The Contested Conjuncture – Authoritarian Populism and Progressive Possibilities

Co-convened with Soundings: A journal of politics and culture and Identities: Global studies in culture and power this one day symposium assesses the present 'conjuncture': critically analysing the history and condition of the Labour party and wider labour movement in Britain; the political consequences of national and global social, economic, and ecological crises; and the nature of hegemonic, dominant and emergent political projects.  

Speakers include:

John Cruddas, MP; Jeremy Gilbert; Jo Littler; Bill Schwarz; David Featherstone; Aaron Winter; Montel Gordon; Les Back; Adam Elliott-Cooper

9.00 – 9.30 Arrivals

9.30 – 9.45 Welcome/introduction

9.45 – 11.15 Panel 1: Progressive Possibilities? Learning from New Times and New Labour

In the late 1980s, Stuart Hall was key to the ‘New Times’ intervention, seeking to jolt the Labour Party into grasping the consequences of globalisation, new technologies and diverse identities – and re-articulating them as a pluralist, democratic left project. Subsequent New Labour ‘modernisation’ encouraged hope that the Party had grasped rapid social change and hegemonic politics. However, its technocratic version of modernisation, lack of pluralism and embrace of neoliberalism led to Hall’s scathing (1998) verdict that “Mrs Thatcher had a project. Blair’s historic project is adjusting us to it.” Despite this, into the 2000s Hall and other critics continued to tease out potential sites for progressive re-articulation. Now Labour again stands on the cusp of a rare period in government, but lacking the public enthusiasm, political skill and intellectual coherence (however contested) that underpinned New Labour: we inhabit a fragmented world of multiple crises that is unrecognisable from 1997. What would Hall make of such a moment?

Sadiya Akram, University of Birmingham, 'The Racial State and the Limits of Progressive Politics'

Alan Finlayson, UEA, ‘Hegemony in the age of ideological entrepreneurs’

Will Leggett, University of Birmingham, 'From 'New Times' (1989) to 'stability is change' (2024)—the collapse of the social in Labour Party strategy'

Frankie Rogan, University of Birmingham, 'Gendering New Times: digital culture(s), young women and economic crises’

11.15 – 11.30 Refreshments

11.30 – 13.00 Authoritarian Populism and the Current Conjuncture (convened by the journal Soundings: A journal of politics and culture)

This session engages with the relevance of Hall's work for thinking about authoritarianism in the current political conjuncture. It argues that his interventions in this vein, such as the theorisation of authoritarian populism, are a fundamental part of the current lexicon of left debate, locating these interventions as part of broader interconnected geographies through which the left has sought to make sense of, and intervene in authoritarian formations. This session positions Hall’s work as a point of departure for understanding key contemporary issues such as the increasingly authoritarian tone of Labour under Keir Starmer’s leadership; the repression of diverse forms of protest including concerted attempts to criminalise solidarities against the genocide in Palestine; the fomenting of racialised and gendered divisions and the entrenching of impunity for the Police and armed forces personnel.

Adam Elliott Cooper, Queen Mary, University of London, 'Enemies within: Nationalism's Internal Outsiders'

Dave Featherstone, Soundings/ University of Glasgow, 'Authoritarian populism and the fractured geographies of the UK State'

Jo Littler, Soundings: ‘Model minority authoritarianism’

Bill Schwarz, Queen Mary, University of London

13:00 – 13:45 lunch

13:45 – 14:30 Plenary and Q&A: Prof Jeremy Gilbert: “Restoration: the return of the political class”

14:45 – 16:15 Panel 3: convened by the Journal Identities: Global studies in culture and power

In the spirit of Stuart Hall’s approach to scholarship, critique and engagement, this session convenes a panel of speakers from Sociology at the University of Glasgow and the journal Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, to connect discussion of ‘conjunctures’ to contemporary crises and their respective terrain of struggle, in policing the crisis in the 21st century (Montel Gordon), class and everyday life (Kirsteen Paton), populism and the far right (Aaron Winter), and articulations of resistance in music (Les Back).

Les Back, University of Glasgow, 'Music and Articulations of Resistance'

Montel Gordon, University of Glasgow, 'Black Youth, Education, and Incarceration'

Kirsteen Paton, University of Glasgow, 'Urban Restructuring, Class and Everyday Life'

Aaron Winter, Lancaster University, 'Racism, Populism and the Far Right'

Chaired by Nasar Meer

16:15 – 17:00 Closing Address/Q&A

17:00 Close