[t]he crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear’
The words are from Antonio Gramsci, Italian Communist leader who was jailed by Mussolini and wrote Prison Notebooks. By their nature they are coded to avoid fascist censors and meanings are disputed. However Gramsci’s view of a political crisis fits the moment
One Year On: 12th May 2025. Starmer’s ‘strangers’ speech
Keir Starmer’s speech on migration on 12th May 2025 was widely condemned for its reference to strangers an echo of Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech on 20th April 1968. He later apologised.
The relevant passages are below with a link to Starmer’s speech. I have not linked to the Powell speech, but it can be Googled. Powell was sacked a Tory Shadow Minister by Tory leader Ted Heath for making it.
Whether Starmer was aware of the reference can be debated but it seems very likely that whoever inserted it in the speech was well aware and that aside from Powell it’s a sentiment previously associated with Farage.
One year on Farage’s racist politics has found further electoral success and Stephen Yaxley Lennon plans another genuine hate march in central London on 16th May.
Of course Starmer is not entirely to blame for all this although he does have a Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood who is pushing through measures that encourages it. The four nations of Britain are not ease with themselves.
The campaign to underline that refugees and migrants are welcome here, and indeed essential to our public services in a tolerant country at ease with itself needs to be pursued with even more vigour. Stand Up To Racism is mobilising to make sure Yaxley Lennon’s hate does not go unopposed on Saturday.
For reasons which they could not comprehend, and in pursuance of a decision by default, on which they were never consulted, they found themselves made strangers in their own country.
Enoch Powell 20th April 1968, Conservative Association Meeting, Birmingham
we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.
Keir Starmer, 12th May 2025 London
PM remarks at Immigration White Paper press conference: 12 May 2025 – GOV.UK
I’m no fan of Keir Starmer (I have some time for his 1980s Socialist Alternatives period) and I’m a Spurs fan while Starmer of course supports Arsenal.
Starmer only became an MP in 2015 and has no obvious constituency of support in the Labour Party. Of course he had the backing of the right-wing faction Labour Together to become leader and then PM.
Clearly they have decided to call time on him and the media concerned that Labour might move slightly to the left with some potential new leaders is promoting a shot-gun wedding for a new leader.
Its fair to say these are not issues that concern those struggling with a cost of living and housing crisis.
Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire’s book Get In about how Starmer became leader provides useful background.
I’ve written previously the book has the quality of an old style newspaper diary column. Not all of it is likely to be true but just enough of it is to mean its taken seriously.
Writing of the period when Starmer stood for and won election as Labour leader (2020) they note Sunday evening meetings at the home of Roger Liddle in Kennington. Liddle was the co-author with Peter Mandelson of the 1996 book the Blair Revolution which provided the template for New Labour.
At the Sunday evening meetings Pogrund and Maguire write were Morgan McSweeney and Wes Streeting and his partner Joe Dancey who had been an advisor to Mandelson. They write of Streeting ‘the smooth talker who all present hoped would one day lead the party’.
One view of present events is that Labour Together have called time on Starmer and decided its time for Streeting. Former Labour Together fixer Josh Simmons has a column in the Times (11th May) calling for Starmer to go.
None of this in my view is the way forward for the left however configured or indeed British politics. Its leading the way for Farage.
Certainly Starmer should go. Who should replace him should be a decision for Labour members and affiliated unions not Labour Together.
Those on the left might continue to ponder if the Labour project has a meaningful future. The idea of reforming politics for the better (reform also has a reactionary meaning historically see Farage) is an impulse in society. The alternative, revolutionary upheaval can seem dramatic, but then skinning the claws of capital one by one is no easy matter either. The point being that there can be other political vehicles for reform, albeit not always socialist ones, with some idea of taking on or at least controlling capital.
London Councils post May 7th 2026. Grey is NOC
The figures below come from Owen Jones and I havent checked them further but they are still of interest.
There is a mixture of places where the Greens have previously done well and others where at least until the July 2024 Election they had little electoral presence.
Of course why the turnout on May 7th was higher than often for local contests, a General Election would see considerably more voters turn out.
Owen Jones says that the Greens are the most successful ever left of Labour Party in the UK. He doesnt elaborate but one might suggest there is a difference between left of Labour and socialist. The LibDems on occasion appear to the left of Labour, and sometimes they don’t…
Even so its notable that the Greens have done well in some Constituencies that are mostly working class (allowing for gentrification at least in London) including my own of Tottenham. Its interesting that in another (mostly) Haringey Constituency Hornsey and Friern Barnet the Greens did less well, even though it contains the (relatively) prosperous areas of Crouch End and Muswell Hill.
As interesting then is what do these results say about who in 2026 the Greens are appealing to electorally
A colossal left-wing victory – BattleLines with Owen Jones
What I want to do is take a big leap forward with the EU-UK summit this year and take us closer, both on trade, the economy, defence and security.
And that will then be a platform on which we can build as we go forward.
And as we do that, I strongly believe we’ve got to turn our back on the arguments of the past, not open old grievances, but look forward together to how we make this country stronger, how we make this country fairer.
And so that’s the approach that I will take.
Keir Starmer answering a question from the FT’s Jim Pickard
[From the FT’s Jim Pickard] If you stick to your manifesto red lines on the single market and the customs union, you won’t be able to take the UK to the heart of Europe. Would you rule out single market or customs union membership in Labour’s next manifesto.
Keir Starmer press questions 11th May 2026
Billy Bragg Waiting for the Great Leap Forward
One leap forward, two leaps back
Will politics get me the sack?
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards
Beard Liberation Front
10th May 2026
Campaigners say only a complete change of image can save Starmer now
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has called on Labour leader Keir Starmer to forget his obsession with smart suits, donated by benefactors, and grow a beard instead.
Unlike the suits, a beard is cost free and is also environmentally friendly.
The campaigners say that after the May 7th election results Starmer needs a complete change of image. He needs to relaunch himself not as Keir Starmer but as Keir Hardie with his trademark beard
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, we’re not saying this will work, but a complete change of image for Starmer is really the last throw of the dice now
This is the back page of The Observer (10th May 2026).
It is a good use of photomontage and is focused on the wrap around ‘Vote Reform’ adverts that appeared in print editions (and sometimes on-line) of local papers on 7th May.
While this would have cost a lot of money the Thai based billionaire Christopher Harborne has given millions of pounds to Reform.
There is currently nothing illegal about the paper wrap arounds or the donations.
Whether they worked or not is another matter.
The wrap around for the London Evening Standard is a case in point. Once a daily paper available on newstands and newsagents it is now a weekly magazine. Finding a print copy in London is hard work. It is dumped in bins close to main line rail stations where it mostly stays unread.
Moreover Reform failed in London on May 7th getting 69 Councillors elected across more than 1800 seats in 32 Boroughs…
While Reform’s performance in English Council Elections on 7th May 2026 was not as good as 2025 they still managed to gain over 1400 seats and a handful of Councils.
In the 32 London Boroughs the picture was very different.
Over 1800 seats were up for election. Reform won Havering with 33 seats gained.
In the other 31 London Boroughs they managed a total of 36 seats, nearly all in outer London Boroughs
Barking and Dagenham 9
Hounslow 8
Bexley 7
Bromley 6
Sutton 2
Croydon 2
Greenwich 1
Redbridge 1
The Greens polled well in some areas taking control of Councils such as Hackney and Waltham Forest, while the Tories recovered (a bit) to win Westminster and see Barnet move to NOC from Labour. Meanwhile Labour polled badly but not as badly as worst case scenarios suggested, holding on for example to Islington
The Ambridge Socialist
10th May
The attack on George. The end of the affair?
Like Trump’s war on Iran we can’t really be sure it is ending just because the BBC says it is. Ruari has confessed to Adam which ordinarily would lead to endless moralising. However in the meantime he also confessed to George who seems happy to draw a line since it appears Brian has funded a new drone. George, reasonably, wants to avoid the police, although its not known if in the meantime Inspector Knacker has framed someone else anyway
Foreign investment in Borchester Land
Natasha aside from prudently selling Tom’s wax jacket has been showning potential foreign investors in Borchester Land around the village. A new vista opens. What will said investors have planned for Ambridge?
Bats
Leonard has discovered that the noises Carol can hear from her loft are not caused by some ghostly spirit but bats. The loft is apparently full of guano, possibly a first mention for the word on the Archers
The Horrobins
Bert is not happy about Tracy’s stir fry. Brad has decided he doesn’t want to meet Den, while Bert ponders whether he’d be better off with Clive. Happy families
Fletcher has escaped
Not Muswell Hill’s most well known felon, Norman Stanley but the budgie. The Ambridge Socialist wishes it good luck.
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