The Changing Nature of Left Wing Politics - Paul Embery

The IEA's Head of Cultural Affairs, Marc Glendening sits down with Paul Embery to discuss his book 'Despised: Why the Modern Left Loathes the Working Class'. They discuss the changing nature of left wing politics and its internal culture.
This is the first in a series of videos hosted by Marc on Free Speech. You can catch the full series here: • FREE SPEECH SERIES
Paul's book is available to purchase here: www.amazon.co.uk/Despised-Mod...
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[@stuartfitch7093]

Paul Embrey speaks more common sense than all of labour put together. He's the only current labourite I know who knows how the working class in northern towns like myself think and live our lives. He's spot on. If labour had any sense they would make him thier next leader.

[@annetteannette9205]

They haven't and they won't

[@scottmain-reade1892]

Pretty much explained why I left the Labour Party.

[@realitycheck3361]

I suspect, as in my case, you didn't leave the Labour Party. It left us. It no longer represents the working class, or even middle class, in any shape or form. It serves only the metropolitan elite.

[@scottmain-reade1892]

@@realitycheck3361 Very fair points

[@flybroon]

Me too. Full of Marxist box ticking wankwrs with no grasp of reality.

[@flybroon]

Wankers even.

[@richard1342]

'Diversity in anything but opinion' Brilliant summary Paul

[@clockporchester1414]

Super - I am reading your book "Despised" - we need lots of Paul Emberys to change the path here.

[@Mediumal]

Let’s get this straight. The modern Left don’t hate the “working class” in its entirety. What they hate is “white” English working class culture as expressed by its strong sense of Civic Nationalism, rooted in shared core values of place and history. Hence it’s normally university educated middle-class Lefties who have the more extreme opinions about the masses who don’t share their allegedly socially permissive and progressive liberal views. There’s one good reason for this. These “educated” types truly believe they are morally and socially superior and forget big time what they owe to the culture and communities which have given them their privileges. It’s an extreme form of ingratitude that’s all - a wholesale silly self-loathing tendency and so of course it’s an utterly hypocritical position which is easy to pick holes in. That they feel this way is sure testament to their own racism, which often slips out in the language they use, and so of course is a charge they always project onto those whom they despise who don’t share their ridiculous views. It’s an attitude of mind which was probably best summed up by one Joe Biden: “If you don’t vote for me you ain’t Black”… And that’s another thing you often see with these fools. No self-awareness or reflection.

[@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO]

No culture or communities have given any privileges to the educated left-wing.

[@Mediumal]

@@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO Sure… They merely just emerged from nowhere then.

[@davidoldboy5425]

I am approaching 70, born in a pit village, live in a pit village in the North East, of course everyone used to vote Labour, but Mr Blair changed this (and our country) forever. This was an interesting talk but is still way off the mark of what people think of the current Labour set up, I would now never ever vote Labour. We are not interested one bit in left wing ideology, despise your contempt at representing the majority, and as you rightly point out are fervently patriotic - change or die.

[@niceperson5962]

There's the working class left and the middle class left. Different animals

[@vaughanellis7866]

The Modern Labour Party left the working voters long before the voters left the Labour Party, which decided to pursue the middle class university grad voters instead, many of who are rabid Marxist/Socialists which also pushes the working voters away. Everything started going wrong when the Labour Party started parachuting candidates into rural continuances where they had nothing in common with the constituents and they then amplified that with all female short lists.

[@martinbroomhead2646]

Paul is a working class hero.

[@stuartfitch7093]

My northern working class town, like many, has a population of wide diversity. Yet we still voted leave. Not because we are racists or facists but because all we had seen for decades of eu membership was a loss of jobs, generational unemployment, low wages, high crime, poor educational attainment, virtually no investment into the town. This was our rewards for eu membership and voting Labour for 80 years up until 2019. Everyone in the town had had enough. Labour like the paint it as a culture war. That northern working class people must all be thick racists when actually many who voted leave in our town were of the ethnic minority community. The fact is, it is a city/town and country divide more than anything else. The new city centric Labour have no clue about towns and how lives there are different and so can't hope to represent those people they know nothing about.

[@Sollatimer-Ed.southeast-]

Low wages, poor education, lack of investment into an area, higher crime rates.... All stems from from a lack of investment being pumped into said areas, money that is provided by the govt in power, over the last 12 yrs that's been a Tory Govt, they've cut everything, Inc cutting over 20,000 police staff - None of those things have anything to do with the EU or being a member of it! It's been the Tory party that have made these cuts, that's why there's been a lack of investment, therefore resulting in standards slipping, yet the poorest keep voting for the same govt that's making them and their area poorer! Labour have had no power for over a decade, so any cuts you're seeing to your area are from the Tory party not Labour. Your town has had barely any investment as you say due to the Tory party making cuts to local councils over the past 12 yrs. Your local Labour MP can only work with the money they are provided with by the Govt in power, which is the Tory party. The EU don't make those choices where the money goes, it was actually thanks to EU funding that many northern towns were redeveloped such as Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester all had huge EU funding provided in the early 00's to modernise and clean up these areas. It's also the Tory party that have been massive climate change backers, more so than Labour ever were! You voted to leave, now look how terribly its going, look at the standard of living crisis we're now facing! Look how small business has suffered, all the red tape hold ups and delays not to mention hikes in export and import costs that small business couldn't afford and in turn went bust, look at lorry drivers, farmers, fisherman ... So much for they'd all be better off! Where's the cheaper food, cheaper clothes etc? Where's the sunlit uplands we were promised? The vast majority are poorer now than ever!

[@ThranWoman]

Paul Embery is one of the most decent honourable guys commenting on politics currently.

[@tecathome]

Being ashamed of your country doesn't mean you hate it, I am ashamed we have 5 million kids in poverty, our pensions are the worst paid in the civilised world, our kids have been impoverished before their life begins, that our NHS is being dismantled before our eyes. We have had 50 years of diminishing standard of living, we do not have a lot to be proud of but so many think footballers getting to a final is enough to forget the rest. .

[@seanmoran6510]

Hear what your saying but let’s not worship the nhs It’s become an bureaucratic monster

[@Lytton333]

'5 Million kids in poverty'.. that is ludicrous and hyperbolic. The children of today, even those on welfare, are the most materially rich in the entire history of mankind. Statements like that are just rhetorical grenades thrown around to buttress a left-wing theology of perpetual victimhood and the drive for more state control.

[@tecathome]

@@Lytton333 Sometimes those living in comfort lose empathy with those who are not, 5 million children in poverty is not a figure made up, it is official statistics, whether you agree or not is fairly immaterial

[@SCW87]

The Labour party isn't even left wing, it was, but not these days. The middle class in the labour party are right wing.

[@johnnyb8825]

I agree with Marc Glendening that the people who many (including Paul Embery) refer to as the "liberal left" are not liberal. I wish people would stop calling them that.

[@spartacusforlife1508]

Go look at the joining common market debates from the seventies. Especially the Tony Benn ones. He was spot on. Remember it was sold as a trade deal but Benn pointed that at the heart of it was political union and the demise of the nation state

[@stmatthewsisland5134]

Good chap Paul Embery and the questions were good.

[@audience2]

Paul would be very electable.

[@Matticus898]

The fundamental issue is "international corporate power centralization/consolidation" Companies listed on Stock markets have a "Environmental, Social, and Governance Rating" (do a search on it) Companies have to comply to overarching narratives, open borders, get your vaccine, Diversity Inclusion Equity programs etc, if companies have a low rating then it can impact their financials/stock, so its a tool to keep companies in line If this is allowed to continue then we will have a de-facto feudal system of billionaires who are not democratically elected making decisions over societies without the consensus of the public Historically speaking power over time tends to consolidate itself over generations; either through the State/Government, or through Religion/Church, and now it seems its going they way through the Markets/Business sector I am a US citizen, and we have Separation of Church and State for a reason, and I am coming more and more to the conclusion that we need to enact and Constitutional Amendment for the Separation of Corporate and State; Anti Trust Laws in the US over time seem to get whittled away or diluted with loop holes coupled with lobbying that makes Anti Trust Laws ineffective The "Region of Woke" is nothing more than a fabrication for the working and middle class as a result of the "Environmental, Social, and Governance" programs Governance........

[@marcperrett662]

i think that in a uk sense that these guys are discussing, the main left of centre party is ripping itself apart with the content of it,s policies and ignoring a large populace demographic in working class voters,,in years gone by most Labour MPs and activists would have come from local areas and held and understood local issues ,,,in recent years the party has been steered hard in the direction of fringe and "woke" issues that dont rally with many voters -obviously come general election time the inner city middle class vote is,nt enough to steer Labour into government,,,,for many people Paul Embery is a breath of fresh air ,,but not liked for in his own party ,go figure?

[@MrMirville]

It is impossible : the US constitution was clearly written in view of the project to make as many powers as possible private and corporate, with corporations viewed as identical to persons but without the taint of the original sin. The state was defined as the chief umpire between the competing corporations as well as their common representative in face of states not giving them the same consideration.

[@ellismeah8110]

Strong patriotic right wing party needed that actually supports its own country and people

[@seanmoran6510]

Champagne Socialists have always loathed the poor Orwell and others wrote about this decades ago We live in the ruins of a once great country racked by two world wars and internal strife

[@PLOttawa]

Interesting interview. I appreciate Embery's point on the contemporary obsession with identity politics. That being said, those engaged in it are not actual leftists. They are liberals, which is also why they don't have much of a problem with capitalism, including the mass inequalities it engenders. Not sure I agree with him that working class politics traditionally is as divorced from global issues as he says. All one needs to do is look at the left's strong history of internationalism.

[@jjohanesson9139]

He seems so reasonable and balanced. The idea that the left seems to welcome diversity except diversity of opinion and 'fringe' middle-class issues.

[@davidoldboy5425]

Only his idea, in truth the left despise free speech and thought, although a bad example for many years now it is a criminal offence to be extremely to the right, but perfectly ok to be extremely left, pretty much describes how it is, but of course it encourages extremism.

[@andyrwebman]

I might not always agree with the traditional labour view of redistribution of wealth - but I can live with it. I wouldn't dread a Labour party led by Paul Embrey coming into power. But I truly fear for our liberties and our sanity as a culture if the current Labour party ever comes to power. Starmer has not even begun to clear out the insane woke element.

[@mrsgbates9472]

Yes Andy - I voted labour for eh first time to get Mr Blair in and have spent the last 20 odd years wondering what ever happened. I joined a political party for the first time in my life at 59 years old -SDP

[@taffyterrier8420]

What's wrong with wealth redistribution?

[@marcperrett662]

i dont actually think he has any mandate to do that Andy,,he,s surrounded on all sides by it and is even the architect of much of it,,in his minds eye the party is perfectly healthy as it is,,,,it,s probably gone way too far in the opposite direction to come back now,,,sad but true ,,middle class fringe values permeate every party in the uk

[@Coneman3]

If Corbyn was far left, why did his election manifesto propose a tax regime similar to that of Germany?

[@yesihavereadit]

First noticed them at uni in 1970s. Middle class doing social science suddenly discover that there are poor people, the horror, the world isn't fair, send them our money, we called them fur coat socialists.

[@ultimateoutdoors4659]

Champagne socialists I used to call them!

[@MrMirville]

@@ultimateoutdoors4659 Let them drink Soviet Champagne. Sparkling wines are the easiest to grow tolerably good under cold climates.

[@johnnyb8825]

Even the counter-culture of the 1960s was nothing like today's "woke" culture. The counter-culture was about exploration and pushing boundaries. "Woke" culture is a cultural and political straitjacket.

[@thecryptoaggregator2505]

28:24 You also have to ask why vigils have not been held for previous murders of women who don't live in the city of London, especially those from working class backgrounds. Are their lives not as important? What makes this woman's death so special?

[@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO]

The reason why vigils have been held for female murder victims in London is because Middle-Class women are the ones who organised vigils; underprivileged women just don’t stand up for poor women murder victims.

[@MrMirville]

When a party is against working class it used to be said that it is turning right. Anti-worker left is an oxymoron. Though leftism can be. Lenin made that point clear. Fighting for the left often means turning against the culture of leftism.

[@thecryptoaggregator2505]

25:00 a better description of these people would be neo Liberal or new liberal and classic liberal

[@johnreid9959]

It’s Right in the community that we’re out priced of London I call it working class flight, rather than white flight as Afro Carribean families couldnt afford London for the coast

[@eugenelubbock5478]

@@avae5343 proof?

[@eugenelubbock5478]

@@avae5343 that is because the state often favours white people. they exist to support people of colour who are ignored and suffer at the hands of the state. there is nothing wrong with these charities.

[@eugenelubbock5478]

@@avae5343 thats completly unrelated. make a charity for white people only if you want. society alreasy benefits white people at the moment but you do you. the point of being an ally is to attempt to rectify the racist system we have at the moment by getting as many people to protest against it as possible. if a group of people are already privileged then whats the point of making a charity to benefit only them.

[@eugenelubbock5478]

@@avae5343 yeah, just saying, ethnic european does not exist. european is not an ethnicity. it is a name you give to someone who was born in the continent of europe. you go right ahead and set up your charity. you dont need to. but go right ahead.

[@eugenelubbock5478]

@@avae5343 European isn't an ethnicity. Just as African or Asian isn't. But I didn't talk about that because you never said they were. White or black or anything isn't an ethnicity. It's a race. Very different.

[@johngavin1271]

The working class loathe themselves. They have been taught well.

[@johnreid9959]

Don’t. take responsibility for their own actions The boomers had to live through 4 million unemployed. the 80’s

[@billjane5522]

And real poverty

[@patriciasenior2005]

I used to vote Labour for years. Would never vote for them again.

[@jonathontoss2929]

Reject all 3 British Establishment political parties.

[@TheDrachman]

Saw a lot of Glendening's bald spot....hasn't he twigged that in an interview, one pays attention to your interviewee - and is seen to do so?

[@krcalder]

There were two parties when we moved to universal suffrage. The Liberal Party were the left wing of the elite and didn’t represent the interests of labour, so they had to form their own party, the Labour Party. Things were fairly straight forward. We had three parties that did what they said on the tin. Conservative Liberal Labour Then the new liberals (neoliberals) over-ran the Labour Party and it became “New Labour” labour started to realise the Labour party were liberal, and started to vote Conservative. We need a New Liberal Party, it could be like Old Labour and order would be restored if a little confusing. Conservative New Labour - old Liberal New Liberal - old Labour.

[@Lytton333]

The present Conservatives are anything but.. They are an amalgam of economic neo-liberal free-trade (itself a mutation of the early 20thC liberalism) and equalitarian social progressivism dictated by Statist political statute - which they dress up as meritocracy, but which ultimately leads to a declining mediocracy, and in ironic fashion, traduces all mainstream political endeavour. The global drive for equality merely leads to a *decline* of quality. That is the predicament of ageing democracies that relentlessly pursue equality in order to accrue kudos for political office..

[@ThatGuyThanus]

If they hate the working class, they’re not really ‘left’ are they..! 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@spartacusforlife1508]

The modern left? What about the modern Labour right?

[@spartacusforlife1508]

I'm being sarcastic here but I sometimes think that if you were involved in university politics or had a degree in law you should be banned from becoming a Labour m.p.

[@jasonandlynnechambers3420]

I joined the Labour Party. Important to have a strong and healthy opposition. I am working class.

[@Carl_ATHF]

If you’re white and voting Labour as they bring in brown skinned scabs then there’s no helping you kiddo.

[@Aaronnt]

Good more working class people need to get involved in politics.

[@dopeyb218]

Labour have failed as opposition during this pandemic.. there are other options!

[@jasonandlynnechambers3420]

@@dopeyb218 Other parties yes but both other options for a party who can lead in government.

[@scooby1992]

@@jasonandlynnechambers3420I agree . Under our first past the post system all that happens is more parties such as the Greens , Lib Dems and labour are fighting over many of the same voters whilst the Tories hoover up every centre right and right wing voter , having neutralised UKIP and The Brexit Party .

[@channelslade1501]

well are climate change, migrant rights, lgbt rights not important? Do we pretend those don't things don't matter..... yes economics are the most important..... but do labour welcome climate ending, small r racist homophobes..... is that ok?

[@channelslade1501]

isnt being liberal a on this issue a good thing? 50 years ago hanging, Enoch Powell and gay men being thrown in prison... Is that ok? yes over zealousness is annoying, but these issues matter and matter alot.

[@Lytton333]

Ask the Muslim migrants and you'll get your answer.

[@Andy78L]

Hopefully Labour loses Hartlepool

[@owenthompson5214]

Wasting your time, you are basically arguing to make the left not left.

[@johnreid9959]

The current keft aren’t left they’re liberal and he is saying left stuff

[@owenthompson5214]

@@johnreid9959 I don't think so, being a communist like Corbyn is very different to being a liberal like Keir Starmer.

[@owenthompson5214]

but still are left

[@johnreid9959]

@@owenthompson5214 but Corbyn bought into the liberal agenda to keep his fans in the party happy, like decriminalising sex workers, yet this upset those in the left, not the liberals

[@owenthompson5214]

@@johnreid9959 I don't think sex workers is the right term, this term has only been used in the last couple of years, as if being one is as normal as being a "shop worker" or something, but anyway that is weird because the left/liberals will say it is demeaning to women, which it obviously is but "my body, my choice"