STRAIGHT-TALKING LABOUR

That’s what we need, Ed

“Labour should say what they mean, and mean what they say. ” These are words of Tony Benn. A return to honesty in politics was something promised at the last election, that among pledges lacking in substance. The politician and party which can inspire a nation, engender trust and respect and make a difference to the lives of millions is what Britain is crying out for. Aneurin Bevan had those qualities, and did so.

From “In Place of Fear” , Ch.2, Aneurin Bevan (1)

“As we fumble with outworn categories our political vitality is sucked away and we stumble from one situation to another, without chart, without compass, and with the steering wheel lashed to a course we are no longer following. This is the real point of danger for a political party and for the leaders and thinkers who inspire it. For if they are out of touch with reality, the masses are not. Indeed, they are reality. For them their daily work is an escapable imperative. While those who are supposed to be doing the theorising for them are adrift like passengers in an escaped balloon, the workers are tied to reality by the nature of their work. In the absence of clear theoretical guidance, they make empirical adaptions and formulate practical categories. So far as these are incomplete, and therefore unsatisfactory, the first result is a distrust for those who have demonstrably failed them.”

Michael Foot was a man of integrity honesty and direction, a true advocate for socialism, and said in 1956, “Socialism without public ownership is nothing but a fantastic apology”.

To watch Tony Benn speaking on “The issue is Thatcher “in the eighties, leaves a hunger for more of the same.

LABOUR’S LOST VOTES

Since 1997, Labour have lost 5 million voters. One reason that the Labour Party was so frightened by Thatcherism, it bought into the media’s idea that the party needed to change its socialist principles.

Eventually it changed so much it had metamorphosed into something Thatcher herself would have welcomed, so it was no longer the party for the working class, and so many walked away, disillusioned.

LABOUR VOTERS TURNED TORY

Working class voters were lured by Thatcher’s lies and did not recognise the damaging intent of monetarism and neoliberalism. Council home sales, and shares in British Telecom were presented as wealth redistribution, veiling the reality as the bankers and corporations rubbed their hands together in self satisfaction . Now the Coalition wants to put people in hock for their education, by tripling Tuition Fees, and even are suggesting selling off workers’ rights for shares. (9)

It is a myth that the escalating capitalist bubble can serve everyone.

These are policies intended to anaesthetize, the new religion – people controllers. The voters do not need any more pills to pop to change their lives; they need policies and representatives brave enough to put their heads above the parapet and tell the truth, to expose the myths and scaremongering.

Privatization of utilities and transport is now being extended to our NHS and education system by the most right wing government in living memory. Tory pre-election promises that the NHS was safe in their hands were bare faced lies, with plans for privatisation already in place. (21) Myths of more parental choice in schools, exploiting the desire of every parent to want the best for their child were a cover for the demolition of our education system. (23) Yet, the continued privilege of class and the arrogance of politicians who are employed to serve the people, is painfully clear, as Osborne’s train-trip, and Mitchell’s Pleb-gate demonstrated. Mitchell’s replacement, the chief whip, Sir George Young once infamously said, ” “the homeless are what you step over when you come out of the opera.”

STAY AT HOME VOTERS

Others, disenfranchised and lacking trust in politicians of any colour stay at home, many of the apathetic generation having never voted at all.

Cynicism and apathy is unsurprising against a backdrop of media corruption and lies. The Hillsborough disaster, (10) the scandal of child abuse surrounded Jimmy Savile (11) at the BBC, in Broadmoor and hospitals, phone hacking at the News of the World, and police malpractice during the Miners Strike (12) have all been topics of media cover-ups.

Equally there is now abundant evidence of MOD and MI5/6 involvement in UK acts of torture and rendition which the UK authorities have gone to enormous lengths to deny and conceal, and which the so-called Justice and Security Bill now before Parliament is designed to prevent in future ever being revealed. Michael Meacher (8)

This is the same media that slated Michael Foot and demonized Tony Benn, attacked the unions and the Labour Party at every opportunity, effectively making an impotent opposition to neoliberalism, a chameleon Labour Party too frightened to speak out.

Of all the lies, none is bigger than the suggestion that the national debt is the highest ever.

Deliberate confusion is created regarding the difference between national debt and deficit. Lies about privatization of the services such as NHS, education and even the police. Lies that cuts are necessary, that we are all in it together, while the rich accrue obscene wealth while trampling on the death and decay they have created. Democracy around the world is held in hostage. US lobbyists are even infiltrating the elections of police commissioners (Telegraph report) (7) , and many MPs hold contacts with financiers (Britain Under Siege, Think Left) (16) . Power snatched from the people, held by the very rich echoes the Middle Ages, a neofeudalism (18) . The corporations control think-tanks (26) which decide policy, and hide their identities. Was this the intention of those who fought for the vote, for workers’ rights, and for equality?

Hidden behind the headlines, the Coalition government rules by stealth, themselves subservient (6) to a Plutonomy (18) which is both unsustainable, and unnecessary.

Yet, the opposition still quakes in fear of speaking the truths, fear of past memories. This is the opportunity for the Labour movement to rise again. A strong, straight-talking Labour Party will be welcomed back with a land-slide, and in power must redress the balance-of power.

The electorate is crying out for a Labour Party to stop hiding in fear behind the establishment. Those voters have an intellect underestimated by politicians . they know the policies that we need. Unlike Cameron and Osborne, the people are living it.

People are looking for some straight-talking, honesty and integrity. Courageous politicians like Aneurin Bevan who presented policies to an eager electorate and changed the lives of millions.

In the words of Tony Benn,(28) Labour should say what they mean and mean what they say. This is the way we need Labour to speak – why don’t they?

STRAIGHT-TALKING LABOUR

OUR TOP TWENTY

Confident, courageous and compassionate, Labour must seek to pursue the policies which will change our world.

We call upon Labour to:

1. BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AND NATONAL DEBT. a) Structural deficit & Libor (15) . b) The Fundamental deceit of ‘”There’s no money left.” (27)
2. CONFRONT THE PARASITIC BANKING COMMUNITY Monetise or rip up the £375bn debt they’ve bought back by QE and reduce the national debt of the UK with the stroke of a key. a) Simon says: QE is the biggest confidence trick of all time (14) , b) What is George Osborne playing at? (30) c) The IMF and Taking the Red Pill, Think Left (13)
3. SPLIT RETAIL AND INVESTMENT BANKS PROPERLY
4. REGAIN SOVEREIGN CONTROL OVER MONEY SUPPLY How debt leads to financial servitude (6)
5. TACKLE TAX JUSTICE ONCE AND FOR ALL. (3,4)
6. WORK FOR FULL EMPLOYMENT for those that can work, maintaining a safety net for those who cannot.
7. ENSURE A LIVING WAGE FOR ALL WORKERS
8. FORMULATE A NEW GREEN DEAL, and EXPANSION OF RENEWABLES
9. STOP SUBSIDIES OF FOSSIL FUELS AND NUCLEAR POWER
10. REVERSE PRIVATISATION OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
11. NATIONALISE UTILITIES, (including ENERGY (19) and WATER. (20) )
12. NATIONALISE RAILWAYS (31) and REVOLUTIONISE PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
13. BUILD HOMES FOR ALL
14. PROVIDE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE (24) – and reinstate SURESTART
15. INTRODUCE A TRULY COMPREHENSIVE National Education Service (23) , and LIFELONG LEARNING
16. PROTECT the WORK LIFE BALANCE, and ENSURE FLEXIBLE WORKING
17. PROVIDE DIGNIFIED CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (25)
18. REVERSE THE CUTS ON THE VULNERABLE, SICK AND DISABLED
19. REBUILD OUR COMMUNITIES, libraries, youth services, sports facilities, high streets and local co-ops.
20. MAKE THE COURAGEOUS STATE (5) A REALITY.

Reference and Further Reading:

1. Aneurin Bevan, In place of Fear

2. Aneurin Bevan: In Place of Fear: A Free Health Service 1952: (Socialist health Association)

3. Richard Murphy: Tax Research UK Has the public’s tipping point on tax arrived?

4. Richard Murphy: Building the Tax Justice Consensus

5. Richard Murphy, The Courageous State

6. Ian Fraser : On Michael Hudson: How finance leads to Debt Servitude

7. The Secret US Lobbyists behind Police and Crime Commisioner Election, Daily Telegraph

8. Police, MI5, and the growth of the coverup, Michael Meacher

9. Guardian: George Osborne , Workers can swap rights for Company Shares

10. Daily Mirror: Hillsborough cover-up too big for IPCC to handle on its own

11. Panorama airs programme on Newsnights’s Savile investigation

12. Guardian: Hillsborough Investigation should be extended to Orgreave says NUM leader,

From Think Left:

13. The IMF and Taking the Red Pill, Think Left

14. Simon says: QE is the biggest confidence trick of all time, Think Left

15. Structural Deficit and Libor, Think Left

16. Britain under Siege, Think Left

17. Lobbyists are destroying the democratic process, Think Left

18. Capitalism, NeoLiberalism, Plutonomy, and Neo -Feudalism Think Left

19. Nationalise Energy, Think Left

20, . Nationalise Utilities, Think Left

21. Who said, “the NHS will be shown no Mercy”, Think Left

22. For Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness and in Health, Think Left

23. Academisation and the Demolition of our Education System Think Left

24. A Bold Approach to Childcare, Think Left

25. A National Caring Service, Think Left

26. The Lost Democracy and the role of Think Tanks, Think Left

27 The fundamental deceit of There’s no money left, think Left

28. Thoughts inspired by Tony Ben, Think Left

29 Is Labour going to become Real Labour?, Think Left

30 What is George Osborne playing at?

31 Nationalise Railways, Think Left