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'''''Labour Briefing''''' was a monthly [[political]] [[magazine]] produced by members of the British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].

==History and profile==
The magazine began in 1980 as '''''London Labour Briefing'''''.<ref name="pejomi">{{cite book|author1=Peter Barberis|author2=John McHugh|author3=Mike Tyldesley|title=Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qps14mSlghcC&pg=PA284|accessdate=16 August 2015|year=2000|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-0-8264-5814-8|page=284}}</ref> The founders were the members of the Chartist Minority Tendency, which was a former [[Trotskyist]] part of the Chartist Collective.<ref name=pejomi/> It was edited by (among others) Graham Bash, [[Chris Knight (anthropologist)|Chris Knight]] and Keith Veness and counted [[Ken Livingstone]], [[Tony Benn]] and other prominent Labour councillors and MPs among its supporters. Throughout the early period, its masthead slogan was ''"Labour – take the power!"'' While the magazine's followers often acted as a political faction, its internal politics were non-sectarian and open, ranging from [[democratic socialist]] backers of the former Labour MP [[Tony Benn]] to some of the Trotskyist groups.<ref name=pejomi/> 

[[Jeremy Corbyn]], later [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]], became a regular contributor to ''London Labour Briefing'' in the 1980s, and was described by ''[[The Times]]'' in 1981 as "''Briefing''{{'s}} founder".<ref name="Walker1981">{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=David |title=A briefing on 'Briefing': Left-wing activists unite in print |work=[[The Times]] |issue=61103 |date=9 December 1981 |location=London, England |page=2 |issn=0140-0460 |oclc=6967919 |quote={{sic|Iits}} guiding spirit is Mr Jeremy Corbyn, aged 31, ''Briefing''{{'s}} founder, an official of the National Union of Public Employees.}}</ref> In a 1982 article published by ''[[The Economist]]'', Corbyn was named as "''Briefing''{{'s}} general secretary figure",<ref>{{cite news |title=Where Militant matters |newspaper=The Economist |issue=7231 |date=3 April 1982 |page=28 |quote=... Briefing's general secretary figure, Mr Jeremy Corbyn, will be Labour's candidate in Islington North.}}</ref> as he also was in a profile on Corbyn compiled by parliamentary biographer [[Andrew Roth]] in 2004,<ref name="Ridge">{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSpMujhSQHE&spfreload=10. |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/NSpMujhSQHE |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Jeremy Corbyn on the IRA and immigration: Full interview on #Ridge|last1=Ridge|first1=Sophie|date=21 May 2017|work=Sky News|accessdate=21 May 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="CorbNI">{{cite news |title=FactCheck: Corbyn on Northern Ireland |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-corbyn-on-northern-ireland |accessdate=23 August 2018 |work=Channel 4 News}}</ref> which alleges that he joined the editorial board as General Secretary in 1979.<ref name="roth profile">{{cite web|url=http://internetserver.bishopsgate.org.uk/files/Parliamentary%20Profiles%20Archive/A-D/CORBYN,%20Jeremy/CORBYN,%20Jeremy.pdf|title=Jeremy (Bernard) Corbyn Parliamentary Profile by Andrew Roth|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060013/http://internetserver.bishopsgate.org.uk/files/Parliamentary%20Profiles%20Archive/A-D/CORBYN%2C%20Jeremy/CORBYN%2C%20Jeremy.pdf|archivedate=23 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Michael Crick]], in the 2016 edition of his book ''Militant'', says that Corbyn was "a member of the editorial board" in the "mid 1980s",<ref>{{cite book|last1=Crick|first1=Michael|title=Militant|date=10 March 2016|location=London|publisher=Biteback Publishing Ltd|isbn=978-1-78590-029-7|page=xvii}}</ref> as does Lansley, Goss and Wolmar's ''The Rise and Fall of the Municipal Left'' in 1989.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EKyvCwAAQBAJ&q=corbyn|title=Councils in Conflict: The Rise and Fall of the Municipal Left|last1=Lansley|first1=Stewart|last2=Goss|first2=Sue|last3=Wolmar|first3=Christian|date=1989-10-01|publisher=Springer|isbn=9781349202317}}</ref> ''[[The Times]]'' also said that Corbyn was still "closely linked" with the group in 1995.<ref name="PL95">{{cite news |last1=Pierce |first1=Andrew |last2=Landale |first2=James |title=Liz Davies and the magazine link that blighted her career |work=[[The Times]] |issue=65388 |publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd |date=3 October 1995 |page=6}}</ref> However, in 2017, Corbyn claimed these reports were inaccurate, telling [[Sky News]] presenter [[Sophy Ridge]], "Andrew Roth has a wonderful reputation for having the most inaccurate parliamentary profiles known to anyone",<ref name="Ridge"/> and that "I read the magazine. I wrote for the magazine. I was not a member of the editorial board. I didn't agree with it."<ref name="CorbNI"/> 

The group campaigned for left-wing policies and greater democracy in the Labour Party, and focused on issues relating to municipal affairs.<ref name="Walker1981" /> The paper also emphasised sexual and personal politics and [[anti-racism]] campaigns. ''London Labour Briefing'' was also prominent in supporting [[Irish republicanism]] and the [[1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike|UK miners' strike of 1984–1985]]. In due course, ''London Labour Briefing'' spawned local papers around Britain, such as ''Devon Labour Briefing''. In July 1982, Corbyn argued against expulsions of [[Militant tendency|Militant]] in ''Briefing''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Crick|first1=Michael|title=Militant|date=10 March 2016|location=London|publisher=Biteback Publishing Ltd|isbn=978-1-78590-029-7|pages=xvii–xviii|quote=An article in the July 1982 edition of ''London Labour Briefing'' illustrated Corbyn's public stance: 'If expulsions are in order for Militant,' he wrote, 'they should apply to us too.' And Corbyn, a year before he became an MP, announced himself as 'provisional convenor' of the new 'Defeat the Witch-Hunt Campaign'. It was based at an address in Lausanne Road in Hornsey, north London, Corbyn's own home at that time.}}</ref>

Following the [[Brighton hotel bombing]] by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]], the editorial board of ''London Labour Briefing'' said the bombings showed that "the British only sit up and take notice [of Ireland] when they are bombed into it". In December 1984, the magazine carried a reader's letter praising the "audacity" of the IRA attack and stating: "What do you call four dead Tories? A start."<ref name="Gilligan2018">{{cite news|last1=Gilligan|first1=Andrew|title=Revealed: Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell's close IRA links|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/11924431/Revealed-Jeremy-Corbyn-and-John-McDonnells-close-IRA-links.html|accessdate=31 May 2016|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=10 October 2015}}</ref> It mocked [[Norman Tebbit]], the trade secretary who was dug out of the rubble of the Grand Hotel and whose wife was left permanently paralysed, saying: "Try riding your bike now, Norman" (in reference to an earlier speech made by Tebbit).<ref name="Gilligan2018"/> The same issue carried a piece from the editorial board which "disassociated itself" from an article the previous month criticising the bombing, saying the criticism was a "serious political misjudgment".<ref name="Gilligan2018"/>

Throughout the 1990s, ''Briefing'' lost supporters and influence as [[New Labour]]'s hold over the Labour Party increased. [[Liz Davies]] was vetoed by Labour's [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party (UK)|National Executive Committee]] (NEC) as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for [[Leeds North East]] in 1995,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Foster |first1=Jonathan |last2=Davies |first2=Patricia Wynn |title=Labour may be sued for dropping left-winger |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/labour-may-be-sued-for-dropping-left-winger-1603347.html |accessdate=12 September 2018 |work=[[The Independent]] |date=29 September 1995}}</ref> in part for her association with ''Briefing''.<ref name="PL95"/> Corbyn called the decision of the NEC "totally unacceptable" at the time.<ref name="roth profile" /> In 1995, Central Books, a left-wing publisher which used to distribute the magazine, said: "It used to be wacky and even amusing. Now it's neo-Trotskyite rubbish."<ref name="PL95"/>

''London Labour Briefing'' was renamed ''Labour Briefing'' and was then known as ''Labour Left Briefing'' in 1995.<ref name="PL95" /> In 2008, upon merging with ''Voice of the Unions'', it reverted to ''Labour Briefing''. It supports the [[Socialist Campaign Group]] of [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]], and aims to promote and build the network of local Campaign Groups.{{fact|date=November 2023}}

==2012 division==
Following a contested vote at the July 2012 AGM, some supporters of ''Labour Briefing'' decided to transfer control of the magazine to the [[Labour Representation Committee (2004)|Labour Representation Committee]]. Other Editorial Board members, including Labour Party NEC member [[Christine Shawcroft]], opposed the move, and continued to publish their own independent ''Labour Briefing'' magazine (sometimes known as 'Original Briefing').

In February 2023, the Labour Briefing Editorial Board announced the closure of the magazine.

==Contributors==

There have been a number of notable contributors and members of the magazine's editorial board. Most contributors in the 1980s were prominent members of London's "outside left".<ref name= Kogan>{{cite book|last1=Kogan|first1=David|last2=Kogan|first2=Maurice|title=The Battle for the Labour Party|date=1982|publisher=Fontana|location=Glasgow|pages=129–130}}</ref>

They included:
* [[Tony Banks, Baron Stratford|Tony Banks]]<ref name= Kogan/>
* [[Tony Benn]]<ref name= Kogan/>
* [[Jeremy Corbyn]], MP for [[Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)|Islington North]], former [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]]<ref name= Kogan/>
* [[Bryn Davies]], [[trade unionist]], [[actuary]] and [[politician]] who was Leader of the [[Inner London Education Authority]] in the early 1980s<ref name= Kogan/>
* Andy Harris<ref name= Kogan/>
* Tony Hart, [[Greater London Council]] member, and husband of [[Judith Hart]] MP<ref name= Kogan/>
* [[Chris Knight (anthropologist)|Chris Knight]], anthropologist<ref name= Kogan/>
* [[Ted Knight (politician)|Ted Knight]], former Lambeth council leader<ref name= Kogan/>
* George Nicholson<ref name= Kogan/>
* [[Jackie Walker (activist)|Jackie Walker]], activist<ref name= Kogan/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*https://labourbriefingcooperative.net/
*http://labourbriefing.squarespace.com/home/

[[Category:1980 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Political magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Democratic socialism]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) publications]]
[[Category:Magazines published in London]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1980]]
[[Category:Socialist magazines]]