If Vince Cable, Jeremy Corbyn, or anyone else wanted to create a spare place by declining an invitation to the Buckingham Palace banquet for the State Visit of the President of the United States, then I am sure that that place would happily be taken by one of those of us who took our places in the Basket of Deplorables by signing the following letter. It was sent to several newspapers, and it was published in the Morning Star’s weekend edition of 12th and 13th November 2016. Two and a half years later, I have no doubt that any one or more of us would be delighted to discuss with President Trump how all of this was coming along:
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.
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 cooperation 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.
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, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for North West Durham, 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
Ronán 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
Mietek Padowicz, writer, broadcaster and activist, Newcastle upon Tyne; @scurvytoon
Aren Pym, writer, broadcaster and activist, Spennymoor, County Durham; @PymAren
Adam Young, writer, broadcaster and activist, Burnopfield, County Durham; @AdamJAYoung
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