CRISS hosts “The Future of English Labour” debate
Tue, 17 May 2016 13:04:00 BST
On 13 April, CRISS and the Department for Art and Communication at the University of Huddersfield hosted a debate about ‘The Future of English Labour’, in the George Buckley Lecture Theatre. The event engaged with debates about the politicisation of Englishness and the possible answers to a growing number of ‘English questions’ that have become an integral part of political and public debate in England.
The event was hosted by Dr Andy Mycock, CRISS Associate Director [pictured above], who has published widely on English identity politics, and included participation from Professor John Denham (University of Winchester), a former Labour government minister and one of the main figures behind the ‘English Labour’ campaign, and Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council and a leading figure in debates about regional devolution in the north of England.
The event, held in conjunction with the Centre for English Identity and Politics based at the University of Winchester, contributed to an ongoing series of debates involving leading figures drawn from within the Labour Party and elsewhere. The Huddersfield event offered opportunities to discuss the impact of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and regional devolution on identity politics in England and constitutional reform such as ‘English Votes for English Laws’. The Labour Party has been at the forefront of such debates and some now argue for the creation of an 'English Labour Party’. Dr Mycock is joint editor (with Dr Arianna Giovannini) of a forthcoming edition of a special issue of the journal Political Quarterly which focuses on the subject of regional devolution especially in England.
