Read more
Millions passionately desire a viable alternative to austerity and neoliberalism, but they are sceptical of traditional leftist top-down state solutions.
In this urgent polemic, Hilary Wainwright argues that this requires a new politics for the left that comes from the bottom up, based on participatory democracy and the everyday knowledge and creativity of each individual. Political leadership should be about facilitation and partnership, not expert domination or paternalistic rule.
Wainwright uses lessons from recent movements and experiments to build a radical future vision that will be an inspiration for activists and radicals everywhere.
List of contents
* Contents
* Acknowledgements
* Preface
* Chapter 1: A New Politics of Knowledge
* Chapter 2: The New Politics in Practice
* Chapter 3: From Cells to Transitions
* Chapter 4: Conclusions: on Questions of Political Strategy and Organisation
* Further reading and resources
About the author
Hilary Wainwright is an academic and radical activist who co-edits Red Pepper and is a Fellow of the Transnational Institute
Summary
Millions passionately desire a viable alternative to austerity and neoliberalism, but they are sceptical of traditional leftist top-down state solutions.
In this urgent polemic, Hilary Wainwright argues that this requires a new politics for the left that comes from the bottom up, based on participatory democracy and the everyday knowledge and creativity of each individual. Political leadership should be about facilitation and partnership, not expert domination or paternalistic rule.
Wainwright uses lessons from recent movements and experiments to build a radical future vision that will be an inspiration for activists and radicals everywhere.
Report
"Hilary Wainwright has been at the centre of social movement politics stretching back to the exciting days of the GLC. Her book is a significant contribution to the vital transformation of the Labour Party into a social movement once again."
John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
"A New Politics from the Left presents a thorough, convincing and inspiring programme for progressive politics in Britain today."
Jeremy Gilbert, University of East London
"In succinct, eloquent prose, A New Politics from the Left encompasses all that Hilary Wainwright has learned from her efforts to connect the buoyant creativity of grass roots politics with the coalitions necessary to build genuinely democratic societies."
Lynne Segal, Birkbeck College
"This book is reminder of why Hilary Wainwright is one of contemporary British socialism's most perceptive and thoughtful writers...We live in exciting and hopeful times and this book goes some way to explaining why."
Morning Star
