Posted in Blogging

The six most popular stories this week

  1. The top sixNow universities openly campaign against left-wing students – Keith Wright looks behind the recent headlines about police surveillance, evictions of occupations and the proposed abolition of the University of London Union (ULU).
  2. Labour Students no longer bothers to pretend it’s not just Progress’ youth wing – still getting lots of hits, here’s Michael Wood’s shocking account of the Labour Students political weekend from last week. “All throughout the weekend,” he writes, Progress official Ben Dilks and Chair of Scottish Labour Students, Stephen Donnelly, bullied activists to join Progress.” Incendiary stuff!
  3. Labour needs a strong union link with a more democratic Labour party – Jim Kelly, chair of Unite’s London and Eastern region, makes an important contribution to the current debates about the future of the party-union link.
  4. In the Belly of the Beast – our update on the new edition of Socialist Register, which marks 50 years of the publication’s history.
  5. Only an injection of politics can save the NHS – Geoff Ellis updates us on the critical situation of the health service, and the recently-established “People’s Enquiry”.
  6. Stupid empiricism and the Conservative party – Phil Burton-Cartledge gives us a thorough and compelling account of “Crosbyisation”.

 

The six most popular stories this week

  1. The top sixLabour Students no longer bothers to pretend it’s not just Progress’ youth wing. So far, almost 2,000 people have clicked onto Michael Wood’s astonishing article on the shenanigans at NOLS political weekend – and it’s counting! He tells of how Labour Students and Progress bigwigs “bullied” young members to join the shady party-within-a-party. A fascinating read.
  2. It‘s Labour’s executive being sidelined in party management shenanigans – Jon Lansman tells the worrying tale of the appointment of Spencer Livermore, and how the NEC and even the general secretary are being pushed aside.
  3. Prime Minister’s questions in now the pits and needs radical reform – Michael Meacher gives his considered response to being accused of being on “mind-altering substances” after asking a serious question to David Cameron.
  4. Watch: an idiot’s guide to free speech – a section of the Twitterati accused Owen Jones of “undermining free speech” for saying he’d withdraw from the Stop the War conference if Syrian nun Mother Agnes was on the platform. But they hadn’t counted on the shrewd demolition they’d take from vlogger Steve Doran! (@girlsteve on Twitter)
  5. Will the Labour right maintain its unholy alliance in internal elections? An insightful analysis from Jon Lansman on the upcoming elections for Labour’s executive, an election where Progress consistently fail to make headway.
  6. Ann Black’s report from Labour’s November executive – she never fails to report back to the members who elected her to the NEC.

On Jack Monroe, Jilly Luke and the perils of blogging

Report internet abuseTwo days ago, we published a piece entitled Lentils and lager: why we forgive tax evaders but not benefit claimants by Jilly Luke about the media portrayal of benefit claimants. It has generated quite a storm, and received over 8,000 hits in 48 hours, more than any other article on this site. It argued that the few occasions when claimants are treated as “deserving poor” are where the image presented is one with which the middle classes could identify. A similar equation of taste with morality also explains middle class sympathy with or forgiveness of tax evaders.

The case on which this argument was constructed was Jack Monroe who, as a 24-year old unemployed single mother, turned to blogging after reading an article in her local paper by a Tory councillor entitled Druggies, drunks and single mums driving upmarket shops out of Southend. Continue reading →

Internet activism, politics and protest

keyboard "action" keyI just want to make some points about this article by Joe Rivers that has appeared on the New Statesman website.

  1. Despite its title, ‘Let’s stop pretending internet activism is a real thing’, it’s not really about that at all. I can only assume it was subbed with that heading to pick up a few Facebook likes and retweets on what is traditionally a slow day for all bloggers. But the idea the internet and social media particularly offers a facsimile of activism is absolutely nothing new. Continue reading →

Rape threats, Twitter and masculine crisis

Caroline Criado-Perez wages a successful campaign to get Jane Austen onto the £10 note and a pledge that, in future, the Bank of England’s designs will better reflect the actual look and shape of British society. A welcome happenstance for everyone who isn’t white, male and posh. But not all.

Unfortunately, the bigger story has been the rape and sexual assault threats she’s been on the receiving end of. Caroline talks about some examples here. It goes without saying the volume of misogynistic abuse has generated a furious backlash, from folk bombarding key members of Twitter staff to a 30,000-strong online petition, as well as talk of a Twitter boycott on August 4th. And, for good measure, Caroline has rightly reported threats received to the police. This has led to one arrest, and I expect a few more shall receive an unwelcome knock on the door from the plod.

Continue reading →