Unison director of organising KEVIN LUCAS explains the Organising to Win strategy, its successes to date and key tests on the union’s horizon
ED BALLS emerged from the political history books last week to let the cat out of the bag.
Criticising the suspension of ex-MP Graham Jones as Labour candidate for Hyndburn by the party’s high command after he had been caught cursing out Israel on a secret recording, the former shadow chancellor said of Jones: “He is not a Corbynite, not hard left. Absolutely not anti-Israel … he is not anti-semitic.”
The immediate point is not whether Jones is anti-semitic — we will get to that in a moment. Rather it is the brazen implication of Balls’s remarks — that had he been a “Corbynite,” on the left or critical of Israel then he would have been guilty as charged and merited his punishment.
As antisemitism grows, the labour movement must recommit to defence of minorities while navigating the complexities of Gaza and global politics, argues NICK WRIGHT
Starmer doubles down on witch hunt by suspending the whip from Diane Abbott
The New York mayoral candidate has electrified the US public with policies of social justice and his refusal to be cowed. We can follow his example here, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE


