure we need to start moving mountains - and fast."

"Labour must take on vested interests, not accommodate them." - Rebecca Long Bailey.

"Our communities, in all their diversity, need a Labour government. Whoever is Leader, I’ll be a team player laser-focused on winning back power." - Richard Burgon MP.

" This Government, a Government for the super-rich, the oligarchs the tax dodgers, are still trying to divide our communities based on the colour of our skin." - Claudia Webbe MP.

"I caution the Chancellor, you are sowing the seeds of disappointment and disillusionment which could stir up a form of politics none of us wish our country to experience." - John McDonnell.

"The Conservative Party will never stand up for working class communities. They will always put the interests of their wealthy friends first." - Jeremy Corbyn.

"I hope that the government has woken up to the state of our public services and the poverty and insecurity in which so many of our people live." - John McDonnell.

"Now is not the time to retreat on support for Palestine but to speak up and organise to defeat both Trump’s plan and organise to defeat Johnson’s plan to keep us quiet on the issue."

"We need a revolution in political education in the Labour Party - one that empowers Labour members to be armed up with the ideas to win people over to radical alternatives to our broken economic model that is destroying lives, communities & the planet."

In response to this attack, the traditional rallying cry of the labour movement should resound, ‘An injury to one is an injury to all!’ - DIane Abbott

"We can’t win by accepting the status quo, which fails communities across the country. We must never go back to pandering to anti-migrant racism, supporting illegal wars or voting for welfare cuts which the poorest the hardest." - Richard Burgon.

"We need a Deputy Leader who can listen, who can relate to members and who will implement a strategy that takes that hope and optimism and uses it to build a fighting party which can win voters across all types of communities. "

"Rebecca Long Bailey is the leader who can best ensure Labour is both a strong, effective opposition to the Tories and has a path to power." - Claudia Webbe MP.

"This reluctance to provide any real response shows an astonishing level of disrespect and contempt for the public."

"Richard is keen to develop organising & campaigning & engaging active Labour members in these campaigns. This will be key to connecting to the heartlands we have lost & the non voters who have become so disheartened by politics."

"Believe me, the path of despair is also the path to defeat. My plan – based on aspirational socialism, a Green Industrial Revolution, empowering our movement and a democratic revolution – is our path back to power." - Rebecca Long Bailey.

As Rebecca Long Bailey says, “We have a mountain to climb & the crises we face are stark. But we have our socialist vision, a path to victory & most importantly, we have each other.”

"Labour can’t return to the politics of printing “immigration controls” on a mug to appease the tabloids & the far-right. Labour should continue to call time on racism." - Nadia Jama.

"The Palestinian people have an inalienable right to self-determination which must be realised in practice, including their right to an independent state of Palestine." - Jeremy Corbyn.

"Climate breakdown will increasingly define our politics as impacts like wildfires, hurricanes and drought grow worse at home and abroad. Rebecca Long-Bailey is best placed to translate Labour’s proposition of a Green New Deal into the election winning common sense solution to these climate impacts. That’s why she’s the person to lead Labour into the 2020s. "

"Rebecca’s record on austerity speaks for itself. From entering parliament in 2015 she opposed the Tory Welfare Bill on both second and third readings. That takes guts. She knows that we must remain an anti-austerity party because we have 14,000,000 people in their country barely surviving."

"Many imagine a politician as being completely removed from popular culture, self-interested and contemptuous of the electorate, Long-Bailey however comes across as a normal person who is fighting for her class rather than as member of the privileged elite who is out to protect their own interests. "

"We can’t wait five years for a chance to transform people’s lives. We must begin organising in our communities now." - Rebecca Long Bailey,

"We must defend the radicalism in Labour’s policies which have developed in recent years. Newham’s community wealthy building shows how Labour in local government can play its part in defending the policy agenda Labour needs to maintain, to resisting the new Tory majority in Westminster from the front line." - Daniel Blaney

"We must not fail those children waiting in Calais and the Greek Islands in the hope that they will be able to reach their families legally and safely." - Diane Abbott MP.

There is only one choice for the left in the Labour leadership race, argues our editor Matt Willgress.

"Wherever we are in power, we have a responsibility to start undoing the disastrous legacy of privatisation." - Sakina Sheikh

"The Tories did not win votes from people in northern towns by saying they would be exposed to ever-fiercer international competition." - Paula Barker MP

"The Left has to be rooted in class politics and it needs to be well organised in the communities we seek to represent." - Laura Smith.

"There is no social justice on a dying planet. There is also no way to tackle climate catastrophe without changing the inequalities at the heart of our economy, and without redistributing power from those at the top to the rest of us." - Olivia Blake MP.

"We must oppose all attempts to drive us to war in Iran. We will argue for peace in the Middle East. And we will continue to fight for political leadership which wants peace, which finds money for health and investment and not for war." - Diane Abbott MP.

"The task now in the current Labour leadership contests is to ensure that the eventual winners are committed to the employment rights reform proposals of 2017 and 2019." - Adrian Weir

"With Trump in the White House and Johnson in No 10 fighting poverty, racism and war must be our priorities today. Whatever the setbacks, as individuals and as a movement we cannot - and will not - retreat from those duties." - Richard Burgon.

Our editor looks at the challenges for the year ahead.