All change for Labour?
26 November 2017
‘The Summer That Changed Everything’, the recent BBC documentary following Labour MPs and activists during June's general election, presented longstanding tensions and some emerging and intriguing questions regarding the party's future. Karl Pike, PhD candidate at Queen Mary University of London, looks into tensions in the Labour party and asks if Momentum could be a new 'New Left.'
Parliament must act speedily to contain sexual harassment scandal, says John Bercow
10 November 2017
The sexual harassment scandal in British politics has the potential to be as serious as the 2009 expenses scandal, said the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow.
Reversing Brexit would be catastrophic for politics, says Lisa Nandy
25 October 2017
Remainers need to drop the idea of reversing Brexit, according to Lisa Nandy MP. Speaking to Professor Philip Cowley at QMUL’s Mile End Institute, she the consequences of a reversal would be catastrophic.
UK risks Brexit disaster without lengthy transition period, says Neil Kinnock
4 October 2017
Brexit will be an unmitigated disaster for the UK if the government fails to ensure a substantial transition period, according to the former leader of the Labour Party Lord Kinnock.
Helen McCarthy, author of ‘Women of the World, The Rise of the Female Diplomat’: Exclusive Interview
30 August 2017
Women weren’t permitted to become UK diplomats until 1946, and until 1973 they had to quit if they got married. Liz Heron interviews Helen McCarthy, an expert on the struggle for gender equality in this most traditional and recalcitrant corner of government.
Legislation at Westminster – and how parliament matters more than many people think
24 August 2017
The Westminster parliament is famous throughout the world, but often presented as relatively non-influential when it comes to making the law. Meg Russell and Daniel Gover's new book 'Legislation at Westminster' is the most detailed study of the British legislative process for over 40 years, and challenges these assumptions. Here the authors summarise their findings on how different groups of actors at Westminster exercise subtle and interconnected influence, contributing to what they dub 'six faces of parliamentary power'.
Brexit – the big uncertainty
18 July 2017
It has been twelve months since the United Kingdom (UK) went to the polls and made the decision to leave the European Union (EU) – one that came as a shock both to many Brits as well as to the rest of the world. Since then, we have witnessed one of the most tumultuous periods in British politics, culminating in an unforced early election in which the governing Conservative Party not only failed to increase its majority in the manner most observers expected but actually lost that majority, forcing it into a controversial deal with the Democratic Unionist Party from Northern Ireland. Partly as a result, we are still no nearer to knowing how negotiations between the EU and the UK will pan out, and what their relationship will look like once the UK finally leaves. Keshia Jacotine (Monash University) and Tim Bale (Queen Mary University of London) look at what lies ahead, and what might be the impact of Brexit (and any resulting pivot by the UK back towards its Commonwealth partners) on New Zealand’s relationships with the UK and the EU.
EU referendum: one year on. The political parties
28 June 2017
As far as the UK’s political parties were concerned, last summer’s EU referendum was a bit like one of those tag-team wrestling matches you see on TV. Although the bout began with everyone thinking they knew who was on which side, by the end of it no-one in the ring – nor, for that matter, in the audience – was sure anymore. Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, looks at political parties from the UK's EU referendum to the general election.
The Tory party is more useless than nasty
22 June 2017
Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, writes on May's predicamentat as an inevitable consequence of the flawed way the Conservative Party chooses its leaders.
Was it the Labour doorstep or the Labour smartphone that swung it for Jeremy?
20 June 2017
Although we need more research before we can categorically confirm that it was ‘the young wot swung it for Labour’ at the General Election, it looks more than possible. And, although their support for Jeremy Corbyn was rooted in more than just tech-savvy campaigning, we can’t afford to dismiss its role in converting youthful enthusiasm into actual votes on the day. Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London and Deputy Director it the Mile End Institute, looks at online and offline campaigning and wonders whether we've been too quick to dismiss the impact of 'clicktivism'.
EVEL won’t worry the new government – but the West Lothian question may well do
19 June 2017
Following the election result some pundits have suggested that English votes for English laws might be an obstacle to the government, given its reliance on support from non-English MPs, whilst others have suggested the procedures might provide the government with an enhanced English majority. In this post Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny explain that neither of these possibilities is likely to occur. However, the territorial balance of the new Commons could cause the West Lothian question to come back to the fore – though not solely in relation to England.
Corbyn’s outsider triumph resonates with Labour’s history—and its internal battles
14 June 2017
Karl Pike, a PhD Candidate at Queen Mary University of London, discusses Labour's internal tension between those who believe in its outsider status, and those who wish to compromise in pursuit of power.
Strange Bedfellows? The ideological migration of UKIP voters to Labour in the 2017 General Election
13 June 2017
At 10pm on Thursday 8 June, British voters faced yet another political shock. Despite an overwhelming 21 percent lead (YouGov), the Conservatives failed to win enough seats to form a majority government. David Jeffery and Keshia Jacotine discuss the results of the UK general election.
"Left-of-Centre Parties and Trade Unions in the Twenty-First Century" Book Launch
6 June 2017
On June 1st, QMUL's Mile End Institute was pleased to play host to the launch of a new book by its Deputy Director, Tim Bale. Jointly edited with Elin H. Allern from the University of Oslo, Left-of-Centre Parties and Trade Unions in the Twenty-First Century is published by Oxford University Press and focuses on the relationship between the two sides of the labour movement in twelve countries in four continents.
Polling London release date: Thursday 1 June
30 May 2017
On Thursday 1 June The Mile End Institute will release the results of our latest Polling London survey.
Applications open for MEI studentships
22 May 2017
The Mile End Institute is offering three bursaries for students from East London from the Schools of History and Politics & IR for the academic year 2017-2018.
Tories do not represent black and minority voters, according to London-based focus group
13 May 2017
Constitutional experts criticise government’s review of English Votes for English Laws
5 April 2017
Constitutional experts from the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have criticised the government’s review of ‘English Votes for English Laws' (EVEL), published last week.
Report highlights how universities can enrich their neighbourhoods
4 April 2017
Universities can enrich their own neighbourhoods by developing long-term partnerships with community organisations, according to a new report by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Tories narrow gap on Labour in London while Lib Dems double support
31 March 2017
The Labour Party's support in London has declined by nine points in a year, according to polling commissioned by the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Just one in five Londoners think Britain will be better off after Brexit
30 March 2017
Londoners are gloomy about the prospects for post-Brexit Britain and 48 per cent expect the country to be economically worse off, according to polling commissioned by the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Jeremy Corbyn will close the gap on Theresa May within six months, says Diane Abbott
30 March 2017
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott MP has said that people should judge Jeremy Corbyn in six months, by which time she expects Labour’s poor poll ratings to have improved.
Germans were ready to offer Theresa May a deal on freedom of movement, says Nick Clegg
30 January 2017
Angela Merkel was ready to offer Theresa May a post-referendum deal on freedom of movement in exchange for a UK commitment to the single market, said Nick Clegg at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
MPs must respect the referendum result – even if it leads to hard Brexit, says Yvette Cooper
23 January 2017
Labour MPs should respect the result of the EU referendum even if the outcome is a hard Brexit, according to Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract and Castleford. She was speaking at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
The Future of Socialism sixty years on
11 January 2017
Anthony Crosland’s The Future of Socialism still offers the left a compelling account of equality and liberty, says Simon Griffiths, but lacks a convincing account of how we achieve those values without economic growth.
Anthony Crosland: the future of social democracy?
9 January 2017
Following our conference on the Crosland Legacy, Professor Steven Fielding considers how Anthony Crosland's ideas could influence current Labour thinking.
