Posted by Mohamed Harrath

Peter Hain is right – the two-state solution is dead

Peter HainIn his recent contribution to the Israel-Palestine debate, Peter Hain did something remarkable. In a speech at Swansea University, the Labour MP, former Northern Ireland secretary, and veteran anti-apartheid campaigner broke with the consensus that a two-state solution spells the best chance of securing a just and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unsurprisingly, Hain was rebuked by the Party which reiterated its commitment “to a two-state solution with a viable Palestinian state living side by side with Israel”.

That sounds like an admirable goal, but is it even achievable? Observers of the peace process over the years will be familiar with the historic failure of negotiations based on the two-state paradigm. With time, Israel’s occupation of the West Bank has become increasingly entrenched and permanent, whilst the ongoing colonisation of Palestinian land by settlements, illegal under international law, has put to rest any hope of that coveted “viable Palestinian state”. Continue reading →

Why we need government spending now

Moody’s decision last month to downgrade the UK’s credit rating for the first time since 1978 was the final metric by which Osbornomics has proven a failed policy on every front.

The growing opposition to austerity among economists, commentators and more notably, in business, shows that austerity is disastrous for everyone but those who would be so deceptive as to impose cuts as a means to delivering a small state. At the last count, some of the most vocal opposition to austerity included Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, the IMF, and now it seems Moody’s – institutions not exactly known to be bastions of left-wing economics. Deficit hawks are fast losing the argument and if there’s any hope of a recovery then government must change course. Britain has been held to ransom by a party which prioritises poorly timed deficit-reduction over growth and jobs. Labour should capture this mood of growing disillusionment and advocate for a real alternative which puts people back to work and delivers the recovery we so desperately need. Continue reading →