18.12.1997

It can only get better?

Labour backbenchers rebel as Blair steps up anti-worker offensive

“Blair is on a mission. Driven by Thatcherite zeal. And the sick and disabled are next on the list.”

Yes, it sounds like of those typically wild statements you find in ultra-left newspapers. When will they grow up and realise that in politics you have to be realistic and that voting Labour on May 1 was the lesser of two evils? If the author of the above statement has read Socialist Worker, then he or she surely knows this already.

Actually, this wild ‘leftist’ sentiment was to be found on the front page of The Independent (December 15). The article also went on to make following accusation: “Mr Blair also echoed one of the arguments made by Baroness Thatcher in defence of her programme of rolling privatisation - that, having initially resisted change, people learned to appreciate the benefits.” Strong stuff from this solidly centre-ground newspaper.

There has been consternation, and general outrage at the revelation that Labour is now casting its beady fiscal eye on sick and disability benefits. The government’s slashing of single parent benefits has proved to be just the opening thrust of New Labour’ strategic offensive against the working class. ‘Welfare to work’ here to stay - if we let it.

Tony Blair made this quite clear in an interview for GMTV last week. When asked whether ‘Welfare to work’ was his “big idea”, Blair promptly responded:

“It is the big idea and we mustn’t be deflected from carrying out the reforms that are necessary to provide opportunity for people and get the investment into our schools and our hospitals.”

Blair’s loyal sidekick Jack Straw weighed in to emphasis the centrality of ‘Welfare to work’ - hence the need to target single parent/sick/disability benefits - comparing it in importance to the expulsion of the Militant Tendency in the 1980s and the scrapping of clause four: “Reforms which were criticised as reckless or revolutionary soon become the received wisdom.”

Only the totally naive or ideologically blind can fail to see that sick/disability benefits are on the firing line. Blair gave himself away when he declared on Sunday: “No one is talking about taking benefits away from those that need it.” This can only mean very bad news for all of us.

Therefore, it does seem a bit redundant of The Guardian editorial to ask: “Will the real Tony Blair stand up?” (editorial, December 15). Over the last few weeks we have seen not just the “real” Tony Blair stand up, but also the real Labour Party - we have seen it put its commitment to the capitalist system long before its supposed sympathies for the working class.

Single parents will tell you this for nothing. To the horror of the pro-Labour left, Tony Blair and William Hague formed a united front against single parents last Wednesday and went side by side to the ‘yes’ lobby. According to The Sunday Telegraph,

“Michael Howard and Peter Lilley stood at the entrance to the division lobby, welcoming the Labour MPs who loyally backed the government, saying, ‘This way for the cuts’ ” (December 14).

The Labour victory was not quite as comfortable as they would have liked, winning by 457 votes to 107. In the end, 47 Labour MPs rebelled. Malcolm Chisholm, an obscure Scottish Office minister, resigned over the matter - more dignified than getting the sack. Two more ministerial aides, Michael Clapham and Gordon Prentice, also resigned, the latter bitterly complaining: “The whole thing - and this grieves me because I want to see this Labour government succeed - has been turned into the most insane loyalty test.”

The spectacle of Labour MPs guiltily voting for this petty and vicious measure in order to pass the “loyalty test” was not a pleasant one, even if it was only to be expected. As one Labour backbencher told The Independent,“I am very angry in myself with what I am doing tonight ... it makes me weep.” So why was he going to back the government? “Because I have spent the last 17 years trying to get rid of the Conservatives. I can’t bring myself not to vote for them” (December 11).

Presumably, this tormented Labour backbencher will also vote for cuts in sick and disability benefits on the same grounds - are we really supposed to be grateful that it is a Labour government attacking us, as opposed to a Tory one?

Those on the Labour left who rebelled against the cuts last week want us to celebrate all the magnificent victories - which lie in the future. Ken Livingstone wants us to take comfort from the fact that 100 Labour MPs supported the campaign against cuts in lone parents’ benefits and that the threat of an even bigger rebellion could prevent similar cuts to disability benefits. Apparently, “It’s going to be almost impossible to get through any real cuts to disability benefit. It would be too damaging.” Famous last words, Ken. It seems that ‘Red’ Ken had too much exposure to Labour’s general election theme tune, ‘It can only get better’.

The beginning of last week also saw Blair announce the formation of the social exclusion unit, which he launched at Stockwell Park School in Lambeth. He described the unit as one of the “most important new initiatives of this government”, and one which will help to see “Britain rebuilt as one nation”.

The unit is certainly well-named, as ‘errant’ parents could be fined up to £1,000 if they fail to ensure that their children attend school. But still, standards must be kept up: no slacking or excuses accepted. Estelle Morris, the schools minister, sternly warned: “Education welfare officers should not be afraid to prosecute parents wherever appropriate. Persuasion works with some families, but not all.”

If you are really lucky, you could get your lone parents benefit cut at the same time. As Blair wrote in The Independent, “It is the better off who often say the way to deal with poverty is to hand out more benefits. Those on benefits do not ask for sympathy: nor do they want to be trapped on benefits …” (December 8). The poor positively welcome every cut, it seems.

The Independent welcomed the social exclusion unit with an almost self-parodic justification:

“If you want to change people’s lives, concentrate on two or three things that will really work, and don’t try to change the world. The unit will succeed where previous attempts at coordination have failed if it focuses its fire on efforts that we know succeed” (December 9).

Perhaps the unit will “succeed” - at punishing marginalised, alienated and impoverished parents. Perhaps it will “succeed” at making working class kids’ lives even more miserable than they are now. Perhaps the time for Tony Blair’s “big idea” to work has finally come. If so, the workers’ movement had better be ready.

Paul Greenaway