07.11.1996

Blair’s hollow Mandate

Below the surface of enthusiasm for a Labour victory, discontent bubbles

It came as no surprise to anyone that New Labour’s manifesto was passed by 95% of the 61% of Labour Party members that even bothered to vote. No one, least of all Labour Party members, were under any illusions that this was an exercise in democracy.

Since amendments were not allowed this was purely a ‘unity’ public relations exercise for the media. Party members rallied to the call, pledging everything on a Labour victory in the next election.

Ninety percent of the votes cast were from affiliated union members whose turnout was 24%. 230,402 votes were cast with 1,093 spoilt ballot papers.

The low turnout is not unusual for party elections. It was higher than for the ballots on clause four and for the 1994 leadership, not least since Tony Blair had pulled out all the stops in this cosmetic stunt in order to capitalise on the publicity.

A low turnout is usually a feature of union elections too. This tells us something about how disenfranchised the working class and the population as a whole feel. It is not unique to the Labour Party.

The Labour and Tory conferences were both prime examples of decision making from the top. The vast mass of the population is merely cajoled to put its hand in the air or to put a cross on the ballot paper.

Those not voting in the Labour ‘consultation’ saw little point since the outcome was already pre-ordained. Labour would never have embarked on the exercise if it had not been. Some of them will nevertheless have been loyal Blairites, but a great many others will have been those who have little faith in the manifesto, yet see no alternative to Labour.

Behind the reluctant ‘enthusiasm’ to get Labour elected we should not underestimate the discontent simmering below. Labour’s manifesto puts the seal on all the worst we have heard from its leaders over the last few months. Blair said: “This is our mandate to stand as New Labour and to govern as New Labour. What the people see is what they will get.” Most people believe him.

The so called ‘key pledges’ themselves hardly broker much to look forward to. Despite throw-away rhetoric about reducing school class sizes and NHS waiting lists, Labour has made it clear that it is not making any spending commitments. In fact it promises tough measures to reduce government spending and borrowing.

The rest of its ‘social-ist’ manifesto echoes its now accustomed authoritarian solutions to poverty and violence in the religious and moral crusade that has been running riot.

Key pledges include fast track punishment for young offenders and a pledge to get 250,000 under 25-year olds off benefit and into work. In Labour’s case, this work amounts to a vicious system of welfare for work which will marshal unemployed workers into low paid slave labour, thus having the added bonus for capitalism of bringing down wage levels as a whole.

Discontent has shown itself already at the TUC and most importantly in the formation of the Socialist Labour Party. The authoritarian policy statements of Labour leaders and its thoroughly anti-working class manifesto sticks in the throat of many workers. Those on the left who continue to call for a vote for Labour must seriously consider where they want to take the working class. The task of revolutionaries is to give an alternative to the capitalist attack on society, not act as its cheerleaders.

When the hard reality of a Labour government finally takes shape the working class will need a strong combative revolutionary Party to halt a tide of reaction. We must start to forge that Party, not mark a cross for reaction.

Linda Addison