In June The New Statesman published another list of what it sees as the 50 most influential figures on the left. In recent times its probably fair to see the NS as a magazine of the centre rather than the left but of course that broadly fits Starmer’s perspective.
Starmer has dropped from first to second place with his hirsute enforcer Morgan McSweeney top of the NS pops. Another (now-ex) enforcer Sue Gray is third and Angela Rayner is fourth.
McSweeney who is now Chief of Staff at 10 Downing St has, according to the detail of media reports, been engaged in purging people who don’t fit his perspective. Sue Gray and Louise Haig being likely victims (there are others)
It might be gathered that the list is mostly about Parliamentary politics. Some who feature are not really on the left such as the (now also ex) Archbishop of Canterbury. He was good on refugees and was not loved by the right which really just means he could have been worse.
Of the mass movement outside of Parliament around Palestine there is little reflection. Jeremy Corbyn remains on the list as does Owen Jones who writes in the Guardian and on-line on the issue. George Galloway is certainly an anti-imperialist (at least for some of the globe) but as the NS notes he is a ‘social conservative’. Galloway may run the Workers Party but I’m not sure he’d say he was on the left as historically understood.
Of the organisers of numerous, often huge, Gaza marches, protests and camps there is nothing which is surely where the left is at in 2024 if its anywhere.
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