Tribune (magazine)

Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, currently a magazine though in the past more often a newspaper, published in London.

Back to basics

From 1993, Mark Seddon (editor 1993-2004) shifted Tribune several degrees back to the left, particularly after Tony Blair became Labour leader in 1994. The paper strongly opposed Blair's abandonment of Clause Four of the Labour Party constitution and resisted his rebranding of the party as "New Labour".

Related Topics:
Mark Seddon - Tony Blair - Clause Four

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After Labour won the 1997 general election, the paper maintained an oppositionist stance, objecting to the Blair government's military interventions and its reliance on spin-doctors. In 2001, Tribune opposed the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, and it was outspoken against the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The paper under Seddon also reverted to an anti-European position very similar to that it adopted in the 1970s and early 1980s and campaigned for Gordon Brown to replace Blair as Labour leader and prime minister.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tribune changed format from newspaper to magazine in 2001 but remained plagued by financial uncertainty, coming close to folding again in 2002. But Seddon organised a rescue package with the left-leaning trade unions, who became majority shareholders in return for major investment in the magazine in early 2004.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While editor, Seddon was elected several times to the Labour Party national executive committee as a candidate of the Grassroots Alliance coalition of left-wing activists. He resigned as editor in summer 2004 and was replaced by Chris McLaughlin.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~