Liam redux

Con Dem Nation

Things could be worse. There could be a Tory government with a humongous majority. It’s not my habit to fraternise with Liberal Democrats but I found myself chatting to a couple just after the results were announced. They were adamant that if Clegg formed a coalition with the Tories that they’d never vote for the…

Liam
2–3 minutes

Things could be worse. There could be a Tory government with a humongous majority. image

It’s not my habit to fraternise with Liberal Democrats but I found myself chatting to a couple just after the results were announced. They were adamant that if Clegg formed a coalition with the Tories that they’d never vote for the party again. With a bit of luck Clegg just might manage to make British capitalism’s C team implode. And about bloody time. Why on earth anyone ever saw Vince Cable as other than a right wing class warrior with good social skills is an unanswered mystery. He was always very up front about wanting to slash public spending and now he’s able to live the dream.

Now, just as religious believers persuade themselves in life after death a big chunk of the far left affects to believe that because a situation is going to get horrible the masses will get really angry. This fantasy is debunked with one word. "Ireland". The working class there has seen its standard of living fall by 15% or more and unemployment reaching the levels of the mid 1980s. Setting aside a couple of strolls round central Dublin the union response has been abominable. Is there anything in the British labour movement’s recent practice that suggests things are going to be much different? Uplifting anecdotes don’t count as evidence. It’s the broad sweep that matters.

Labour is likely to see something of a superficial renaissance. That won’t be because too many Labour councillors will be joining anti-cuts demonstrations. It’s just that there will be a defensive reflex. In the next parliament Caroline Lucas will probably emerge as the focus of active resistance to the big attacks on working class living standards, a 21st century Tony Benn. Her stated reluctance to join a "progressive coalition" turns out to have been vindicated within hours and her instincts seem sound. Salma Yaqoob too has been quick off the mark to make the case for increased public spending and opposition to the impending storm.

The Liberal Tory government is a defeat for the British working class. However it is as self evidently unstable as the European economy and the job is to organise to fight it.

18 responses to “Con Dem Nation”

  1. prianikoff Avatar
    prianikoff

    “In the next parliament Caroline Lucas will probably emerge as the focus of active resistance to the big attacks on working class living standards, a 21st century Tony Benn.”

    Much as I welcome her election, I think you’re clutching at straws there. Benn was a figurehead of the Labour movement, with strong connections to the unions.
    The Greens just don’t have them.

    What happens in the L.P. now will certainly be important, especially the leadership contest.
    New Labour has been weakened by the Rainbow Coalition fiasco and any left-wingers who opposed it are in a stronger position in the party.

    The Labour left generally defended their seats in the election and even increased their majorities in many cases and that gives them some clout in the internal debates after the election.

    The Tories and Liberals have inherited a poisoned chalice and I think the Liberals have probably destroyed themselves as a party by going into coalition with the Tories.

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  2. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    Well I’ve been wrong about so many things before but her post election statement struck the right note when she said:

    “Green principles and policies will now have a voice in Parliament. Policies such as responding to climate change with a million new ‘green’ jobs in low-carbon industries, fair pensions and care for older people, and stronger regulation of the banks will be heard in the House of Commons.”

    Her dismissal of New Labour and the Lib Dems as progressive was encouraging.

    It all depends on whether or not there is a movement driving her into action.

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  3. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    Good article, Liam.

    I’m still hoping for some ‘lessons learned’ reflections regarding Tower Hamlets – I hope people may reconsider the idea that going into alliance with the Islamic right, as Respect did in our borough, is still the way forward for the left.

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  4. robm Avatar
    robm

    I think there is a danger that much of Caroline Lucas’ energy may be focussed on the haggling around a referendum for AV or some other electoral reform such that she draws closer to the Lib Dems who at least have a bit of leverage to deliver this.
    Of course, she will be a focus for resistance in other areas but this might blunt her impact somewhat.
    What is crucial is to try to activate and mobilise her base – the Green Party itself and those voters (often ex-Labour) who look to it.
    The same aplies to Salma’s support in Sparkbrook / Hall Green- an absolutely vital task is to try to focus this base against the council cuts.

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  5. neprimerimye Avatar
    neprimerimye

    Such illusions! Lucas is one person lacking a party that is organically connected to the working class. Lacking a knowledge of the history and practices of the workers movement. Lacking a socialist ideology. Lacking a substantial activist base within or without the workers movement. Lacking…

    As for the comparison to Wedgewood Benn when did that toff really push things forward as socialist leaders must? Never! At best he followed the advance of the workers movement in the 1970s and, to his honour, stuck to his guns during the downturn that developed after 1975. But not once did he mobilise his base on the streets.

    Such illusions…

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  6. bill j Avatar
    bill j

    Caroline Lucas is completely irrelevant to the fightback. Where next for the left? Back to Labour?

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  7. ID Avatar
    ID

    “The Liberal Tory government is a defeat for the British working class.”

    Is it really? I don’t think so. Defeats (and victories) for the working class take place in the actual class struggle. Elections are distinctly secondary.

    The replacement of one capitalist government by another is not a defeat for the working class – though such a government may (or may not) go on to inflict defeats on the working class. That depends on the class conscious activity of the class itself.

    The subtext of this argument is that Gordon Brown’s long overdue exit from Downing Street was some kind of defeat for our class. It fucking wasn’t. The Liam Byrne article on this blog points very clearly as to one of many reasons why it was not a defeat. And I must confess that as I watched the bastard Brown leaving live on Channel 4 I raised a glass of whisky to toast the fact with a fitting ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’.

    The defeat of New Labour was deserved and long overdue.

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  8. i4ni Avatar
    i4ni

    ‘Now, just as religious believers persuade themselves in life after death a big chunk of the far left affects to believe that because a situation is going to get horrible the masses will get really angry. This fantasy is debunked with one word. “Ireland”. The working class there has seen its standard of living fall by 15% or more and unemployment reaching the levels of the mid 1980s. Setting aside a couple of strolls round central Dublin the union response has been abominable. Is there anything in the British labour movement’s recent practice that suggests things are going to be much different? ‘

    I no it is ‘anecdotal’ but yesterdays scuffle at the gates of Leinster House may have revolutionary potential as McAliskey said:

    ‘The reformists had exhausted all the peaceful means of change. There was nowhere to go but the streets. All movements seem to start with a reformist saying, “Come to the streets and follow me.” They think the street is an extension of the places where they hold authority. They don’t realise that when you are on the street a qualitative change takes place. You have space away from the physical constraints that remind you of your place in society. People look around and think that on the streets we are all equal. Next, the police arrive. The police are great levellers. The reformists say to the police officer, “We are law abiding…” They never get to finish the sentence. The reformists then spend all their time trying to get us off the streets. When the police charge at you, whether you’re Irish or miners or whoever, two things happen. The reformists get scared and the young people, in particular, get radicalised. We were looking for very small things. We had no one to vote for, but we wanted the right to vote, to jobs and for somewhere to live. The state used violence. The mass movement became reactive to what the state was doing. They threw stones at us we threw stones back. The state repressed the rights of the people. The police have killed a man getting on a tube. They have kicked in the door of two Muslim brothers and shot one of them – for nothing. British police have been doing that and worse in Ireland for 30 years. They will do it here if we do not stop them. This is a consequence of a system that does not allow Muslims to be “really” British.’

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  9. andy newman Avatar
    andy newman

    “New Labour has been weakened by the Rainbow Coalition fiasco and any left-wingers who opposed it are in a stronger position in the party.”

    I don’t think that is correct at all.

    My impression from talking to a number of ordinary people is that exploring other avenues to prevent a Tory government was broadly well received; and it was the most arch Blairites, like JOhn Reid and David Blunkett, who were briefing against a coalition.

    I think that Gordon Brown played a very good end-game to make Labour feel defiant not defeated, and cast the blame onto the Liberals for the Con-Dem pact.

    I think there is a difefrence also between mainstream social democracy, and “the left”.

    The hand of those arguing for a return to traditional labourism is strengthened, but the left per se, remains as marginal as before Blair.

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  10. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    It was a defeat, which nobody would expect sectarians of one kind to admit, but in battle not in war , which nobody would expect sectarians of another kind to admit.

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  11. shug Avatar
    shug

    The greens are for all intent and purposses could be Lib/Dem.Their main priority is the envioroment,although in their ranks they have the socialist greens.Lucases first defeat will be the carbon emissions issue.

    Like it or not the left of left took a first class kickin a the ballot box.How the left of the left respond to that will be the deciding factor of the future of the left of the left.And it will not be a answer for the next election.

    Plent y of time for them to get their collective shit together.

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  12. tamworthalternative Avatar
    tamworthalternative

    “Their main priority is the environment” Shug, you say it like its a bad thing…

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  13. prianikoff Avatar
    prianikoff

    “…exploring other avenues to prevent a Tory government was broadly well received; and it was the most arch Blairites, like John Reid and David Blunkett, who were briefing against a coalition.”
    So the old “Blairites versus Brown” thesis gives way to the “Arch Blairites versus Blairites”?
    Brown’s initial proposal to stand down to allow a Labour-Lib Dem coalition was backed Mandelson, Alastair Campbell and Lord Adonis.
    Until a few days ago, almost everyone would have described them as Blairites.

    Of course, the pro-Tory press were baying for blood at this prospect of being kept out of power.
    But does that mean it would have been a politically sensible course of action?

    The only arguments that people on the left seem to be coming up with are that
    * a Lib-Lab coalition would have been a weaker government and therefore unable to impose cuts.
    * Brown made the Liberals a better offer on PR, initially offering AV without a referendum, so we’d definitely get it with such a coalition.

    I think both those arguments are very poor. In fact, quite unprincipled;
    Supporting a government because it’s weak is a ludicrous position to take.
    Diane Abbott was quite right to simply recognise the adverse voting situation and she’s no Blairite.

    P.R is mostly favoured by minority parties, the fact that Blunkett and Reid doesn’t prove they’re left or right.
    The wrong kind of P.R. could weaken the chances of a majority Labour government in the future.
    This was pointed out by Walter Wolfgang on Press TV yesterday, in opposition to Galloway’s promotion of the demand.
    He made quite a good point; that the return of internal Labour democracy was a better way forward.
    The left did mostly increase its votes and should organise a socialist candidate with an anti-cuts, anti war programme.
    It needs to raise a banner for future struggles now.

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  14. prianikoff Avatar
    prianikoff

    21.Anyone know if PressTV covered the hanging of the Kurdish Trade Unionist Farzad Kamangar?

    The General Secretary Brendan Barber wrote a letter to the embassy about it on May 11th.

    http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-17917-f0.cfm

    Did Galloway raise this with them?

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  15. shug Avatar
    shug

    Tam,not at all.The envioroment is the bus stop,organically and socially.

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  16. shug Avatar
    shug

    Their scampering now to spin the variation.If all the left left per cent of the vote was combined and it came to 1.6% where i am on a seat of 600,they would have 12 seats.

    P.r. is the push.

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  17. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    Shame to see Andy and Prianikoff spouting the Mandy line on last minute talks with the Liberals which gave credence to the Tory/Lib coup or as Simon whatshisface said `I don’t think the public would have forgiven us if we hadn’t explored all the possibilities’. What a joke. With Brown gone there was no chance whatsoever of a rainbow coalition or any other coalition involving Labour. Another unelected PM imposed by the New Labour clique (Milliband will the PM this time next week) or selected by union barons behing closed doors whilst Brown and Clegg ruled jointly for a couple of months was in no way an option which is why Clegg and the Sun were calling Brown a squatter from the minute the result was known.

    This was a political coup worked out long in advance with City and Civil Service advisers and ready to put into action in the right circumstances. Let us not fall for Mandelson’s lies about the possibility of Lib/Lab talks having any chance of working once his plot to get rid of Brown had been realised.

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  18. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    p.s The time to demand talks with the Lib Dems was as soon as the result was known . That would have pre-empted the Clegg/Cameron putsch. But Many’s plan was to get rid of Brown. It seems pretty clear that the Blairites genuinely did believe that Milliband would be PM in a week and the one and only satisfying thing about the putsch is the utter betrayal and playing for a fool of Mandelson by Clegg and Cameron.

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