Would Keir Hardie be Spinning in his Grave?
Consider this, from The Political Ramblings of a Working Class Man:
It is an accusation that has been thrown at the Labour Party but does this accusation stand up to scrutiny? Would Keir Hardie be spinning in his grave by the actions of the present labour party?
The Labour Party was created at the beginning of the 1900s to represent ordinary working class folk and the trade union movement at all levels of politics. There was a gap in the electoral market and the Labour party filled it. The vast majority of the electorate had representation in politics – The Tories representing the elite, the Liberals representing the ‘middle classes’ and Labour representing the ‘working class’
But this system of representation imploded when the Liberal Party disappeared from the electoral map. The party political system whereby all sections of the electorate were represented was now defunct. Labour thought that they could take advantage of this change in politics by expanding who they aim to represent. They saw the Liberals imploding and thought of all the votes they could gain. But in trying to represent the ‘middle’ and ‘working class’ they actually represented neither. Their aim to please the many displeased the majority – cutting the traditional link that the party had with its traditional voters.
Fast forward to 2014 and the similarities between Labour and the Conservatives are many.
Education:
Labour admit that they will continue with the Tories ‘successful‘ educational reforms.
Welfare:
Labour admit that they will continue the Tories mantra of being tougher than the Tories on benefit claimants.
Public Services
Ed Miliband admits that there will be more cuts to public services
Constitution
Labour have joined forces with the Tories in the BetterTogether Campaign
Who do they represent?
Ed Balls admits that Labour are ‘a pro-business party‘.
Right Wing/Left Wing?
The Labour Party ejected militants for left-wing entryism but fully embrace Progress and their right-wing entryism
We have seen the end of Old Labour, replaced by the shining façade of New Labour. New Labour’s rush to the centre ground and their ultimate addiction to the neo-liberal attraction of the City of London alienated more and more of their traditional voters. Labour had a chance, an opportunity to reclaim the trust that they had lost. Huge swathes of the electorate were being attacked under the guise of ‘welfare reform’ while our economy was being ruined by the failed economic theory of ‘Austerity’.
Sadly, Labour’s lack of opposition to austerity and the Tory’s welfare reform package broke the hearts of faithful Labour party members and voters. This lack of opposition is seen as yet another betrayal of ordinary folk in the UK.
So, what would the great Mr Hardie think of our politics?
Read the conclusions on the blog.
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The Greens offer what Labour should be offering to get a landslide victory in 2015:
– universal non-means tested Citizen Income, non-withdrawable, in or out of work.
Agreed!
Yes. Nothing and no one that The Labour Party stood for are represented by it. There is no party of the left. There’s barely a party of the middle! Right, further Right and much further Right then UKIP.
There are left wing parties,but they are too small to get any seats.