New LookLeft Out Now July 17, 2011
Posted by Garibaldy in media, Workers' Party.trackback
The new edition of LookLeft is out now, and contains the usual mix of progressive politics, culture, sport and history. Feature articles include Conor McCabe on Gombeen, Spivs and Bankers, an interview with Bob Crow of the RMT, the UK’s leading militant trade unionist, Fergus Whelan on the United Irishman Jemmy Hope, and John Jefferies asks those on the left of the Labour Party which side they are on. There are also several pages devoted to the case of Seán Garland, who is due in court this week for the hearing on the absurd US allegations against him.
From the editorial:
We are beginning to see a concerted workers response to the on-going attacks on our living standards. In the North the Con-Dem cutbacks have provoked strike action by public servants and delivered a clear mes- sage to Dave Cameron and his Tory boys that their agenda of increasing profits by striping communities of services will be opposed. In the south the establishment’s wage cutting onslaught is also summing up a reaction as anger turns into organised action.
The trade union movement is catching up with the feelings of its members. At its recent conference the ICTU committed to coordinating action by those who the system has attempted to condemn to a live time of slavery to the banks by forcing people into massive mortgage debt for daring to aspire to the basic human right of a family home.
Politically progressive forces are awakening, with a packed United Left Alliance forum in Liberty Hall during June pointing to the numbers seeking a new form of politics. While July saw the country’s major trade union leaders rally in defence of Sean Garland, with the leaders of SIPTU, UNITE and the TEEU all publicly speaking out in support of the veteran socialist who faces the threat of extradition after decades of progressive political struggle.
On the intellectual front encouragement must also be drawn from the positive reaction to Conor McCabe’s book Sins of the Father – the first de- tailed examination of the structural causes of southern economic collapse from a progressive perspective. This work helps activists understand how those in power have achieved their position and the damage they have done to Ireland’s social and economic progress.
LookLeft remains committed to assisting this building of a principled Left unity which must begin with an understanding of our shared radical traditions and joint progressive goals.
LookLeft is available now from every Easons in Ireland, as well as numerous other shops, or from Workers’ Party offices and members.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
Have been very impressed by LookLeft in recent times. An excellent publication. Broad, inclusive, well-written – with no sectarianism at all. Much better than other Irish left wing publications. Always pick up a copy from Connolly Books when in Dublin.
And no – I’m not a member of the workers party.
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Love picking up lookleft. Seems to be out on a regular basis now. Will be picking it up in Easons tomorrow.
I’d echo what the above poster said – I know it has the WP stamp on it and a fair bit of WP coverage in it but it doesn’t read like an in-house mag at all which is what the left in ireland really needs – an Irish new statesman if you like. Very broad left and the culture stuff is always great. Really looking forward to picking this up tomorrow.
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New Statesman is terrible, so hopefully it won’t become an Irish version of that!
I like Look Left, but I’d actually prefer to see a little bit more specifically Workers Party material in it.
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I think it gets the balance right on the party-specific stuff and the broad-Left content. The latest issue is perhaps a bit more WP-specific than usual, given the (welcome & necessary) promimence given to Seán Garland’s extradition hearing in the High Court which begins tomorrow. But generally speaking there is a need for fraternal cross-party discussion, debate, and dialog that transcends the talk-not-listen mode of debate which occurs via purely party-flavoured channels, whether in print or on-line. That’s LookLeft’s strength to date.
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Had a read of it over lunch today so far so good but why does the Wikileak in the Sean Garland interview have a blacked out word? Lookleft editorial censorship? Anyone any clues to what the blacked out word is – I take it it’s a name…
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Sadly those of us outside Ireland cannot get hold of it, one of the good ideas I came across on An Phoblacht web site was the ability to buy a single issue of the magazine on line. Whilst I prefer reading a magazine in print, not all of us can afford a yearly subscription taken all in one go.
Perhaps look left might look at doing this.
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I think they are still looking at getting it into more shops across the water. The old editions are online, certainly at Politico.ie. Hopefully something can be done to facilitate people who want to take out subscriptions more easily.
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I like this magazine. it is in Easons for a start and easy to get. But I must take issue with 2 things.
The article on Martin O’Leary describes him as a Sinn Fein activist. Martin was an IRA volunteer and died on an IRA operation at the Silvermines. Why was this not mentioned?
Secondly the obituary for the late Liam Kelly. Liam was committed to ending partition by force of arms. His group Saor Uladh was engaged in an armed campaign. I cannot see how an obituary can avoid this fact. Liam was a supporter of the Official IRA and had high regard for Cathal Goulding and others, but he was not as the article states, a supporter of the Workers Party. Liam was very disilliousned by WP policies towards the RUC etc. LIam played a big role at a crucial time in the early 1970s and should be remembered, but remembered honestly.
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