A new independent news and opinion website for the left launches on Friday 1 May 2026, May Day, backed by a community of over 1,000 subscribers and a team of 30 volunteer writers and journalists committed to radical, accountable journalism with no billionaire owners and no algorithm.
The Left Lane (https://theleftlane.media) brings together writers, journalists and commentators from across the left to provide daily news, analysis and opinion on UK politics and international developments. Born from a Substack publication with over 1,000 loyal subscribers, The Left Lane has grown into a fully independent rolling news and opinion platform – collectively run, community funded and editorially independent.
A collective run on cooperative lines, The Left Lane will report on events in the UK and internationally, covering left politics, offering opinion and analysis, publishing book and other reviews and promoting left-wing and socialist events. Updated daily by its volunteer team, the publication will provide an open platform and a radical take on politics and other social and economic developments in the UK and internationally.
Commenting on the launch of The Left Lane website, founder member Alan Story said: “I’m absolutely delighted that The Left Lane is being reinvented as a new rolling news and opinion website for the organised left. We believe there’s a real space in the media landscape for an online publication like ours; a socialist project that will not only seek to explain and make sense of events in an increasingly complex and unstable world, discuss solutions and a way forward and also provide opportunities for individuals from a range of backgrounds to develop skills as writers, commentators and journalists.”
The Left Lane will be collaborative and collegiate in publishing comments and contributions from the communities it seeks to support and report on and will hold, organise, conduct and promote online events to further its aims and raise profile.
The online publication, located at theleftlane.media, will be updated daily by its team of volunteers, comprised of writers, journalists and activists drawn from the left of politics. A fundraiser for the project has already raised more than £1,000, demonstrating the strength of community support for the initiative.
“The Left Lane exists because independent, community-driven journalism matters more than ever,” said Story. “We’re not here to commentate from the sidelines – we’re here to give voice to the people, movements and ideas that mainstream media ignores or misrepresents. If you have something to say about the world and how it could be different, we want to hear from you,” he said.
The Left Lane’s launch on International Workers Day is deliberate – a statement of solidarity with the movements and communities it will serve. The Left Lane will be seeking membership of the Independent Media Association and will also register with the independent media regulator Impress.
Support The Left Lane
The Left Lane has no rich backers and is funded solely by the donations of those who support its work and also by any grant funding that it may attract. Please consider making a contribution towards The Left Lane’s operating costs by donating to the fundraiser on GoFundMe below. Every donation makes a difference and all support is greatly appreciated.
