The sheer scale of the tragedy of Hillsborough is difficult to comprehend, cutting across so many aspects of the relationship between the people and the state. It starkly set out how justice is not applied equally across our society and how agencies of the state persistently close rank and prioritise reputational protection over the safety … Continue reading Hillsborough – finally a catalyst for change?
Blaming the Victorians for a large percentage of our rail network being inaccessible to a significant proportion of the UK public is wearing very thin after 150 years. While some progress has been made since 'Access for All' funding for step-free stations was introduced by Gordon Brown's Labour government in 2006, thousands of platforms across … Continue reading When will Labour stand up for a step-free railway?
After being asked to stand in at short notice and give a presentation to my local Labour Party on Labour's 'Green' policy I spent a few hours trawling the internet and writing notes in preparation. I have written previously about the importance of crystal clear messaging and the need to present a radical alternative to … Continue reading So what exactly is Labour’s Green policy?
The recent actions by the government in shamefully attempting to defend corruption have done considerable damage to the credibility of Parliament and people's trust in both politicians and our political system. The actions of the Prime Minister, and others in the Conservative Party, have shown such a blatant disregard for accountability, so vital to our … Continue reading It’s time to end 2nd Jobs and Freebies for MPs
Whilst the purpose of the Health & Social Care Committee report (published on 12th October) into the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic was not to apportion blame, the relentless condemnation of the approach taken by the government, whose primary purpose is to protect us paints a grim picture of just how far the UK … Continue reading Covid Report – the treatment of people with disabilities
For many people, the walk to the polling station is a forlorn and pointless ritual, with no prospect of your vote making a shred of difference to the result. General Elections are decided by a sprinkling of marginal seats across the UK. In the 2019 General Election, a landslide victory for the Conservative Party, only … Continue reading So why does the UK need PR?
I am proud to have written the motion on a fairer voting system that was recently adopted by ASLEF at their Annual Assembly of Delegates. However, in a democratic union like ASLEF, success is only achieved with the support of branch delegates from across the railway network. I am particularly grateful to my colleague who … Continue reading The push for PR gathers momentum
Divided we fall; factionalism is both a luxury we cannot afford and one that voters will not forgive us for at the ballot box. Achieving unity is essential to our success and I have a track record in bringing people together with different views and working across political divides to agree solutions. I am a … Continue reading NEC CLP Election Nomination Address
Along with many in the Labour Party, I felt a wave of contentment when reading the 2017 Labour Party manifesto. Finally, after many years where there was little more than a cigarette paper between the two main political parties, there was now clear water. The manifesto painted a vision of a society where the needs … Continue reading Divided we Fall
Many questions arise from the events in Bristol over the weekend. Should demonstrators have free rein to take part in criminal damage? No. Am I delighted that the statue of Edward Colston now lies at the bottom of Bristol harbour? Yes, absolutely! While I don't condone the criminal damage I can certainly understand why it … Continue reading Healing the scars of our colonial past
Julian Vaughan 