27.02.1997

Make a difference

Around the left

With general election day almost upon us, it is instructive to look at the left press. Obviously, faced with a concrete reality - whether to put their collective crosses against New Labour or not - it brings into sharp focus their relationship to New Labour, and their approach to politics in general.

Some publications collapse into barely disguised Labourism. A perfect example is the Trotskyist (in theory) Socialist Outlook. Like Living Marxism (now LM) and Militant (now The Socialist), it has undergone a face lift - for the worst, it has to be said - and now likes to describe itself as a “monthly Marxist review” (February).

In a hopelessly confused article on the front page, amusingly entitled ‘How we can really beat the Tories!’ (original emphasis), the anonymous writer states: “Labour’s leaders have a historic opportunity to unite millions of the downtrodden and oppressed behind a package of policies that would swiftly change life for the better for the vast majority.” This is a bit curious really, when you consider that a mere two paragraphs before the writer had pointed out that New Labour is “more conservative than the Tories; less liberal than the Liberal Democrats”.

So, how can we “really” beat the Tories? Simple. All it requires is for Tony Blair and co to adopt Socialist Outlook’s five-point “programme”. This includes a minimum - and minimum is certainly the right word for it - wage of “at least” £4.26; abolition of the Jobseekers Allowance, Project Work and all forms of workfare; and a “crash programme of investment” to rebuild the welfare state. For SO such a “programme” is urgently required, as “socialists must organise now for the fight to come to ensure a Labour government is not allowed simply to impose Tory policies which will alienate and demoralise Labour supporters”.

It seems fairly clear where SO’s true loyalties lie.

The same could be said for Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! Yet its methodology is a million miles away from Socialist Outlook. In an editorial called ‘Don’t vote for Labour’, it calls for a “complete break with Labour” - which is hardly surprising as it recently dubbed New Labour as “social fascist”. It goes on to argue: “There is no choice for the working class but to begin the fight to establish its own independent political organisation and to assert its own interests against those of the rich and powerful” (February/March).

Perfectly true of course. But with regards to the actual general election, the only way to “begin the fight” is for partisans of the working class like FRFI to vote for, and actively support, candidates from the Socialist Labour Party, Socialist Party, Socialist Alliances, CPGB, etc - or stand itself. Unfortunately, it passes no comment whatsoever on this crucial fact. Instead, it just issues the abstentionist slogan: “Don’t vote - organise!”.

To make a difference the left has to actively intervene in the general election, not ritualistically vote Labour or shout leftist abuse from the sidelines.

Don Preston