Editorial
Our motto for Left: cooperate in 98!
A year of two halves…
1997 has not been an easy year for political activists in Britain.
May 1 did see the long awaited defeat of the Tory government – a moment for much celebration. Their replacement by Blair’s New Labour Party has meant that attacks on working people have continued – just under a different gloss.
Even those who warned that Blair was wedded to the same reactionary policies as his predecessors have been somewhat taken aback by the scale of the continuing assaults. The Bank of England, nationalised by the 1945 Labour government was handed back to the private sector.
The cry of "Education, education, education" has been turned into the introduction of fees for students. Despite a couple of handouts, the crisis in the NHS continues unabated. The fiftieth anniversary of the Health Service next year must be turned into a mammoth campaign to defend its very existence.
Underlying the assaults on public services and working conditions lies not only a general determination to attack the living standards of working class people but New Labour’s commitment to European Monetary Union and the Maastricht Convergence criteria.
As Britain prepares to take over the Presidency of the European Union in the New Year, Blair has made clear that he aims to try to export the flexible working practices that have become a hallmark of wasteland Britain to the rest of Europe.
While existing uncertainty about the benefits of entry into the single currency may have led Gordon Brown to delay the referendum until after the next General Election, it is certainly clear that we will still face the very same austerity measures that would ‘fit’ the economy for entry.
Women may well have been heartened to see the large intake of new women MPs on May 1. But our "sisters" have so far delivered a pretty sour menu – cuts in lone parent benefits, the abolition of family credit, no improvement to dwindling abortion facilities let alone a strengthening of the law.
Black people heeded ‘Operation Black Vote’, and turned out to support Labour in large numbers. While there have been some gains with the victory of some anti-deportation cases like the Onibiyos, and the inquiry into the vicious murder of Stephen Lawrence, the panoply of racist laws remain intact.
Not even the devastating benefit cuts for asylum seekers have been reversed, and despite the high profile successes the rate of deportations actually seems to be rising.
Now there is a new racist threat too as hysteria is whipped up against gypsies from the Czech republic fleeing the violence of fascist thugs.
While the National Front managed only a pathetic turn out for Dover there is no doubt that with Labour in government the far right is set to make gains.
Sharp end
Young people in particular have been at the sharp end over recent months. The so-called ‘New Deal’ for the unemployed is first targeted at those under 26. While opposition to Project Work and the JSA was growing before May, too many have been taken in by Labour’s promises in this area.
The reality is that people will have no choice but will either be forced into dead end schemes which mirror the Tories practice or forced off benefits altogether to disappear into the ranks of ‘non-people’.
Escaping to college is hardly an option for most when not only have fees been imposed but the crumbling and under-funded colleges already have more students than resources permit.
At the same time Jack Straw is attacking young people on the street, with his notion of imposing curfews and stiffer penalties for young offenders.
Nor will the latest wheeze – to make young people pay for Blair’s faux pas over Formula One sponsorship by making the sale of cigarettes to under 18s illegal – do anything to save them from this addiction. Instead, illegality will add to the thrill of smoking – as well as raising the price as younger people bribe others to shop for them.
Valiant struggles have continued after Labour’s election as the Liverpool Dockers, the Magnet workers and the Hillingdon Hospital workers have continued their bitter battles completely unaided by a government that has ample power to settle their just grievances.
The alliance developed last year between the Dockers and activists from ‘Reclaim the Streets’ has been further cemented and there is a good deal of moral and financial support from rank and file trade unionists…
These strikes however have so far remained isolated. While there has been increasing anger at the failure of Blair’s government to reverse Tory attacks and indeed his determination to deepen them, this is not in itself enough.
Trade Union organisation has been devastated during the long night of Tory rule and the anti-union laws still constrain effective action just as much as they did before May.
Despite these weakness, patience may begin to run out before too long. Gordon Brown has stressed the need for wage restraint in his mini-budget but despite his pleas his words will fall on deaf ears amongst the fat cats.
Trade unionists especially those in the public sector have had enough and there is a real possibility that action may follow in the spring.
Nor is it likely that the Commission’s proposals on the minimum wage will do enough to buy off this anger. Margaret Beckett may have won her battle with Mandelson around exemptions but there is little likelihood of the minimum wage being set at a decent level without a major campaign around it – one that the bureaucracy show no signs of getting off their knees to lead.
It seems further to be taken for granted that it’s OK to exclude young people altogether – what ever happened to the notion of Equal Pay for work of equal value?
There have been some positive changes since the election. The victory of the Scottish and Welsh peoples in their respective referendums is no small step. Blair may back devolution for his own reasons which are completely different from those of principled socialists but this in no way diminishes the victory.
Teeth
Now the vote needs to be built on the ensure that the Assemblies which are to be put into place have real teeth. Especially in Wales where the result was much closer and organisation around the referendum much weaker, this will be a an uphill struggle.
In Ireland the so-called "peace" process has made little progress. While the cease fire is undoubtedly welcome the Orange colours of the British government were demonstrated all too well during the marching season.
New Labour have continued the incarceration of Roisin McAliskey, now deprived of her liberty for more than a year for a crime she could not possibly have committed.
Yet even the pleas of the Irish government, no friend to Roisin or her family have fallen on deaf ears in the British Home Office. The real negotiations on the future of the six-county state are likely to take place when Gerry Adams visits Blair later this month – but unfortunately the Republican movement has few cards to play.
The need to rebuild a solidarity movement in this country has never been greater.
Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope in a different sphere. There seems to be increasing recognition amongst at least some sections of the left and some layers of activists that if the Blair bubble is to be burst we had better all work together.
Unity in action, while retaining open and comradely debate about differences in ideas is more crucial today than ever.
Sectarianism on the British left puts off many people from becoming involved on a broader basis – they may be forced to defend their own jobs or services but will then retreat into the cocoon of inactivity unless socialists get their act together and present something more attractive than our usual squabbling.
Working together
Slowly and partially this is beginning to dawn on the left. Whether through the recent Socialist Alliances conference or the Welfare State Network or the Trade Union Left Alliance better working relationships are being built.
This is not a minute too soon if we are going to mount a fight back against government attacks – let alone create a new political force that can really represent the interests of working class people.
Some inspiration can be gained from developments outside Britain itself. Across Europe over the last twelve months militant strike action and other forms of protests against the effects of European integration have continued.
The huge demonstrations in Amsterdam and Luxembourg were beacons of international solidarity.
Nor have successes been confined to Europe. Across the globe, whether with the massive tumult in South Korea early in the year, or the huge demonstration in Prague which surely precipitated the fall of the Klaus regime, the working class remains very much centre stage. The end of history is not nigh . The question is rather how we can go forward with renewed determination and unity to ensure that its pages are written in our interests.
We need a strengthened offensive against the evils of capitalism, and a renewed vision of a future free from exploitation and oppression.