"The Challenges He Faces Are Daunting," Billy Bragg Backs Anthony Albanese

English singer, songwriter and politically outspoken icon Billy Bragg has taken to social media to claim his support for Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

Across his vast discography, Bragg has never shied away from politics, with his mix of folk and punk rock consistently leaning into protest spanning political and romantic themes. They include famous anthems including The Internationale, The Red Flag, A New England and Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards. 

Albanese quoted Bragg's To Have and To Have Not when he was announcing his first ministry this week. 

"‘Just because you’re going forward doesn’t mean I’m going backwards.’ It’s a good song. And that’s true because other people are going forward isn’t a reflection on the capacity of others,” he said to reporters in Canberra in Sunday.

On Facebook and Instagram, Bragg posted stating, "He and I first met at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney back in the late 1990s and we immediately bonded over a shared love of music and a commitment to the politics of compassion," 

"The defeat of the Morrison government has given an uplift to many in Britain, where the Tories seek to use wedge issues to rally support."

"That the Australian electorate rejected such divisive politics offers hope to all of us fighting against the rising tide of populism. Obviously, for me, there’s the added joy."

"The challenges he faces are daunting and I don’t envy him his success. Some of us just sing about making the world a better place - he now has the responsibility of delivering on that promise."

"The people have given him a mandate for change - to create a new Australia committed to acting collectively in the common good. I know Albo is the right person for the job. He has a socialism of the heart."

The pair have been acquainted since the 1990s, where Albanese helped organise a range of performances in Australia to support the labour movement and protest against Margaret thatcher's policies in the mid-1980s. 

Was great to catch up with @billybragg in Sydney this week to chat about politics, penalty rates and @RSDAustralia pic.twitter.com/YyLvvdoawk

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 13, 2017