On these Resources pages, you’ll find Blogs , usually personal pieces on matters of current and topical interest, Contributions , usually more detailed presentations or articles made at specific events or placed in journals and other publications, and Recommendations, which are various contributions by others which are highly recommended for their content, substance and competence.
Since Les Huckfield offers these as public resources, you are welcome to “cut and paste” from any of these, but please acknowledge your source.
Throughout all these pieces, as much as possible, citations, such as (Huckfield,2021) and sources, such as Huckfield, L. (2021). How Blair killed the co-ops. Manchester University Press, are included.
During the Conservative PM selection process, both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss constantly claim to be the heirs of Thatcher. But they don’t seem to understand that the period of Margaret Thatcher and John Major in Government from 1979 to 1997 was unsuccessful in challenging or ameliorating any of Britain’s economic and social problems. Using […]
21 External Communications LHR Site Note.N13 This note provides a brief summary and update on Leslie Huckfield’s new book “How Blair Killed the Coops”, for which the online launch with Owen Hatherley and John McDonnell MP is at 1900 on THU 18 NOV 2021. This is the Eventbrite Link to sign up for the launch. […]
This is the paper I presented on FRI 01 OCT 2021 to the Launch Conference of the Scottish Centre for Social Justice at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. This contribution projects that many now writing about an emerging new 21 ACTUAL SCSJ COVID and Communities.O01 period of ‘post neoliberalism’ are really describing higher level activity […]
This Note sets out a framework for a unified Third Sector or Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector (VCSE) – often called the Social Economy – offering a community focus during and after COVID and climate change Above all, for Scotland this cannot be the kind of mainstream or routine economic recovery of the 1970s, […]
Despite the Scottish Parliament Elections, with a 71 to 57 majority for Independence, almost no progress has been made. This contribution gives some pointers to what should be happening. Please click on the link below: 21 ACTUAL Independence Article.Y04
There’s a favourite topic of conversation where people are asked what they’re going to do “post COVID” or when “life gets back to normal”. I find difficult the relevance and significance of either of these phrases. Many of us who have been working from home are probably experiencing a better COVID than those who must […]
I am pleased to be working on a joint research project “Comparative Analysis of Ireland’s and Scotland’s Approach to the Development of National Social Enterprise Policies” with Deiric O’Broin and Gerard Doyle, Professor of Public Policy Practice and Lecturer at Dublin City University, which we hope initially to be published as an article in Administration, […]
See this brilliant piece by Robert Knox on how the Disraeli followers in No 10 target the Red Wall to reshape UK cultural life to accept racism. Be prepared for more on welfare, immigration and criminal justice system, followed by the Democracy Commission. https://criticallegalthinking.com/2021/04/07/anti-racism-materialism-and-the-sewell-report/ In case you’ve forgotten, Disraeli was the driving force behind the […]
Les interviewed by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh, with illustration by Will Brown. Also shows ‘Right of Reply’ given to Coops UK Stir to Action Magazine
Les wrote this piece for wider circulation about the infiltration of the Conservative Party Leadership Contest by the Revolutionary Communist Party. 22 ACTUAL Tory Selection Contest.Y20
Les drafted this presentation for the Stir to Action Festival (Tuesday 12 July till Thursday 14 July 2022, at Selgars Mill New Economy Centre, Cullompton, Devon on Thursday 14 July 2022. Unfortunately, through testing positive for COVID, he was unable to attend. Stir to Action Presentation, Selgars Mill New Economy Centre, THU 14 JUL 2022
YouTube of University of Limerick Presentation Download the presentation slides below: University of Limerick PowerPoint Presentation
This is Les’ piece in Labour Hub on WED 19 JAN 2022 about his book “How Blair Killed the Co-ops”, published in November 2021 by Manchester University Press. This is the link to Les’ contribution: New Labour Reinvents Social Enterprise for the Public Service Delivery Market
To widen the arguments from the book launch, please kindly read through A New Movement for Cooperation
YouTube of Book Launch Download the presentation slides below: PowerPoint Presentation from Book Launch
Emily Maitlis did us all a big favour on Wednesday 24 August in her MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Festival, by exposing the ongoing Tory subborning of the BBC. For those of us who watch Channel Four and won’t watch BBC News, none of this is new. But the full text below of what she […]
If you’ve had COVID, you will know it can be pretty serious. Many of us, especially teaching and meeting in poorly ventilated and crowded rooms, especially with most folk not wearing masks, believe that we should bring back some previous restrictions. If you find this difficult to accept, please look through this highly reputable research […]
This is a significant and quite brave piece for the Higher Education Policy Institute by Mary Curnock Cook, who was Chief Executive of UCAS (the universities’ ‘clearing’ system) from 2010 to 2017. After leaving school at 16, Mary has worked her way across the UK higher education system. So she knows her trade! Following serious […]
The Institute for Fiscal Studies is not always a very progressive organisation, but its latest research on education and inequality is worth reading, espcially comparing the UK with other European and OECD countries. This is the introduction from the Institute’s media release: “Education levels have risen over time, in the UK and internationally. The share […]
This is Kenny MacAskill’s piece in the “Scotsman” on THU 30 JUN 2022 about Les Huckfield’s book “How Blair Killed the Coops”. Les is grateful to Kenny for his careful consideration of some detailed argument. This is the link to Kenny’s Scotsman piece: How Tony Blair killed off co-operatives as he pursued his ‘third way’ […]
Chris Bambery’s excellent review of David Brodie’s “First They Took Rome” is a most important contribution. Chris’ review and David’s book need to be read and appreciated by all who don’t understand Italy’s export of right wing populism.
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