Harold Wilson once remarked as a left-winger that he was a “Bolshevik in a Tsarist cabinet.” He was of course referring to the fact that the Labour Party was then and remains still dominated by an unrepresentative class of right-wing MP’s, who are not accountable to ordinary party members. Indeed, all three main parties in the British Parliament have amalgamated into one, with these Labour renegades simply being on the right of a wider Thatcherite consensus that exists. In fact, even Mrs. Thatcher once opined that New Labour under Blair was her greatest achievement in politics. For the one vehicle which ordinary men and women had to regulate the capitalist system ended up winning the approval of bankers to the extent that it would cut its own throat in doing so.
Precedents do of course exist for this sort of treachery, for the left is riddled with betrayals, warfare and executions. Ramsay McDonald went against his own Labour government by doing a deal with the Tories and the Liberals to stay in office on the provision that he would implement massive spending cuts. Jim Callaghan’s government gave into pressure from the IMF to do the same thing, only for the Chancellor Denis Healey to admit years later that Tony Benn was right – the North Sea oil revenues rendered the cuts totally unnecessary. That kept Labour out of office for 18 long years; Helped by an SDLP MP who voted to bring down the Callaghan government and usher in Margaret Thatcher.
Some people say that if Labour had taken a different course and elected Mr. Benn as leader they would have lost the 1979 election; but then again they did. Some say they would also have lost the 1983 election; but then again they did. Again, the 1987 election; and you guessed it, they did. And again more still, in 1992, with the same result. What we have discovered from the recent presidential election in America is that liberal elites standing on centrist policies cannot possibly face down the growth in support for right-wing populist movements. You need a critical mass of people committed to radical change and redistribution of wealth, to win big majorities – as Labour did in 1945 and in 1966.
The election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader was really the rise of Tony Benn’s legacy and agenda, amidst the backdrop of electoral defeat by David Cameron’s Conservatives – who are basically Blair’s Labour Party on ideological issues (“Blue Labour”). In response to that, a serious counter-revolution has taken place against Mr. Corbyn, in the media, in the state, in parliament and even within his own party – despite winning landslide victories. He has tried to be conciliatory on issues, like the stand he took over the European Union – which caused Labour to split in the 80’s. He has won most of the elections on his watch and has made Labour the biggest party of its type in the world. But these parasite MP’s, who care nothing for democratic methods, continue to usurp the basic will of ordinary people who desperately need the changes that would come with a real Labour government. Some are working for the Intelligence Services, which is how Harold Wilson was destabilised. Remember, MI5 twice tried to recruit Tony Benn. And some are just the old liberal party in Labour clothing, out to preserve the monetarist status quo.
However, Mr. Corbyn’s treatment of Ken Livingstone was a culpable error of which grave consequences may follow. He cannot advocate justice for the Palestinian people and then throw his friend to the wolves for speaking the truth – for the wolves will never be happy until Corbyn’s head is on a plate. They are the real crocodiles which you should never feed. I’m not sure what will happen to Labour at the next general election, Theresa May is in a commanding position at present. But if Mr. Corbyn wants to be Prime Minister then he is going to have to continue his political career as he started it – being an unapologetic voice for the voiceless. He’s going to have to find the bottle to face down the plotting by the counter-revolutionaries and exclude them if necessary from Labour’s platform. When you read about all of this and see it happening before your very eyes you can’t help but think that if only people on the left were as devious as people on the right then the world would be in substantially much better shape.
“But if Mr. Corbyn wants to be Prime Minister then he is going to have to continue his political career as he started it – being an unapologetic voice for the voiceless. He’s going to have to find the bottle to face down the plotting by the counter-revolutionaries and exclude them if necessary from Labour’s platform. ”
“Ding ding, everybody off, Looney Land city center.”
Corbyn’s 10 pledges
Full employment and an economy that works for all: based around a £500bn public investment via the planned national investment bank.
A secure homes guarantee: building 1m new homes in five years, at least half of them council homes. Also rent controls and secure tenancies.
Security at work: includes stronger employment rights, an end to zero hours contracts and mandatory collective bargaining for companies with 250 or more employees.
Secure our NHS and social care: end health service privatisation and bring services into a “secure, publicly-provided NHS”.
A national education service: includes universal public childcare, the “progressive restoration” of free education, and quality apprenticeships.
Action to secure our environment: includes keeping to Paris climate agreement, and moving to a “low-carbon economy” and green industries, in part via national investment bank.
Put the public back into our economy and services: includes renationalising railways and bringing private bus, leisure and sports facilities back into local government control.
Cut income and wealth inequality: make a progressive tax system so highest earners are “fairly taxed”, shrink the gap between the highest and lowest paid.
Action to secure an equal society: includes action to combat violence against women, as well as discrimination based on race, sexuality or disability, and defend the Human Rights Act.
Peace and justice at the heart of foreign policy: aims to put conflict resolution and human rights “at the heart of foreign policy”.
Tell us what’s looney about any of that?
It’s not Looney it just doesn’t follow a right wing agenda. Britain would be a far more just country if those policies were implemented.
Just did a quick check there to see if this was posted on 1 April.
Ken Livingstone, the man who has tried to link Israel with Hitler. There are many ridiculous things the left have done over the years, but their constant attacks on Israel is for me the most shameful. And a big part of it comes down to old-fashioned anti-Semitism.
Labour under Corbyn will never win an election. Blaming MPs for knowing that is ridiculous. Tony Benn at least had the power of words, he could move people by the force of his arguments, but he could never have won an election either. Because eventually socialists run out of other people’s money.