“Never Underestimate the Ability of the Establishment to Divide and Rule”
In an interview with Jacobin, former Labour Party shadow chancellor John McDonnell discusses Boris Johnson’s handling of the COVID crisis, recalls the radical atmosphere of the 1980s Labour Party, and draws the lessons from Jeremy Corbyn’s five years as party leader.
John McDonnell addresses supporters in his home town in Liverpool in 2017. (Christopher Furlong / Getty Images)
John McDonnell, a member of Parliament representing the West London constituency of Hayes and Harlington, was the Labour Party’s shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership from 2015 until earlier this year. He was recently interviewed by staff writer Alex Press and historian Gabriel Winant on Jacobin’s Casualties of History, a podcast focused on E.P. Thompson’s classic history The Making of the English Working Class. McDonnell discussed the response to the current economic crisis, the Boris Johnson government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and the Labour Party’s bitter defeat in the 2019 election.
You can listen to Casualties of History by subscribing to Jacobin Radio here, and you can listen to the episode with McDonnell here. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Alex N. Press
John, why don’t we talk about the layoffs in your district that have kept you busy these past few weeks?
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.