A New Politics from the Left

Millions of people passionately desire a viable alternative to austerity, authoritarianism and fear. They reject both corporate capitalism and an elite political system over which they have no control, but they are sceptical of the traditional weapons of the left: seizing state power and devising top-down solutions. They are inventing a new politics based on principles of participatory democracy, co-operation and self-government. In this urgent and original polemic, activist and academic Hilary Wainwright shows that this new politics must start from sharing the tacit knowledge and creativity of each individual. Power should not be exercised as domination, the imposition of paternalistic rule by well-meaning experts, but as a collaborative exercise in nurturing and asserting the transformative capacity of the many. Wainwright analyses what this new politics can learn from recent history, from the women's and radical shop stewards' movements in the 1970s and 80s to radical economic and democratic experiments in the 21st century. She thereby provides an inspiration for a future that combines solidarity with autonomy. It will be a resource for activists and radicals everywhere.