Within the next weeks, barring hitches, we will have two new publications in circulation from Workers’ Liberty, plus another one which we’ll promote, from the Momentum Internationalists Labour left network. They should all be available at Ideas for Freedom on 10-11 July.
Corbynism: what went wrong?, a 60-page Workers’ Liberty booklet by Martin Thomas, recounts the story of the Corbyn era in Labour, 2015 to late 2019. Things “went right” for the left unexpectedly, and then “went wrong” again. Why? What lessons can we learn as we regroup? The booklet is £4 (three copies for £10).
The occupation of the Cammell Lairds shipyard in Birkenhead, 1984 (28 pages, £3) rescues a major story of working-class struggle from forgetfulness and puts it on permanent record. The occupation was set in the context of, but has been overshadowed in memory by, the year-long miners’ strike of 1984-5, also over jobs. The story has been written up by John Cunningham, using materials contributed by Lol Duffy, a leader of the occupation and then an activist withSocialist Organiser, a forerunner of Solidarity.
Build Back Socialist (which will probably come out at similar length to the Lairds pamphlet) is under preparation in the Momentum Internationalists network. It indicts the management of the pandemic by the Tories, and other capitalist governments; shows that, under bland talk, their plans for reconstruction are regressive; and offers ideas on how the labour movement can regroup itself and work on reconstructing society.
