LABOUR was elected in 1945 by people expecting a real change. A number of industries were nationalised and the Nadonal Hearta service was established. India, Burma and Pakistan became independent.
But within two years the promises hed turned sour. Austenty measures. including wage freezes and cuts in Troops were used against strikers. Prescription charges were introduced.
roreign poucy was cominaica Dy the virulent anti-Communism of Ernest Bevin. Brush troops tought co lonial wars in Malaya and Palestine Korea. Rising military expenditure was pala for by une working class Labour adopted consensus politics. The only serious divergence from the Tones was over the Suez invasion in 1956. However, despite the swing to the right under the leader. ship of Gaitskell, attempts to remove Clause Four were defeated - though Gaitskell did reverse the Party's comWhen Labour returned in 1964 it nomic planning". Wilson's governthe tramework of running capitalism rious economic problems. Wilson Monetary Fund. Cuts in public serv. lowed. Proposals were introduced to weaken the trade unions, though con. certed action forced their abandonDespite mass opposition to Ameri can imperialism's war in Vietnam. Wilson offered to send Br ish troops. Colonial wars were fought in Aden and the Gulf and Ire. land.
Although Wil. son introduced a number of imporwant picces of prowomen's rights, gay men's rights. example greater restrictions were After defeat in 1970 the party adopted a more left-wing image.
mainly because of the shift to the left in a number of important trade un. ions. Victories for the miners' strikes in 1972 and 1974 helped consolidate this shift. However, the Wilson and then CalAfter defeat in 1970 the party adopted a more left-wing image, mainly because of the shift to the left in a number of important trade unions laghan governments quickly returned to the usual measures of austerity. culminating in the winter of discontent. Thatcher's victory saw a strength. ening of the Labour left. Tony Benn was defeated by a very narrow margin in the election for deputy leader. But Thatcher's attacks on the unions. ers' strike, helped move the party significantly to the right - though such a process was already under way when then Labour icadet michact Fool voi tivist. supported the Malvinas war. The weakness abled Kinnock abandon the most radical of policies, making Labour's positions virtually indistinguishable. Blair's project now is to reconstruct a new consensus of the centre and to develop the convergence around Europe.
Geoff Ryan
- Socialist Outlook 96 • February 3, 1996.