Recently, Tim Mongomerie of ‘Conservative Home’ fame and the co-founder of the Centre for Social Justice has suggested the Conservative Party is about to drift to the left. Early indicators from the budget would imply he is completely off-track, but is this a reasonable assertion?
Leaked government documents have now revealed they are anticipating an additional 1.3m people unemployed over the next 5 years, but against this, they anticipate the private sector will introduce 2.5m new jobs over the same period. The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development have argued Coalition predictions are unrealistic and unachievable and this view has been supported by many others, so the Tories could find themselves in trouble.
If this is the case, we can safely assume the trade unions and opposition parties will actively work towards discrediting government strategy. Over the next few months the campaign to expose the unfairness will increase and it is likely to lead to considerable unhappiness amongst the electorate. If campaigns such as “Right to Work” are successful, it brings into question how long the alliance between the Tories and Liberal democrats could last.
The Tories have two possible strategies they could adopt. Option one is take a hardline neo-Thatcherite approach that directly confronts the unions and opposition until finally the steam is sucked out of the campaign and the country ultimately returns to an even economic keel. Most would argue this is a dangerous course, but certainly one that would be welcomed by right wingers in the Conservative party. If they fail, the Tories would be out of power for years, but if they won, they would be in government for a generation.
On the other hand, the Liberal Democrats have the capacity to exert a moderating influence on the Tories over the next few months. This allows the opportunity for option 2 where the Lib Dems could effectively stunt any opposition campaign organised by the Labour party by helping to move the Conservatives leftward and thus more radical and socially aware.
Until May 6th there was a general feeling amongst the electorate that politics was dead and the difference between the two major parties was negligible. During the run up to polling day, Labour Conservatives and Liberal democrats fought for the soul of centrist politics and once the votes were counted, it was the Tories and Lib Dems who had won the argument. Hard to believe? Just remember how Cameron kept talking about how he believed in a caring Conservativism. Even the notion of the “Big Society” has a tinge of radicalism in it, with its links to New Labour communitarian politics.
It is right the Tories should control the centre ground – let them have it. We, as a democratic socialist party should have nothing to do with a middle of the road agenda, but instead, should be entrenching with the aim of moving the party forward and leftward.
Those leadership candidates who hint at support for New Labour policies should be dismissed out of hand – they are liberals, anxious to shift us along the moderate, wishy washy path we have taken for the last thirteen years. We must have no time for it! Now is the moment to urge our leaders to adopt firm socialist policies in direct opposition to this capitalist supporting coalition.
What is more, socialists should be looking at Osborne’s budget and recognising that in it is the ideological desire to devastate the working class and push them under the thumb of poverty and oppression.
So far all the leadership candidates have offered a limp image of how they wish to see the party move in a direction that cherishes the good parts of New Labour, and tweaking our policies to tackle a period of opposition.
No. We cannot afford to just have a few cosmetic changes in policy, whilst hanging onto the political spin of the Blair/ Brown years. We need root and branch reform and this should include:
• Party conference should be the sovereign policy making body.
• Closer links between local councillors and the shadow cabinet.
• A mass recruitment campaign to rebuild the party membership.
Of course, it goes without saying that politically the party should also be campaigning on a platform of -
• No cuts to jobs in public services.
• Higher rates of income tax to those on higher pay.
• Make the bankers pay for the deficit through taxation.
• Mass nationalisation of our transport network.
• Welfare to work programmes should emphasise support, not punishment and should be run by the public sector, not private, profit-making international companies.
• Restore all cuts to benefits.
• Stimulate the economy through investment support for small/ medium size businesses.
We have a great opportunity in this leadership debate to completely turn the Labour party around, but so far it all looks rather bland and grey.
A key part of our economic strategy should be supporting the co-operative model in the private sector - less likely to outsource jobs or export capital, etc...
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