Labouring in vain

According to New Statesman Labour leadership contenders had a hustings at the Fabian society, and were asked whether they were socialists.

I'll leave you to read the article directly, but will simply draw your attention to this paragraph

That hint of disdain for the usefulness of ideological speculation may be a rather more authentic Labourist tradition than any theory of Socialism has ever been (The trade unions would never have founded the party if it had really wanted to be a Socialist one).

The Fabian intellectual GDH Cole had written, somewhat approvingly, of Labour having a "socialism so undefined in its doctrinal basis as to make recruits readily among people of different types".

Labour is not, and never has been a socialist party, it does not stand for socialism, but is trade unionism carried on into politics, it is the use of political power to defend and advance the interests of working people within capitalism. Just like a trade union, it has to tack, turn and sometimes cut a bad deal for its members.

Socialism is not sticking up for the bottom dog, it is using the organised power (and, yes, wealth) of the workers to completely overturn the economic system to one which is permanently run in our interests. It is political action that can do that.

A new dawn

I was sat in t'pub t'other night, minding my own business, reading Robert Service's biography of Trotsky - to review it for the standard.

This emo-ish lad came over to me, and asked what I was reading. I showed him the cover, and awaited his opinion on Trotsky:

"Who's that?" asked he. I was taken aback, the lad had never heard of the leader of the Russian revolution.

The kid went on to tell me (he was slaughtered) that he was part of some sort of Youth Council for London, and knew how to solve all of Britain's problems (credit, you see, take all the money away, divide it up, and then issue credit - pull out of world trade for a while to do this, and stop immigration - by the latter point I stopped humouring him and started laying in on how daft he was, and he beat a slight retreat. I am every bit as much of an arguing machine as Trotsky was).

Anyway, his ignorance aside, I think it's a good thing this kid knew not of Trotsky. Perhaps there is hope.

Back to politics

OK, so, a round up-cum-linkage of three web stories.

Firstly, Dave Osler, passim making the case that there's nowt to the left of Labour. All well and good, and true. In fact, as Luke Akehurst has been banging on about for weeks, and now Jonathon Feedland has joined in with - the race isn't run, yet. There are still months to the election, and the incumbants have all the power and publicity position brings them.

Which brings us to the Queen's speech (Gawd bless 'er - incidentally, a Labour candidate is being disciplined for being rude about the Queen: telling the truthYes, it is a 'values' programme, more about the tone than detail; but what tone.

A national care service for the elderly, restrictions on bankers bonuses - Labour forced into little errosions of the market.

Yes, millions still support Labour, and the electoral advantage, thanks to the distribution of votes, gives them a strong hand. That means millions support capitalism; but the give aways Labour will try to use to stay in power offer some prospect of a space for socialists to criticise and say "not enough".

Socialism doesn't grow out of despair, but of hope. The midst of a recession doesn't build for revolution, but the start of growth, when there is a prospect for renewal and "never again" maybe, we'll have a chance.

With the SWP going into meltdown, maybe a clear run for socialism will be had - although I suspect it's the Millies who'll end up last man standing, creating an SSP redux.

oh, well.

The poverty of politics

Real politics:

This blog shows the truth of local politics - councillors posing outside shocking potholes THAT THEY HAVE FOUND AND ASKED OFFICIALS TO FIX!

What will socialists do about the potholes, our putative electors would ask. We pointed to the bloody shovels, and let them work it out for themselves....