Brian Salisbury [Uncut Conversation]. Special Report: The Lucas Plan at 50: A Radical Investment in Society, Not the War Machine

Laura Flanders and Friends: Solution Journalism on Democracy, Movements, Society and Culture

Synopsis: Fifty years ago, factory floor workers at Lucas Aerospace challenged their company's focus on war machines with an innovative plan for socially useful production - and it could be just as relevant today.

Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters.

Description: Military budgets are skyrocketing across the globe, while funding for social needs—housing, healthcare, education—is being slashed. Politicians often justify this skewed spending by claiming it creates jobs. But what if the people doing those jobs had a say in how public money was used?

Fifty years ago, workers at Lucas Aerospace, a U.K. military contractor, designed a visionary proposal known as the Lucas Plan: a worker-led alternative focused on socially useful production rather than weapons of war.

In our special report, The Lucas Plan at 50: A Radical Investment in Society, Not the War Machine, Laura spoke with Brian Salisbury, a former Lucas Aerospace shop steward and one of the voices behind that groundbreaking effort. He comes from a proud family of Lucas workers: his father worked there for over 40 years. He himself worked for the company for 22 years at the Birmingham plant. At 90 years old today He says: “At a time when there’s a lack of a political alternative narrative to neoliberalism the opportunity to put forward a response from the “bottom up” is essential given the direction of travel by those in power on either side of the Atlantic.”

What follows is the full, uncut conversation with Brian—rich with lessons for today’s movements for climate justice, peace, and economic democracy.

Guest: Brian Salisbury: Former Lucas Aerospace Shop Steward

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RESOURCES:

- Watch the episode released on YouTube July 11th 5pm ET; PBS World Channel June 13th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode) and airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast July 16th.

Full Episode Notes are located HERE.

Recommended book:

• “The Lucas Plan: A New Trade Unionism in the Making?” by Hilary Wainwright and Dave Elliott, Learn More

Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

Democracy & Capitalism: A Failed Experiment?: Watch / Listen: Uncut Conversation - Episode

Community Wealth Building: An Economic Reset: Watch / Listen: Uncut Conversation - Episode

Dollars and Democracy: Participatory Budgeting: Watch / Listen: Episode

• From Cleveland, OH to Preston, UK. Community Wealth Building, Watch / Listen: Episode

Related Articles and Resources:

• A Lucas Plan For the Twenty First Century From Asset Manager Arsenal to Green Industrial Strategy, by Khern Rogsly, October 2024 - Common Welath

• The Lucas Plan the Way to an Alternative Security Strategy, by Khem Royally, December 11, 2024, Rethinking Security

• UK to cut green levies on businesses in bid to reduce energy costs and boost manufacturing, by Jessica Elgot and Rob Davies, June 22, 2025, The Guardian

•. Decarbonising and diversifying defense in the US and the UK: A workers’ enquiry for a Just Transition, Decarbonising-Defence.co.uk

• Wortley Hall, the Worker’s Stately home, a member of the co-operative union

•. US Defense Secretary Called Europe ‘Pathetic.” Two BU Experts on Whether the Alliance Is Damaged, by Rich Barlow, March 27, 2025, Boston University Today

• ‘I will not protect you’: Trump Threatens to Abandon Nato Allies, Kaitlan Collins, October 11, 2024, CNN

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