New Statesman - <![CDATA[John McDonnell]]> http://www.newstatesman.com/writers/john_mcdonnell en <![CDATA[Why Cuba is a beacon]]> http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2008/02/cuba-revolution-rights-gone http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2008/02/cuba-revolution-rights-gone Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:35:45 GMT John McDonnell Some argue the revolution has not gone far enough in terms of a thoroughgoing democracy based but it's a work in progress, writes Labour's John McDonnell

There can be no dispute that Fidel Castro’s coming to power in Cuba in 1959 was a progressive revolution – heroically led by Castro and his allies. It replaced a barbaric regime under Batista in which the island economy served the US business elite and mafia. The 26th July movement, led by Castro and Che Guevara, swept to power on a wave of popular support.

Neither can there be any [...]

]]> <![CDATA[More of the same is not an option]]> http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2007/05/labour-john-alienated http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2007/05/labour-john-alienated Tue, 15 May 2007 13:27:22 GMT John McDonnell John McDonnell says New Labour has left large parts of the electorate alienated or disappointed - that's why he wants to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership

When Labour was elected in 1997, it was on a wave of euphoria – a landslide victory built on a broad coalition of progressive support. Since that time we have systematically alienated or disappointed large sections of that coalition.

Now is the time to stand back and look objectively at where we are and why we have lost section after section of the coalition that brought us to power.

Undoubtedly, [...]

]]> <![CDATA[The budget will exacerbate inequality]]> http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2007/03/budget-public-chancellor-brown http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2007/03/budget-public-chancellor-brown Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:35:16 GMT John McDonnell John McDonnell who wants to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership gives his reaction to the chancellor's final budget

Ten years in power affords any Government the opportunity of laying the foundations of the society it aspires to create. Ten Brown budgets have produced a society which is more unequal today than when New Labour was elected in 1997. Just look at the facts. In 1997 the richest 1% owned 25% of marketable wealth. By this year that had risen to 34%. Meanwhile the poorest 50% had gone from [...]

]]> <![CDATA[Give us back our basic rights]]> http://www.newstatesman.com/200609110065 http://www.newstatesman.com/200609110065 Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:00:00 GMT John McDonnell John McDonnell explains why we need the Trade Union Freedom Bill

It is perhaps not surprising that government ministers have shown little or no interest in marking the 80th anniversary of the General Strike, let alone this year's 100th anniversary of the Trades Disputes Act, which made it legal for trade unions to take strike action. In many ways, the trade unionists who won that victory in 1906, and those who walked out in 1926, enjoyed greater rights and freedoms than [...]

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