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| Mr Atlee, winning in ’45 |
July 45, Clement Attlee told a celebratory crowd that Labour had a ‘socialist
principle of place the welfare of the nation before that of any section and of
dealing with every problem in a practical and business-like manner.’
His deputy, and grandfather of Peter Mandelson, Herbert Morrison supervised the
part’s program of nationalisation. First
the Bank of England was nationalised followed by civic aviation. The NHS was created as was the National Coal
Board, which created 90% of the UK’s energy supply. By 1951 the iron, steel and gas industries
were brought into public ownership as were there railway, electricity sector,
canals and road haulage sector.
As well as this period of nationalisation, the Atlee Government also embarked
on a house building program that we have not seen the likes of since.
The party fulfilled their promises of 45. They deal with political problems
with enthusiasm and common sense while retaining their socialist values.
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| Aneurin Bevan visiting a young patient in the newly created NHS |
Times have changed, politics has changed and the Labour party has changed. It is no longer a socialist party, rejecting
its own ‘public ownership’ and becoming a democratic socialist party.
It could be argued that the issues facing the present Labour Party are greater
that the issues faced by the Labour party in 45. The country is ‘penniless’, politics is ruled
by apathy and the Labour party is tarnished and tainted due to its actions of
the past.
Labour triumphed into power in 1997, finally taking over a country which had
been ruined by Thatcherism. The
manufacturing sector was in ruins, the public sector on life support due to
lack of funding while whole generations were ‘lost’ due to the policies of successive
Tory Governments.
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| Mrs Thatcher reaped devastation within working class communities |
For all the positives that Labour achieved they also made serious errors which
remain in our memory. Policies such as
allowing the UK to a lapdog for the USA, the lies that justified UK troops
invading Iraq, refusing to repeal anti-union laws and bringing in ATOS to
assess our sick and disable, all forced labour voters and members away from the
party.
And it is more that specific policies.
The parliamentary Labour party was no longer reflective to their
voters. The party created by trade
unionist no longer appeared to represent the labour movement. The party of the
workers has been manipulated so that it now appeared that they are the party of
big business. Socialism was replaced by
Democratic Socialism that was replaced by neoliberalism.
A failed election campaign where the highlight for the Labour party was Gordon Brown
telling an elderly woman that she was a ‘bigot’ and Tory-led Government that is
on par with Thatcher’s for its nastiness and vindictiveness has forced the
Labour party to reassess it’s values and ethos. Finally in 2013, the ‘s’ would was mentioned
by a Labour Leader. Ed Miliband proclaimed that he was bring socialism back to
British politics.
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| Gordon Brown minutes before his infamous ‘bigot’ comment |
Labour movement and party? Has Labour
learned their lesson? Will they put
people before profit, people before power or are they grandstanding to willing
crowd, demoralised by constant Tory attacks?
Will the follow through with their vision of a modern socialist Britain
or will their turn their backs on their voters and members again?
This is a pivotal moment in the history of the Labour party. I believe that they will win the 2015 general
election and the onus will be on them to prove, by actions not words, that the
Labour party will proud stand up for their values and beliefs. If they do, they will welcome in a new era of
British politics. If they don’t, then
the Labour party will end as we know it and a new party that does represent our
views will be formed.
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| Ed Miliband: A new Dawn for Labour? |
This is Labour’s last chance…but will they blow it?
