A new year brings new battles for democracy and for Labour Letters: Readers respond to articles by Andy Beckett and Larry Elliott on British parliamentary democracy and whether Labour can turn the tide The Guardian - UK · Jan 1
Did 2025 mark the end of British parliamentary democracy as we know it? The conventions and rituals that define the way we do politics rapidly eroded this year – setting the UK on a course into the unknown, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Dec 25, 2025
Messy, combative and intoxicatingly fierce – don’t write off Your Party just yet Spending time with its activists, I’ve seen signs of a refreshing challenge to stale mainstream politics, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Dec 4, 2025
Why Starmer’s desire to govern as ‘Mr Rules’ is bound to fail In the face of multiple crises, disruptive technology and populism, making Britain orderly again is an impossible goal, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Nov 28, 2025
Labour must accept that the two-party age is over and embrace PR Letters: Backing proportional representation would be in Labour’s interests, writes John Culley, while Austen Lynch says the greater risk is continuing with the current system The Guardian - UK · Nov 13, 2025
Britain’s two-party politics is fragmenting: what unintended consequences await? On one hand, no more safe seats or long careers could mean less complacency. On the other, no big parties could mean greater corporate influence, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Nov 6, 2025
What would you do if democracy was being dismantled before your eyes? Whatever you’re doing right now In California, daily life under Trump is marked by sporadic resistance and avoidance. Neither will defeat the autocrats, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Oct 31, 2025
I saw desperation at the Tory conference – but all traditional parties may be in this position soon The feeling of crisis in Manchester also afflicts Labour and the Lib Dems. It leaves voters facing a dangerously unstable political order, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Oct 10, 2025
Labour’s new candid and confrontational mood could be the thing that saves this government For once, Starmer’s premiership seems energised – the task will be building this into a campaign for next year’s crucial local elections, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Oct 2, 2025
Corbyn and Sultana have a half-formed party with huge potential, and our politics needs it Vast numbers want a party that counters the country’s rightward lurch. Despite the chaos, they are willing Your Party to get off the ground, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Sep 25, 2025
If Keir Starmer’s Labour can’t satisfy the unions, another party will At this year’s TUC conference, I found cautious optimism about the employment rights bill – and a resurgent left looking to capture hearts and minds, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Sep 12, 2025
Authoritative to authoritarian: rightwing radicalisation is blurring the Conservatives’ political red lines Listen to the inflammatory language around immigration, multiculturalism, press freedom – that old notion of British ‘moderation’ has gone for ever, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Sep 5, 2025
The right to peaceful protest must be maintained Letters: Dr David Killick salutes the not-so-ordinary people risking prison to protest, plus a letter from Peter Riddle The Guardian - UK · Aug 17, 2025
Anger, fear and a total rejection of politics: the Palestine Action protest was a snapshot of Britain today Keir Starmer’s government is treating voters with contempt. With the arrest of hundreds of protesters in London, for many, the feeling is mutual, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett The Guardian - UK · Aug 11, 2025
The Guardian - UK · Aug 8, 2025 As dark financial clouds gather, Labour has to heed its past: when it chooses austerity, it loses elections Those who insist on spending cuts are those who are never hurt by them. Time to be brave – and take a new tack, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Aug 1, 2025 Despite the chaos of its launch, Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s new party has struck a nerve Scathing rightwing coverage contains a revealing note of alarm: this is more than just a rebellion, and it’s gaining supporters fast, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Jul 11, 2025 Why is Labour so afraid to admit that we must tax the rich? There have been modest redistributive reforms, but the party still daren’t admit that Britain’s rampant inequality needs to be addressed, writes Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Jul 4, 2025 The time is right for Zarah Sultana’s new party – but it’s already facing its first test The left has been discussing this for months, but tactical differences will need to be overcome, as will the threat of Reform, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 20, 2025 From LA to Paris, the populist right hates cities – and it’s fuelled by a sense of bitter defeat LA was once a conservative stronghold; now the military is occupying it. Liberal cities have become targets for politicians looking to stir up their voters elsewhere, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 13, 2025 Why does Nigel Farage get to play British politics on easy mode? The UK’s electoral system traditionally makes it hard for new parties to succeed. Not Reform. Sitting back from the fray, it sets the agenda, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Jun 6, 2025 Keir Starmer’s muddled politics are reaching their limit. It’s time for him to make a choice Veer left or double down on the right? Either way, the prime minister needs to commit and sell it to an impatient electorate, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · May 23, 2025 The least ‘integrated’ part of British society isn’t the immigrants – it’s the elite Politicians and the rightwing press talk about integration in a selective and politically loaded way. The reality is quite different, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · May 16, 2025 What if one key problem with British politics at the moment is us – the voters? Westminster has become fearful of a fickle and vindictive electorate. There’s value in that, but it’s also holding back our politics, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Apr 28, 2025 Populists like Farage promise voters a simpler life. In fact, they produce ever more hassle and chaos Centrists won’t beat Reform UK by echoing its messages. They should emphasise the true unworkability of policies like Brexit, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Guardian - UK · Apr 18, 2025 Why is Ed Miliband a target for all sides? Because he’s a lefty politician who gets things done Not since Tony Benn has a Labour minister been so assailed – and not just by the Tory press, but also by his own colleagues, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett