Mike Phipps on the Labour Left Podcast

British politics in 2024 will be increasingly dominated by the General Election. In the latest Labour Left Podcast Bryn Griffiths speaks to the Labour Hub co-editor Mike Phipps and they consider what a strategic left approach to the big year in the Labour calendar and beyond must look like. Dr Mike Phipps is a member of Queens Park and Maida Vale Labour Party who sits on the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy Executive. He is the author of Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow – the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn and before that in 2018 he edited For the Many – Preparing for Power. The podcast inevitably starts by casting its eye back over its shoulder to ask how the Corbyn leadership did so well in the 2017 General Election only for it to go so badly wrong in 2019? But what characterises the interview in the words of Mike’s book is a determination to never stop thinking about tomorrow. As we considered the political landscape Michael Chessum’s book, This is Only the Beginning, gets a complimentary examination due to its determination to learn and not blame as we engage in self-criticism to dissect the Corbyn moment. The tone of the interview is self-critical considering blunt questions such as were the Labour Right correct when under Corbyn they said “any other leader would be 20% ahead?”. Inevitably we turned to the bombshell dropped by former Labour Left stalwart Owen Jones. Was he right to decide that Gaza was a red line for socialists and promptly leave by Keir Starmer’s open door? The discussion ranged across Momentum’s approach to the coming General Election and looked further forward to map a route back to Labour Left power. What role can trades unions and social movements play in our revival? We also considered what we could learn from the painful demise of social democratic parties across the rest of Europe. The Mike Phipps podcast interview is an important start and a contribution to our strategic thinking but we need your contributions and help to stimulate the revival of a pluralist and thinking Labour Left. If you would like to contribute to the debate, please drop us a line. So that’s the challenge - how do you think we can rebuild the left? Listen to the end to find out who Mike has selected as his class hero of the month and added to the Labour Left Podcast Hall of Fame. Who could it be? Finally, please help us to build the podcast’s following by subscribing, liking, sharing and commenting whenever you have a watch or listen. Bryn Griffiths is the host of Labour Hub’s spin off the Labour Left Podcast. He is an activist in the labour movement, Momentum and The World Transformed in North Essex. You can find all the episodes of the Labour left Podcast on You Tube or if you prefer audio platforms (e.g. Amazon, Audible Spotify, Apple etc,) just search for Labour Left Podcast. Bryn Griffiths is standing for the National Policy Forum CLP Representatives Eastern Region Division 1. He is standing as part of the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance team and you can find all your left candidates across the country here https://peoplesmomentum.com/transforming-labour/internal-labour-party-elections-2024/ #labour #LabourLeft #labourparty #momentum #CLPD #MikePhipps #BrynGriffiths #LabourHub #MichaelChessum #corbyn #generalelection2024 #owenjones #starmer #tradeunion #classHero #LabourBriefing