James Meadway responds to listener's questions
Added 2023-01-28 13:52:57 +0000 UTCJames Meadway returns to the show to answer listener's questions. James responded on the relationship between humans, nature and the production of value on a finite planet, the causes of inflation, Modern Monetary theory, and Oliver Eagleton's recent New Statesman article that countered James' argument that the left can try to shape the political agenda of Keir Starmer's labour party.
Comments
Enjoyed listening to this in September of 2024.
Cheryl
2024-09-20 00:43:48 +0000 UTCSorry, pressed send too quickly. In addition to the point on MMT, I’d agree with James that the parallels with 1974 - particularly in industrial and economic terms - are worth drawing out and discussing.
Paul Barnsley
2023-02-08 21:41:32 +0000 UTCThat was an excellent Q&A. Some good questions and some thoughtful replies from James. My only quibble is the scant attention afforded to NMT. A more detailed discussion and debate on the strengths and weaknesses of it, along with a deeper delve about the likely key economic challenges and some of the levers available to an incoming labour administration would be really interesting. Anyway, an excellent listen. Thanks!
Paul Barnsley
2023-02-08 21:25:48 +0000 UTCHi Liam, sorry for the slow reply. I'm afraid there isn't a transcript for this episode unfortunately.
Politics Theory Other
2023-02-03 07:12:37 +0000 UTCHey Alex, I'm guessing you never got round to producing transcripts of these interviews on a regular basis? I've seen a few floating around Verso/Jacobin's websites but can't find one for the original chat with James.
Liam O'Reilly
2023-01-31 15:54:12 +0000 UTCI haven't followed the Eagleton/Labour/twitter storm, but I was disappointed by the answer on this show from James on how the left should engage with the Labour Party. James seemed to be suggesting that under Starmer's leadership the party has returned to the status-quo ante of 1994 clause 4 removal in 1994. It let him ignore everything in the country and party that has structurally changed since and presents the current Labour Party as a continuity of underlying values that only the leftist equivalent of Centrist Dads could complain about. My perception is that the party has actually centralised control in the PLP beyond anything previous specifically to prevent the left from ever again having any influence or gaining any representation. They are purging what few left leaning Councillors remain and ensuring the next PLP is absolutely stacked with careerist seat warmers. The left was weak in 1994, but it is now being eliminated. Furthermore, there were significant breaks between Corbyn and the traditional Labour Party that I'm surprised James didn't talk about. Critical is how the extra money for health and education should be spent. Blair/Starmer et al fritter the money on private providers (who enrich them with directorships in retirement). For the first time in a generation under Corbyn we were talking about building capability within the public sector and breaking the cycle of corruption. This is a momentous difference and Centrist dads recognised it - even if James did not. In parallel the value of a left party shouldn't be dismissed out of hand just because it has never succeeded in electing MPs. Farage never succeeded in electing an MP, but he was still able to create the terrain for Brexit. The right are experts at running spoiler candidates at this point and even when they mostly pull out, they retain an activated base and influence in Parliament. Then there's that the demographic map has massively changed since the nineties. Fringe candidates like Livingstone, Galloway and Rahman were able to exploit the new metropolitan concentrations of minorities and highly educated precariats. It is quite possible to believe that Bristol, Newcastle, Liverpool and parts of London could challenge particularly obnoxious Labour incumbents and elect an indepenedent Labour Party MP as was possible in the 30s and 40s. There are hundreds of thousands of Corbyn supporters who will be wasted in 2024 when they could be concentrating in winnable locations and changing the conversation on the doorstep. James has already conceded defeat.
Caoilte O'Connor
2023-01-29 14:40:19 +0000 UTC
