Note from the Editor

Since the last edition of Look Left has been published, we have seen a General Election, the election of Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the emergence of the deadliest pandemic in living memory. In Oxford, we have also seen the longest strikes in the history of higher education, and renewed calls for the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College to fall. I am proud that OULC has posited itself in solidarity with both our striking staff and the Rhodes Must Fall Campaign. That being said, there is a long way for the party to go. There is a certain level of indignation toward the party that I am feeling at the moment, often leading to feelings of hopeless paralysis that the Labour Party into which I have invested so much of my time, energy and optimism is failing those people that it was formed to protect. But I hope that this edition of Look Left provides some grounds for optimism for the future. In this edition, we have an interview with two former OULC members, Rosie Sourbut and Brahma Mohanty, who ran for Parliament in the 2019 General Election as well as a piece on the war on workers’ rights in Britain today. It has been a privilege to be able to provide a space for the broad-church of leftists at Oxford to be able to write about the issues of the day, from boundaries under lockdown to the disbanding of DFID. It is only by thinking, writing and organising collectively that the left shall be able to succeed in Britain, and that the socialism of the Labour Party and beyond shall be realised. I must here extend my congratulations to our former co-chairs Meg Howells and Grace Davis who have recently gotten engaged. All of us at OULC wish you the very best for your future together. In solidarity, Connie Bostock - Editor-in-Chief of Look Left, TT2020

THE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: CONNIE BOSTOCK ASSISTANT EDITOR: ALI AL-ZUBAIDI DESIGN EDITOR: BETH NOTT HEAD OF GRAPHICS: JASPER EVANS

CONTENTS

2

Note from the Editor

Co-Chair Summaries

4

5

6

Meg and Jay (MT19) Lottie and Euan (HT20)

Connie and Ali (TT20)

Look Back

8

14

16

20

22

The Intertwined History of the LGBT+ Community and the Labour Party Beth Nott The NHS We Could Have Had George Williams OULC in the 2019 General Election: thoughts of two alumni on running for Parliament

Ali Al-Zubaidi

The Northern Problem Martha Storey The West Won’t Rest: Grenfell Tower Kesaia Toganivalu

Look Around

26

Private School Privilege: The Case for Moderating Down Results Next Year Rachel Hart

28

Coronavirus: The Nightmare That Wakes Us From Our Sleepwalk Towards Disaster?

Max Spokes

30

32

34

36

Notes on Boundaries Under Lockdown Luke Young Jaws, Capitalism, Class and Coronavirus Skye Fitzgerald-McShane The Right to Disconnect in the post-COVID Digital Workplace Rhona Jamieson ‘A Crusade for Capitalism’: blacklisting in Britain and the war against workers’ rights

Clare Lynch-Watson

38

40

On the Picket Line Connie Bostock

COVID Stories: Conal’s Story Toni Ledda

Look Forward

42

44

46

3 Policies to Save Britain’s Mental Health Meg Hopkins The Case for Protecting the Department for International Development Sofia Cotterill General Election: Voices from the Doorstep and What We Can Do to Listen to Them

Olly Boyland

48

Tactics Against Voting Tactically Jasper Evans