Articles

Shadow defence secretary and senior Labour Scottish MP on patriots, class and what is a credible deterrent

In an open letter to Liam Fox this afternoon, shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy has urged his Tory counterpart to “put an end to the emerging pattern of Ministerial ambivalence towards UK manufacturing and make a commitment which could strengthen our military and contribute to vital private sector growth in the UK.”

The shadow defence secretary talks about his plans for civil defence, walking the line between unpopular interventionism and timely military support, growing up poor in Glasgow and white in South Africa.

Kosovo’s independence must have cheered Scotland’s nationalists. The birth of another, smaller state in Europe is, on the face of it, a distant but useful precedent for them.

In an article for ePolitix.com, Europe minister Jim Murphy sets out the benefits of the new EU treaty and explains why it will not transfer key powers away from the UK.

Too often in the past, family has been a focus for right-wing moralising, for preaching about the traditional family and stigmatising those who were different. The left has had to fight for equality and opportunity so that all relationships are valued.

The politics of aspiration has always been the driving force behind political change. Across history it has sparked revolutions, driven social progress, created trade unions and political parties and changed the destiny of continents.