The Russian Revolution

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [British Library]( [new-statesman]( [ns nl v3]( For Theresa May's Conservatives, Brexit has proved an immense political prize. Ukip's collapse allowed the Tories to achieve the best local election results for a governing party since 1974. In parts of the country where they have long been marginalised, the Conservatives surged: winning Derbyshire council, the Tees Valley mayoralty and recovering in Scotland. In this week's New Statesman, we revisit another political revolution: Russia 1917. Catherine Merridale explains how Lenin short-circuited his country's history, John Gray recalls the western fellow-travellers and useful idiots seduced by Moscow and Martin Kettle charts his communist upbringing. Elsewhere, David Reynolds explores how Karl Marx anticipated the rise of globalisation, Michael Prodger tells the story of Soviet art's lost radical potential and Eimear McBride writes on the perils of being a poet under Stalin. Back in Britain, Helen Lewis follows Labour MP Jess Phillips on the campaign trail, Stephen Bush says Jeremy Corbyn's lasting effect on Labour may be smaller than thought and Patrick Maguire meets Joe Anderson, the outgoing mayor of Liverpool. All this, plus Xan Rice on the extraordinary story of the boxer Anthony Joshua, Pauline Bock on the former miners voting for Le Pen and Yo Zushi in defence of philistinism. Jason Cowley, [@JasonCowleyNS]( Editor's Picks --------------------------------------------------------------- [Most Labour MPs dance around Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity - not Jess Phillips] [Most Labour MPs dance around Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity - not Jess Phillips]( Smart, funny and mouthy, Jess Phillips is one of the most impressive MPs from Labour's 2015 intake. Helen Lewis follows her on the campaign trail. [What the general election selection battles reveal about Jeremy Corbyn's legacy] [What the general election selection battles reveal about Jeremy Corbyn's legacy]( Stephen Bush on whether Corbyn has succeeded on his own terms. [Why do humans choose to swim?] [Why do humans choose to swim?]( Philip Hoare reviews three new "swimoirs" for clues about why we are so drawn to the water. [Alan Johnson: The morning all hell broke loose] [Alan Johnson: The morning all hell broke loose]( The former home secretary on "spin" under Blair and Brown. [What next for Joe Anderson, Liverpool's fighting mayor?] [What next for Joe Anderson, Liverpool's fighting mayor?]( Patrick Maguire meets the larger-than-life Labour mayor of Liverpool. [New Statesman Subscribe Now]( [www.NewStatesman.com]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Loake]( [Why has Theresa May left Brexit to the three stooges?] [Why has Theresa May left Brexit to the three stooges?]( Jonn Elledge on the prime minister's not so strong-and-stable decisions. [The Inside story of Labour Leave] [The Inside story of Labour Leave]( Julia Rampen on the left-wing Eurosceptics who toppled a Tory prime minister. [Click here for more information]( [podcast]( [Facebook]( [Google Plus]( [Twitter]( [Tumblr]( © copyright 2016 New Statesman LTD. John Carpenter House, 7 Carmelite Street, Blackfriars, EC4Y 0AN, United Kingdom. To stop receiving news and offers from the New Statesman, please [click here](.