Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Is There A Home For Me in Scottish Labour?

"In the US, there is basically one party - the business party. It has two factions, called Democrats and Republicans, which are somewhat different but carry out variations on the same policies. By and large, I am opposed to those policies. As is most of the population". - Noam Chomsky.



When I first voted, way back in 1983, I couldn’t wait to vote Labour. I was keen to be rid of the Tories. Little did I realise it would be such a long wait. And when Labour finally got into power in 1997, they turned out to be a government who admired Thatcher and continued her legacy. They proved to be a militarist government, taking us into wars that millions (including me) marched in opposition to. They were unrecognisable. So unrecognisable, that my long wait to be rid of the Tories didn’t seem to be over at all. They were still in power, just with a different name.  It seemed to me that Noam Chomsky's analysis of American party politics could equally be applied to Labour and the Tories here.

But now the Labour Party says it wants my vote.


“Yes voters can find a home in Scottish Labour says @jimmurphymp. We disagreed for one day in September, but we agree on so much more.”

Well, let’s find out, shall we?

Trident.
A fundamental issue for me is getting rid of Trident. Do we agree on that, Scottish Labour?
No, Labour failed to support "a simple and non-partisan motion" on the renewal of Trident, in what CND called "a snapshot of the gulf between Westminster and the British public".

http://www.cnduk.org/cnd-media/item/2068-trident-debate-is-a-snapshot-of-the-gulf-between-westminster-and-the-british-public


Austerity.
What about austerity, then? The political ideology that seeks to punish the poor for the sins of the rich. Can we agree on that?

Well, it didn’t seem promising when Darling, before heading Better Together, said Labour’s cuts would be “tougher and deeper than Thatcher’s” were in the 1980s.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8587877.stm). But he was then replaced by Ed Balls, so what did Balls say? Well, he was keen to show he had “tightened Labour’s austerity stance”:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2014/sep/22/labour-conference-ed-balls-speech-and-reaction-politics-live-blog

He had also said, if elected, Labour could cut £5billion in its first year of Government.

“Labour would not reverse billions of pounds of spending cuts to the police, hospitals, armed forces and local councils, Ed Balls has confirmed.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11326446/Ed-Balls-forced-to-admit-Labour-could-cut-5billion-in-first-year-of-Government.html

Jim Murphy, now Scottish Labour leader, was vociferous on the matter:

He said Labour must adopt the Tory spending cuts in order to appear credible, and said Labour should reject what he called "shallow and temporary" populism. Labour should accept £5bn of Tory cuts in defence (which was his brief at the time).

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jan/05/labour-party-spending-cuts-credible

But surely they wouldn’t vote to support Tory austerity measures?

Well, they did. Although Save the Children warned that the measure would push 345,000 more children into poverty, shamefully on 26th March 2014, Labour voted with the Tories in favour of an arbitrary and damaging welfare cap, thus ending Labour’s long weakened association with the welfare state.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/salman-shaheen/welfare-cap_b_5042380.html

“Asked whether Labour would cap the same benefits and use the same numbers as in the Budget, Mr Balls replied: ‘Yes.’.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/welfare-cap-will-push-345000-children-into-poverty-in-just-four-years-warns-save-the-children-9217442.html

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/2014-03/welfare-cap-risks-pushing-345000-more-children-poverty

Tory Austerity II - Osborne's "Budget Responsibility"

Another fundamental for me is not voting to support George Osborne’s “Charter for Budget Responsibility”, (AKA deeper austerity). Do we agree on that, Scottish Labour?

No, they voted to approve it:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2015/january/mps-debate-charter-for-budget-responsibility/


Neoliberalism.

I detest neoliberalism and what it stands for. Do we agree on that, Scottish Labour?


Oh dear.

(Useful link on neoliberalism and what it is: http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2006/lilley190606.html)

The Royal Mail.

I think the Royal Mail should be renationalised – Westminster could choose to do this. I think it should. Do we agree on that, Scottish Labour?

- “Labour rules out Royal Mail renationalisation pledge”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24327001

It would seem not.

The renationalisation of utilities.

I think rail, electricity, and gas should also be renationalised – again, Westminster could choose to do that. Polls show that the majority of the electorate think it should.

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/11/04/nationalise-energy-and-rail-companies-say-public/

The public wants it. Does Labour? Can we at least agree on that, Scottish Labour?

It seems that the best Miliband can offer is a replacement ombudsman.

“He vowed to abolish energy watchdog Ofgem and replace it with a new regulatory regime that ensures customers get a "fair deal".”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24213366

That’s pretty disappointing stuff, Labour.

The new Clause Four.

I note that you are rewording Clause Four of your Party Constitution. Let’s see if I find it attractive.

“To these ends we work for the patriotic interest of the people of Scotland”.

http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/blog/entry/yes-and-no-voters-can-find-a-home-in-the-scottish-labour-party

Oh, no. That’s put me off straight away. I detest patriotism. My Yes vote was not about patriotism or nationalism, but about a strategy for breaking us out of the neoliberal cage that Westminster politics has become defined by.

The NHS.

One of my fundamental beliefs is in a health care system, free at the point of use. The NHS that means so much to us in this country was first introduced by the post-War Labour government, back in 1948.

Surely Labour can be trusted on the NHS?

Well, they told us this in the referendum:

“The NHS is safe with a No vote”.


There was a No vote, so that means the NHS is safe, does it? (Cue hollow laughing).

No, according to Labour, it would seem not.

In fact, yesterday, I got a Labour leaflet telling me how much peril the NHS was in. Despite those words “the NHS is safe with a No vote”. Do they think the electorate is stupid, or has such a short memory?

But not only are they mendacious and cynical, they are also personally and individually up to their necks in private health. Here is a list of Labour politicians with financial links to private health firms, according to research published on 2nd March 2014 by Andrew Robertson of Social Investigations.  - Yes, Labour politicians.

Labour MPs with financial links to private health firms:

1. Luciana Berger: MP for Liverpool.
2. David Blunkett: MP for Sheffield.
3. Rosie Cooper: MP for West Lancashire.
4. Simon Danczuk - MP for Rochdale.
5. Alistair Darling: MP for Edinburgh South-West.
6. Frank Dobson: MP for Holborn and St Pancras.
7. Frank Field – MP for Birkenhead.
8. Barry Gardiner: MP for Brent North.
9. David Lammy: MP for Tottenham.
10. Jamie Reed: MP for Copeland.
11. Emma Reynolds: Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East.
12. Owen Smith: MP for Pontypridd.
13. Gisela Suart: MP for Birmingham, Egbaston.
14. Shaun Woodward: MP for St Helens South.

Labour members of the House of Lords with financial links to private health firms:

1. Baroness Billingham.
2. Lord Carter.
3. Viscount Chandos
4. Lord Darzi.
5. Lord Davies of Abersoch.
6. Lord Eatwell
7. Lord Elder.
8. Lord Evans of Watford.
9. Lord Filkin.
10. Baroness Ford.
11. Lord Gavron.
12. Lord Goldsmith.
13. Lord Grocott.
14. Lord Harris of Haringey.
15. Lord Hollick.
16. Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.
17. Lord Hutton of Furness.
18. Baroness Jay.
19. Baroness Kingsmill.
20. Lord Leitch.
21. Baroness Liddell.
22. Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale.
23. Baroness McDonagh.
24. Baroness Mallalieu.
25. Lord Malloch-Brown.
26. Lord Mandelson.
27. Lord Moonie.
28. Baroness Morgan of Huyton.
29. Lord Myners.
30. Lord Noon.
31. Lord Puttnam.
32. Lord Sainsbury of Turville.
33. Lord Sawyer.
34. Lord Simpson.
35. Lord Sugar.
36. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean.
37. Lord Warner.

http://socialinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/compilation-of-parliamentary-financial.html

It’s a long list. Can we therefore trust Labour to vote dispassionately on NHS matters? On the basis of that research, I know I don’t.


So, is there a home for me in Scottish Labour?

No, sorry Jim, there isn’t a home for me in Scottish Labour You are not a party I could ever vote for. On too many fundamental issues, you are sadly everything I despise.


Here is a selection of articles containing current Labour party thinking, with which I can't agree:

Labour will make cuts to welfare budget if it wins 2015 election
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/oct/02/labour-cuts-welfare-liam-byrne

Labour support Iain Duncan Smith's fast-tracked emergency legislation to reverse the outcome of a court of appeal decision whereby jobseekers deemed were to have been unlawfully punished.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/mar/15/dwp-law-change-jobseekers-poundland

Harriet Harman says: people feel 'resentful' of benefit claimants 'not pulling their weight'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9977158/Harriet-Harman-people-feel-resentful-of-benefit-claimants-not-pulling-their-weight.html

Senior Labour figure says: "The welfare state has a legitimacy problem in Britain"
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/05/labour-draw-sting-welfare-or-lose-2015

"Why I, a Labour peer, am supporting a regulated market for NHS competition"
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/23/regulated-market-nhs-competition

Labour backs Iain Duncan Smith's "universal credit".
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316612/Universal-Credit-shake-make-sure-work-pays-gets-underway-Labour-finally-admits-sensible-idea.html#ixzz2S2gaOdOj

Ed Balls: Labour would cap state pension if it returned to power
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-balls-labour-would-cap-state-pension-if-it-returned-to-power-8651196.html

Liam Byrne says benefit cap isn’t tough enough.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/07/liam-byrne-changes-tack-to-say-benefit-cap-isnt-tough-enough/
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