As part of the debate on the way forward for the left and how to build an effective movement to challenge Blairism, we publish this contribution from Martin Wicks of the Socialist Perspectives Group.
The crisis in and in relation to New Labour, resulting from the actions of the government is unprecedented. We have seen the votes of 47 MPs against cuts in single parent benefit and the expulsion of MEPs Coates and Kerr. These are episodes which indicate the deepening of this crisis.
Blair is not prepared to compromise on his political programme. He will press ahead with the "reform" of the welfare state and privatisations. He is prepared to break up the party in his effort to turn New Labour into the "party of business". In his conference speech he spoke of the 'historic mistake' of the split in the ranks of radicals. In other words the split from Liberalism was a mistake!
They cannot maintain their mass base of support by destroying the reforms that social democracy introduced in the post-war years. Although we await the results of a series of key government reviews, the direction is clear.
One potentially explosive issue is that of union recognition. They could renege even on their commitment to ballots for union recognition. The CBI wants the target of over 50 per cent to be of the entire workforce rather than those who vote.
There is the problem as to definition of 'workplace', since many firms have divided into 'separate' companies for tax or industrial reasons. If the government concedes on this it would be a real kick in the teeth for the TUC which has placed all its hopes on legislation on recognition rights.
Whether or not there will be a big split, or a more protracted process of fracturing of the party remains to be seen. We should not underestimate the cowardice of the trades union leaders who are critical of Blair but are not prepared to do open battle with him.
The question of a new party of the working class is posed not in the distant future but as something which could emerge over the next few years. (I will deal with this question and its practical consequences in the next issue of Socialist Perspectives).
The election of the Labour government, far from 'making no difference' has accelerated the crisis of Labourism, as those who argued for the return of Labour predicted. The reality of the programme of Blair is gradually dawning on people.
Threat
Not only does 'reform' of the welfare state threaten those at the bottom, but the government has begun to carry out what can only be described as a neo-liberal programme. They have swallowed far more of the Thatcherite poison than many people imagined.
The 'honeymoon period' is beginning to break. The phrase we hear a lot of now is 'we didn't elect Labour to carry out Tory policies'. It says a great deal that old right wing social democrats are way to the left of the Blairites.
The key practical question facing socialists today, is how to mobilise resistance against the government's attacks on the working class and the poor? After two decades of defeats it would foolish to expect an automatic and wide upsurge in the class struggle.
In building resistance we face a political battle within the unions against those who are seeking to block a mass movement against Blair's policies. Virtually the entire apparatus of the unions is presenting an obstacle to building resistance.
We face therefore, big political and institutional obstacles within the labour movement to mobilising against the political course of the government. The struggle within the unions has to be stepped up.
We need to strive for a complete break with the social partnership agenda, including 'public sector-private sector partnership'.
This agenda is underpinned by an acceptance, to one degree or another, of neo-liberalism.
We are told that we live in a "global economy" which we have to adapt to. In order for "us" to compete we have to form a social partnership with the employers in order to "out-perform" foreign companies. This means tying the unions to the bosses' coat-tails for it involves accepting productivity and profitability as the key criteria.
Moreover, it tells workers that they have the same interests as the employers in Britain, and are competing with foreign workers and their bosses. This nationalist poison disarms the working class, especially in dealing with the multi-national companies.
A Public Sector Alliance.
Across the public sector jobs and services are being cut as a result of the government's adherence to the Tory spending limits, and their refusal to tax big business and the rich. Labour Councils are continuing the cuts which took place under the last government. These cuts usually have the worst impact on the poor and the disadvantaged.
We see training for the disabled being under threat, schools being closed in the poorest areas and so on. Workers and service users are left to resist the cuts, isolated in their localities.
There is an obvious need for national action to be organised by the unions, demanding an increase in funding to the public sector, and a return to progressive taxation in order to raise the necessary monies. However, they have singularly failed to organise any national campaign.
In the short term the unions are not going to organise such action. We need, therefore, to popularise the idea of a public sector alliance which unites workers and service users in action against the cuts, and campaigns against privatisation. This should include organisations such as those of the disabled, tenants organisations: all those resisting cuts. Of course, in many cases some of these organisations are pursuing a line of 'don't cut our services'. We need to build a campaign on the basis of uniting all groups under attack, and this requires opposition to all cuts, raising the issue of breaking with the Tory spending limits, and increasing public sector funding.
A Socialist Alliance?
Given the offensive which we face, and the weakening of our organisations, there is a crucial need to co-ordinate the efforts of all those forces throughout the labour movement who want to build resistance to the government's anti-working class programme. I am in favour of us joining the Network of Socialist Alliances in order to strive for such co-ordination.
The Alliance was set up with the involvement of the Militant. For them it was a counter-balance to the SLP. However, it is not their creature, and the indications are that they have not really decided what to do in it. Whilst they have set up some local Alliances, they have not devoted much resources to it on the national level. They will certainly be discussing what to do now, given the fact that the Network is attracting the involvement of broader forces (leave aside the odd sect like the CPGB).
Although the Alliance is at a very early stage of its development it could become a focus for breaking with the sectarianism which has dominated the British left for far too long; for building practical collaboration between left organisations striving to build resistance to Blair's agenda. We should test out the possibilities by participating in it.
We should propose that the Alliances organise a conference sometime in the autumn on the theme of building resistance to Blair's neo-liberal anti-working class programme.
It should concentrate on a small number of themes connected with the attacks of the government, on which there is broad agreement amongst left organisations, and which also connects with the organisations of those resisting these attacks; e.g. single parents, disabled etc.
I would propose four areas:
defending the welfare state and opposing means testing and "workfare"
defending public sector jobs and services, and opposing privatisation
opposing the 'social partnership agenda' in the trades unions
stopping the environmental degradation caused by the 'car economy' and big business
The purpose of this would be to strive to build a practical campaigning unity amongst all those opposed to the direction of the government and prepared to build a fightback.
The principle on which we base this approach is simply the struggle to achieve the broadest possible unity of the working class and the oppressed to defend their interests against the attacks of the government.
This is a shortened version of an article from Socialist Perspectives No 7