Are we wrong in our attitude to Politics?

Are we wrong in our attitude to Politics? For some time now I have been concerned at our position in relation to the Labour Party and its members, involvement in local and national political structures, and in the value of short term reformism. I am not questioning the belief that fundamental change cannot come through Parliament and that what is needed is a social, political revolution to sweep away the old structures and to bring in a democratic socialist (communist) society. What I am concerned about is that we do not have a functioning understanding of the role that local democracy, local councils, and the Parliamentary system can play in building the necessary consensus that will lead to such a revolution. The effect of Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader of the Labour Party was a transformative event in British politics. It enervated the whole of the left, opened up opportunities to discuss issues that had been relegated to the extreme fringe, and brought a large number of people, either back or newly, especially young people, into political activity. We have, quite rightly, shown the weaknesses that were inherent in the structure of the Labour Party, but we have not given sufficient attention as to why people were so minded to join. What was their motivation? What did they hope to achieve? What was it that they found in Corbyn that they had not found in revolutionary socialism? It is very clear that the right wing of the Labour Party and the establishment, through its control of the media, saw the dangers of what was happening and went to extreme lengths to bring it to an end. Were we so intent on proving those people wrong in allying them to even a good left wing socialist that we failed to listen to what they had to say? We have, of course to hear what the mass of people say through the means of their actions rather than their words. So much of the political debate in this country is conducted by a section of the community, that tends to project their views onto the people and then claim that they speak for the people, without ever questioning whether what they say does actually reflect the opinions that people hold. This is one of my main criticisms of the Labour Party in that the processes within that Party, built up over the years, to involve members at ward, local party, constituency, county, national levels and at conferences at different levels has been seriously curtailed. Along with this there has been a general trend, within all political parties to professionalise representation. This is seen most clearly in Parliament where the number of ordinary working people, who identify with their constituents because they have fully shared their lives, socially and at work, with their constituents, has seriously decreased. This is in part a reflection of changes in society generally brought about by life style changes such as the private car, increased professionalism in sport, television replacing local forms of entertainment, the change in nature of chapels and working men’s clubs and even the closure of pubs! But more important has been the enlargement and combinations of Council areas, the introduction of Cabinet Structures and elected Mayors. Of major significance has been the vast increase of allowances paid to local councillors so that it is now feasible to be a full time Councillor, whereas the only attempt to recompense workers who were elected to councils in the past was ‘loss of earnings’. To be a working class councillor, at one time was a serious commitment. It brought with it a commitment to serve ones fellows which meant having a close connection to your party members and the public at large. So that Councillors were known by the electorate, almost as personal friends, but at least as people that were seen regularly, could be approached and informed of the issues affecting the community. With all its limitations it was an interactive system. This is not a theoretical debating point, it is something that affects people’s lives. When you have very little, even the smallest thing can be of immense value. The problem is that the people with the greatest need are the least likely to be able to get involved. Let me illustrate what I am trying to say. I have just finished reading the latest Left Book Club book, Ellen Wilkinson’s The Town that was Murdered. In this she describes the industrial history of Jarrow, showing how capitalism destroyed the lives of the people whilst making profit for a few, mainly outsiders. What she shows is what a Member of Parliament can do when they are committed to their people, understand and are part of the lives of the people who elected them. It is her commitment and passion that enabled her to write a book that graphically explores the issues that affected the people of that town and to relate those experiences to the wider political environment, especially to other areas that were suffering the same fate as Jarrow. One minor incident, mentioned in passing, was that there was no public library in Jarrow. In 1937 the first Labour Council in Jarrow was appointed. In 1937 Jarrow had a public library. Only a small reform, but it had considerable impact upon the life in Jarrow. No where near enough, but it was a positive step. Another book that I read many years ago, but always remember, was Phil Piratin’s Our Flag stays Red, detailing the work of the Communist Party. Again demonstrating the value of community politics. I was also struck by the fact that it is remembered that people sheltered in the underground during the bombing of London. What is not mentioned is that this was not at the invitation of the powers that be, but people broke into the underground, led by Communist Party members. The authorities had then to accept that this would happen. There is a tendency among the revolutionary left to criticise the 1945 Labour Government. What is largely ignored is the background to this Government. My Mam and Dad were born in the early years of the century. When my mother was seven her father moved to a new job in a new city, where they knew nobody. It was the year that the First World War broke out and my grandad was a soldier. They were on their own, they had a difficult time, later my Mam’s younger sister and bother both died of consumption, The interwar years were years of great difficulty for working people, among these difficulties was the problem of housing, the slump, unemployment, the General Strike. And then came the horrors of the Second World War. When the election came at the end of the War, people were determined that things would not go back to what they had been pre War. We tend now to draw attentions to the limitations and failures of that Government. What we forget are what they achieved in extremely difficult economic circumstances. I want to dwell a little bit on what was achieved at a local level. I first became active in Labour Party politics in a town called Bedworth (at times spoken of as Bederth) in Warwickshire. I remember one of the older members telling me that what the labour Party achieved was to ‘put the W back in Bedworth’. What he meant was that they had created a society in which people could take pride. These were not people who have had all the benefits that my generation had. They were ordinary working people who were committed to improving the lives of their own people. I never met them, but I knew the daughter of one of the leaders along with his brother. Their commitment had passed on to her, she was as passionate about her people as anyone that I have met. It was a question of building houses and meeting everyday needs. Similar thoughts came to me this weekend, when I went to a protest picnic to raise awareness against the building of houses on a small area of green space with the destruction of a number of mature trees and the loss of the flowers that grow in spring time, not to mention an area on which generations of children have played for 70 years. This area of urban green space is part of a council housing estate built by Gillingham Council after the Second Word War. It is a supremely well designed estate. There are schools, recreational areas, there are lots of trees and open space, there are shops, places of worship, pubs, a library, a health centre. It was designed to provide what people need for a healthy community life. Its value was shown in the attitudes of the young people I taught when I first came to the Town. They showed pride and a sense of community to their home area. That was then. Now the Council is sacrificing that, not only in this one area but in several different places, to an extent that there is fear for any piece of green space, in an area where health, particularly from respiratory and heart problems, is a concern. Although one Councillor has expressed an interest in the activity to preserve green space in the area, no councillor came to visit the protest. In the past the local press gave detailed reports of Council meetings. From these it is clear that working class Labour Councillors were prepared to speak up for their communities. I am not seeking to attack our present Councillors. Conditions are different and structures militate against them. I believe that their aims are good but I fear that we have lost the solidarity of class that drove those working class Councillors of previous generations. I fear that we have been too influenced by the dominating idea of individualism and this false distinction of being ’middle class’. For many years council estates were held in low esteem. Sadly, the estate I have described is becoming gentrified. It is time to recognise that anyone who has to rely on work for their livelihood is working class. We all have a common interest in ridding the world of capitalism. I recognise that different sections of the class, be it by gender, race , ethnicity, religion, are affected differently and that each section deserves full support in their efforts to achieve the recognition they need. But this is part and parcel of the struggle for working class hegemony. It is the class struggles that is of overriding importance. There is a statement of intent that summarises the situation that the working class is placed – ‘by all means necessary’. I do not believe we can opt out of any aspect of the struggle. Yes we must keep the need for a revolutionary change at the forefront of all our politics. Capitalism is a dangerous system which is leading to the destruction of life as we know it, with climate change an ever increasing and looming danger, The actions of Extinction rebellion and the school strikes have shown one of the main ways to raise our concerns. Action on the street has proved effective in the past and we must be fully committed in its support. Trade Union activity is also of major importance, despite the controlling power of union leaders who seek to limit self activities by their members. Power still resides with the workers who actually do the work from which the profits of the bosses comes. However, there are many sections of the community whose position is such that they are not able to challenge that situation. It is around these issues especially that the united action of the class is of greatest importance. It goes without saying that the solidarity in action is the cornerstone of all working class activity. What I do believe is that, much as I dislike charity, the work of the voluntary sector, which I believe will be redundant in a socialist society, has a place in the present situation where there is no alternative. One of our aims must be to provide alternatives. It is in relation to Councils and Parliament that I have concern. There is a tendency to put these in opposition to work towards a revolution. I do not recognise this division. I see two roles for these institutions. In present circumstances decisions are made in Parliament and in Councils. Reforms can ease the burden that people face even though they may not ultimately solve the problem. The fact that they improve the lives of some people in some way and make life more bearable is an advantage. We need people, as members of these Councils and of Parliament, and of related institutions, who will challenge orthodoxy, raise issues of concern and fight for the needs of people to be met. Individuals in the past have shown how powerful a single voice of dissent can be. People look to Parliament, and its members, Council and their councillor, to act on their behalf. We may say that these are the wrong agents of change but we will be ignored. Sadly trends in the Labour Party have seriously weakened the role that that Party can play. From a personal viewpoint, after a long period of working within that Party I came to the conclusion that I could no longer serve a useful purpose within that party. Individuals will have to decide for themselves. I believe that the organisation that I belong to, The Socialist Worker Party has to give serious consideration to this matter. I question whether challenging the failure of the present leadership of that Party under Starmer is enough. There has to be a left wing alternative to the dominant ruling conservatives. Without this Left alternative, the far right will step into the void. The question we face is do we encourage the reformist forces of the left to form an alternative to the Labour Party or do we change focus slightly and get involved in electoral politics? I believe that standing on the side lines is a dangerous option. The situation as I see it is that as long as electoral politics are viewed by many workers as a valuable means of achieving their ends, we, on the revolutionary left, have to be involved in some way, not because we believe that reform is the way forward but because in fighting for reforms and showing that even if we get the reforms the fundamental problem still remains, we strengthen our position that what is needed is a fundamental change in the structure of society an end to capitalism. Just as in the trade union and work place struggle we need to be the best activists, so in the social and political struggle we have to be seen as the most involved individuals. We have to use the political structures to advance the cause of revolutionary socialism. Scribar 07.08.21