MJ Herbert

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" Dr. Johnson

Socialist Women and International Women’s Day : 1908-1978 The contribution of socialist women to the instigation of International Women’s Day has largely  been written out of the history of the day. So this  is  my  small effort to put them back int…

Greetings on International Women's Day

This is an article I wrote about its Socialist origins.

redflagwalks.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/r...

“…through minor actions, through more group discussions, through more reading and  learning we are all becoming militants” “Shrew: a Women’s Liberation newsletter 1969-1978 Shrew began life in 1969  as the newsletter of the Women’s Liberation workshop in London In 1969 there was a just small number of women’s  groups starting to meet, influenced by the Wom…

"…through minor actions, through more group discussions, through more reading and learning we are all becoming militants.” Shrew: a Women’s Liberation newsletter 1969-1978. redflagwalks.wordpress.com/2019/05/08/t...

The Green Party’s War On Reality: Why Biology Is Not A ‘Fantasy’ - Heartlands How gender ideology, billionaire dark money, and authoritarian groupthink are tearing the Green Party apart...

The Green Party’s War on Reality: Why Biology is Not a ‘Fantasy’... “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four labourheartlands.com/the-green-pa...

“Free our sisters, free ourselves…” The first Women’s Liberation march, 6th March 1971 In my previous posts I have written about  the first Women’s Liberation Conference in February 1970 and the  imaginative protest at the Miss World contest in November 1970. Another key milest…

"Free Our Sisters, Free Ourselves" my post on the 1st Women's Liberation march, 6 March 1971 redflagwalks.wordpress.com/2019/08/04/f...

Green Party faces gender-critical group lawsuit over trans ‘witch-hunt’ Green Women’s Declaration claims discrimination after Zack Polanski’s party banned its stall at last year’s conference

item in the Times today: gender critical Green women taking Green party to court. Not such a welcoming party after all www.thetimes.com/article/fd00...

2017 general election (under Corbyn)

Labour - 40.0%
Greens - 1.6%

2019 general election (under Corbyn)

Labour - 32.1%
Greens - 2.6%

2026 polling (under Starmer)

Greens - 21.0%

Hannah's Bookshelf with special guest Michael Herbert - 28/02/2026 This week, my guest is the fab Michael Herbert. Michael is a freelance historian who lives in Greater Manchester. He attended the University of Manchester, studying history, and also has an MA in the...

delighted to have been a guest on Hannah's Bookshelf on North Manchester FM discussing my books on Len Johnson, Malcolm Hulke and Madeline Linford: www.mixcloud.com/Hannahs_Book...

"Things are not always what they seem" Malcolm ‘Mac’ Hulke (1924 – 1979) was a successful writer for television, film, the theatre and the radio from the 1950s to the 1970s. His work included episodes for such major television series as P...

Still available ; my biography of the TV sciptwriter Malcolm Hulke: "Things are not always what they seem" which looks at his work on series such as Pathfinders in Space, The Avengers, Danger Man and Doctor Who www.lulu.com/shop/michael...

Delighted to be a guest on Hannah's Bookshelf on North Manchester FM discussing my books on Len Johnson, Malcolm Hulke and Madeline Linford www.mixcloud.com/Hannahs_Book...

Ffs

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries - 1973 - Ep 3 - "A Terribly Strange Bed" YouTube video by SteveFBS

@oldsixie.bsky.social from 1973 "Orson Welles'Great Mysteries" this episode includes Colin Baker www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzE7...

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries -1973 - Ep 1 - "Captain Rogers" YouTube video by SteveFBS

From 1973 "Orson Welles Great Mysteries" with a theme tune that sounds like a 60s spy film

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Df...

Directed by #RoyWardBaker Starring ⭐ #MargaretLockwood #DaneClark

📽️ HIGHLY DANGEROUS (1950) 9:35am with #MariusGoring drama #TPTVsubtitles

Painting of a large bunch of different flowers in various colours grouped on a table in a a dark interior

The still life artworks of Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750), painter from the Netherlands who worked in the Dutch Golden Age, when art, science, nature and the domestic all merged, creating the popularity of the flower painting genre #WomensArt

Spill the Geek Tea 73: The War of the Worlds and The Tripods YouTube video by SPILL THE GEEK TEA

delighted to take part in a discussion on The War of the Worlds and The Tripods on the Spill the Geek Tea brodcast last Sunday. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaNG...

Spill the Geek Tea 73: The War of the Worlds and The Tripods YouTube video by SPILL THE GEEK TEA

Delighted to be a guest on the Spill The Geek Tea podcast discussing "The War of the Worlds" alongside Will Hadcroft who discussed "The Tripods" www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaNG...

Listening to The Seventh Doctor @bigfinish story "The Fearmonger" about the rise of right wing anti-immigrant party. Made in 2000 it seems very prescient.. www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/d...

£589 just to enter your own country? I’ve just signed this petition. The Home Office is blocking dual nationals from entering the UK on their non-British passports starting Feb 25th (that’s next week!). If you don't have a valid British...

I just signed this 38 Degrees petition and honestly, I’m fuming. 😤

The Home Office has quietly decided that from next week, dual citizens can’t enter the UK on their other passport. The alternative? Pay £589 for a certificate!
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/co...

A forgotten women’s solidarity campaign: my post on the Women’s Committee for the Relief of the Miners’ Wives and Children, May 1926 to January 1927. redflagwalks.wordpress.com/2019/11/04/a...

Zetland (Redcar & Cleveland) Council By-Election Result:

🔶 LDM: 50.5% (+15.2)
🌹 LAB: 21.6% (-25.2)
➡️ RFM: 13.5% (New)
🌍 GRN: 7.4% (New)
🌳 CON: 7.0% (-10.9)

my post on the first series of the science fiction series "Timeslip" from 1970. "The Wrong End of Time" with Cheryl Burfield, Spencer Banks and Dennis Quilley. Simon and Liz do go through the time barrier and find themselves in 1940... fantasiesofpossibility.wordpress.com/2026/02/19/t...

Left on the Shelf is the UK's largest specialist in second-hand left-wing books, pamphlets and journals.They also sell badges, posters and other political artefacts and ephemera. Numerous catalogues on site. www.abebooks.com/left-on-the-...

DOCTOR WHO MISSING EPISODES: THE FACELESS ONES - AN UNDERRATED TROUGHTON CLASSIC? YouTube video by The Sense Sphere - The Doctor Who Podcast

delighted to have discussed the classic Doctor Who serial "The Faceless Ones ("written by Malcolm Hulke and David Ellis) on the excellent Sense Sphere show www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vbu...

"Things are not always what they seem" Malcolm ‘Mac’ Hulke (1924 – 1979) was a successful writer for television, film, the theatre and the radio from the 1950s to the 1970s. His work included episodes for such major television series as P...

"Things are not always what they see" the first biography of the tv scriptwriter and novelist Malcolm "Mac" Hulke who wrote for classic series such as Pathfinders in Space, The Avengers, Danger Man, and Doctor Who. www.lulu.com/shop/michael...

on Culture Matters: review of "I am here to meet all comers" the story of Len Johnson, Manchester Uncrowned Champion Boxer and Communist " a biography written by Michael Herbert. www.culturematters.org.uk/i-am-here-to...

"All help possible will be given" The Manchester and Salford Women’s Trades Union Council was established in 1895 to organise women into trade unions, and lasted until 1919. The Council employed organisers such as Sarah Dickenson, Eva...

Recently published; "All help possible will be given": the complete minutes of the Manchester and Salford Women's Trades Council, 1895-1919 www.lulu.com/shop/bernade...

Labour vote at past General Elections
1997 Blair 13.5m
2001 Blair 10.7 m
2005 Blair 9.5m
2010 Brown 8. 6m
2015 Miliband. 9.3m
2017 Corbyn 12.8m
2019 Corbyn 10.2 m
2024 Starmer 9.7 m

Stop Palantir taking over our public services! Our public services aren’t for a secretive profit-hungry US tech firm. Sign the petition to tell the Government to scrap all contracts with secretive US tech firm Palantir.

Our public services aren’t for a secretive profit-hungry US tech firm. Sign the petition to tell the Government to scrap all contracts with secretive US tech firm Palantir. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...

Fletton & Woodston (Peterborough) Council By-Election Result:

➡️ RFM: 29.4% (New)
🌍 GRN: 27.6% (+16.2)
🌳 CON: 21.8% (-11.8)
🌹 LAB: 16.8% (-31.2)
🔶 LDM: 4.4% (-0.7)

No TUSC (-1.9) as previous.

Reform GAIN from Labour.
Changes w/ 2024.