A Basket of Deplorables

The American Democratic Party has been defeated in the person of the most economically neoliberal and internationally neoconservative nominee imaginable.

From the victory of Donald Trump, to the Durham Teaching Assistants’ dispute, the lesson needs to be learned.

The workers are not the easily ignored and routinely betrayed base, with the liberal bourgeoisie as the swing voters to whom tribute must be paid.

The reality is the other way round. The EU referendum ought already to have placed that beyond doubt.

There is a need to move, as a matter of the utmost urgency, away from the excessive focus on identity issues, and towards the recognition that those existed only within the overarching and undergirding context of the struggle against economic inequality and in favour of international peace, including co-operation with Russia, not a new Cold War.

It is worth noting that working-class white areas that voted for Barack Obama did not vote for Hillary Clinton, that African-American turnout went down while the Republican share of that vote did not, and that Trump took 30 per cent of the Hispanic vote.

Black Lives Matter meant remembering Libya, while Latino Lives Matter meant remembering Honduras. 

The defeat of the Clintons by a purported opponent of neoliberal economic policy and of neoconservative foreign policy, although time will tell, has secured the position of Jeremy Corbyn, who is undoubtedly such an opponent.

It is also a challenge to Theresa May, to make good her rhetoric about One Nation, about a country that works for everyone, and about being a voice for working people.

David Lindsay, 2017 council candidate and 2020 parliamentary candidate, Lanchester, County Durham; @davidaslindsay

George Galloway, former Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead (1987-1997), Glasgow Kelvin (1997-2005), Bethnal Green and Bow (2005-2010), Bradford West (2012-2015); @georgegalloway 

Neil Clark, journalist and broadcaster; @NeilClark66 

Ronan Dodds, writer, broadcaster and activist, Newcastle upon Tyne; @RonanDodds 

James Draper, writer, broadcaster and activist, Lanchester, County Durham 

John Mooney, writer, broadcaster and activist, Lurgan, County Armagh; @FitzjamesHorse 

Mietek Padowicz, writer, broadcaster and activist, Newcastle upon Tyne; @scurvytoon 

Aren Pym, writer, broadcaster and activist, West Cornforth, County Durham; @arenthelefty 

Adam Young, writer, broadcaster and activist, Burnopfield, County Durham; @JustALocalSerf