Tribune (magazine)
In early 1937, two wealthy Labour Party Members of Parliament named Sir Stafford Cripps and George Strauss established Tribune to back the Unity Campaign. This campaign sought an anti-fascist and anti-appeasement united front between the Labour Party and socialist parties to the left. The initial board included Aneurin Bevan, Ellen Wilkinson, Harold Laski, and H. N. Brailsford. William Mellor served as the paper's first editor until he was fired in 1938 for refusing to adopt a new Communist Party policy. Mellor's successor was H. J. Hartshorn, a secret member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. During this period, the paper functioned largely as an appendage of Victor Gollancz's Left Book Club. It took an uncritical line on the Popular Front and the Soviet Union until the Nazi-Soviet pact emerged in 1939. After the Soviet invasion of Finland, Strauss and Bevan grew impatient with Hartshorn's Stalinism. They dismissed him in February 1940 and replaced him with Raymond Postgate. Under Postgate, the paper became the voice of the pro-war democratic left within the Labour Party.
George Orwell joined Tribune in 1943 as literary editor to commission reviews and write columns under the title As I Please. His most famous contributions include You and the Atom Bomb and The sporting spirit. These pieces have since appeared in dozens of anthologies. Orwell left the staff in early 1945 to become a war correspondent for The Observer. He remained a regular contributor until March 1947. Other writers who contributed during the 1940s included Naomi Mitchison, Stevie Smith, and Alex Comfort. Jon Kimche handled day-to-day running while Aneurin Bevan served as editor from 1941 to 1945. The paper reached its highest circulation of some 40,000 copies following the Labour landslide election victory of 1945. Michael Foot played Bevan's role of political director after Bevan formally left the paper. Foot persuaded Kimche to return as joint editor in 1946. In 1948, Foot himself became joint editor with Evelyn Anderson after Kimche was fired for traveling to Istanbul to negotiate refugee passage.
During the early 1950s, Tribune became the organ of the Bevanite left opposition to the Labour Party leadership. It turned against the United States over its handling of the Korean War. The magazine argued strongly against West German rearmament and nuclear arms. However, it denounced Stalin on his death in 1953. In 1956, it opposed both the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian Revolution and the British government's Suez adventure. The paper and Bevan parted company after his naked into the conference chamber speech at the 1957 Labour Party conference. For the next five years, Tribune stood at the forefront of the campaign to commit Labour to a non-nuclear defence policy. Activists in the peace movement called it the official weekly of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Peggy Duff served as CND general secretary while also working as Tribune general manager. Journalists on Tribune during this decade included Richard Clements, Ian Aitken, and Mervyn Jones. Jones later related his experience on the paper in his autobiography Chances.
From 2008, Tribune faced serious financial difficulties until Jacobin purchased it in late 2018. Before that crisis, circulation had dropped from around 20,000 in 1960 to roughly 10,000 by 1980. By 1984, circulation sat at around 6,000, a level it remained near for the next ten years. In 2004, trade unions including Unison, Amicus, Aslef, Plunkett, Communication Workers Union, Community, and T&G became majority shareholders after providing significant investment. An attempt by Unite trade union to make Tribune its wholly owned subsidiary occurred in September 2008. On the 9th of October 2008, the magazine was announced to close on the 31st of October if no buyer could be found. Debts were written off by former owners, and a Labour Party activist bought a 51% stake for £1 with an undertaking to support the magazine for £40,000 per annum. Kevin McGrath took 100% ownership through Tribune Publications 2009 Limited in March 2009. Owen Oyston acquired parent company London Publications Ltd in autumn 2016 before filing for bankruptcy and ceasing publication in January 2018.
In May 2018, Jacobin purchased the Tribune intellectual property. Bhaskar Sunkara confirmed the purchase in media reports that August. The official re-launch happened in September 2018 as a bimonthly magazine with high-quality design. It concentrated on longer-form political analysis and industrial issues coverage. By December 2020, the editor announced the magazine had reached 15,000 paying subscribers. The publication model shifted again to quarterly status after initial plans. High-profile writers include Jeremy Corbyn, Pablo Iglesias, and Evo Morales. In January 2020, Rebecca Long-Bailey chose Tribune as the platform to launch her Labour leadership campaign. Ronan Burtenshaw served as editor from 2018 until 2023. Taj Ali and Karl Hansen held the role from 2023 to 2024. Alex Niven took over in 2025. Mohamed Ali Harrath, owner of Islam Channel, purchased the magazine in 2025. A podcast called A World to Win launched on the 19th of August 2020 alongside economist Grace Blakeley.
The Tribune Group of Labour MPs formed in 1964 as a support group for the newspaper. During the 1960s and 1970s it was the main forum for the left in the Parliamentary Labour Party. The group split over Tony Benn's bid for deputy leadership in 1981. Benn's supporters formed the Campaign Group later known as the Socialist Campaign Group. By 2018, the group listed more than 70 MPs as members including Keir Starmer. In November 2025, reports indicated attempts to revive the caucus after a moribund period under Clive Efford. Louise Haigh, Vicky Foxcroft, Justin Madders, Sarah Owen, Yuan Yang, and Beccy Cooper now lead efforts to pressure the government. The magazine has historically hosted panels and fringe events at Labour Party Conference. In 2021 they invited Andy McDonald and Nina Turner. The Tribune Group relaunched itself in April 2017 aiming to reconnect with traditional voters while appealing to the centre ground. It supported opportunity and aspiration being central to the party programme. Analysis by LabourList and PLMR suggested the group had 60 MPs by 2025.
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Common questions
Who established Tribune magazine in 1937?
Sir Stafford Cripps and George Strauss established Tribune to back the Unity Campaign. The initial board included Aneurin Bevan, Ellen Wilkinson, Harold Laski, and H. N. Brailsford.
When did William Mellor leave his role as editor of Tribune?
William Mellor served as the paper's first editor until he was fired in 1938 for refusing to adopt a new Communist Party policy. His successor was H. J. Hartshorn, who was dismissed in February 1940 after the Soviet invasion of Finland.
What circulation figures did Tribune reach following the Labour landslide election victory of 1945?
The paper reached its highest circulation of some 40,000 copies following the Labour landslide election victory of 1945. Circulation had dropped from around 20,000 in 1960 to roughly 10,000 by 1980 before falling further to 6,000 by 1984.
How many paying subscribers did Tribune have by December 2020?
By December 2020, the editor announced the magazine had reached 15,000 paying subscribers. The publication model shifted again to quarterly status after initial plans and high-profile writers include Jeremy Corbyn, Pablo Iglesias, and Evo Morales.
When did Jacobin purchase the Tribune intellectual property?
In May 2018, Jacobin purchased the Tribune intellectual property. Bhaskar Sunkara confirmed the purchase in media reports that August and the official re-launch happened in September 2018 as a bimonthly magazine with high-quality design.