‘There Is Still Time to Save the Labour Party From Itself and Forge a New Political Mainstream’

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What we are witnessing in real time this week and will go on witnessing in the months to come, is the British Labour Party playing out it’s particular historic and cultural part in the global decline of social democracy.  

Social democracy is a creed born of the industrial revolution and the growth of the organised working class.  Its purpose is to represents the interests of the trade unions in Parliament, In particular through legislation that ensures a better deal for the proletariat, aided and abetted by the liberal middle class. Understandably given the decline in class consciousness it has been in crisis for decades. A politics that combines the social with the democratic is more important than ever, but as we are now finding out, it cannot be built on foundations that have lost their cultural domination. 

Kier Starmer is merely the latest and perhaps the least prepared captain of a slowly but steadily sinking ship, that can bob back up for a bit if a charismatic figure like Tony Blair comes along, or when the utterly abject failure of a Conservative government becomes so apparent it hands temporary victory to whoever happens to be in second place. But then political gravity inevitably and in execrably takes its toll, and the descent to oblivion continues. 

Speaking to Labour MPs and members of the lobby this this week, there is a mood that suggests this is the start of the end game for Starmer. There is no sight of discernible growth and there could well be financial crash this Autumn. Even if they relent and raise taxes in the Budget, there has been no preparation of the electoral and political ground for such a necessary but hazardous move.  The polls look bleak and there is no dry land on the horizon.  The reshuffle did nothing to change the direction of the Government other than embed the drift to the right. There are now no shots left in Starmer’s locker. 

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All attention now turns to the faux competition for a new Deputy Leader of the party. And understandably at one level the cry goes up ‘it must be and northern woman’. Of course, diversity, gender and geography matter enormously. Along with race. And all other things being reasonably equal we should take positive action to ensure diversity.  

But and this is a very big but, the first requirement is not gender, not geography but whether candidates understand the global crisis of social democracy and whether they have a political and class analysis. 

If not, then the contest is merely displacement therapy. If not, then this really is about, and I’m sorry for the cliche but it is so apt, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as the good ship Labour sales into the iceberg of Reform.  A voyage to the tip of one Nigel Farage concealing a far more ferocious and frightening mass of authoritarian populism in the dark waters below the surface.

This is in party why a unique alliance has been forged within Labour this week called Mainstream. For full disclosure, the organisation I’m the Director of Compass and another organisation Open Labour made this happen.  It’s launch statement combines demand for a much more equal and democratic society, and collected an unprecedented alliance of Labour MPs, Peers, former advisers and activists to address this crisis. It’s an attempt at the eleventh hour to save Labour, from this historic decline and from itself. 

Some reading this will say why bother, it’s too late. Instead put your energies into a revived Green Party under Zack Polanski, or the fledgling Your Party of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.  Of course, people will go where they must. But Labour, come what may, will be the Government for the next four years. In that time, they can be stopped from making terrible decisions, like they were on the disability benefits cuts.  And they can be persuaded to make some good decisions like lifting thousands of children out of poverty by ending the two-child payment cap. 

And by turning Labour once more to a progressive direction, the path is opened up to the possibility of the cross-party alliance required to defeat the far right.  The Greens and Your Party can decide whether to cooperate or not over 40 seats on their target lost.  And of course, all countervailing left forces in politics are to be welcomed.  But it’s not 40 seats progressive need but 400 to see off the threat of Farage. Especially when those 40 seats have simply been taken from Labour and make no dent in the cavalry charge of the right. 

Under our atrocious voting system, the idea Sultana posited, that Labour is dead, or Polanski’s line that the Greens will replace labour – are probably both fanciful.  The Labour brand still matters and its even spread of votes under first past the post means even at the next election it’s likely to return more MPs than any other progressive party.  This is not time for populist fantasy but realistic political radicalism.

So, Labour matters.  And the whole point of Mainstream is this show that the vast majority of its members still want a good society.   They want fairness and to see those children lifted out of the daily misery of poverty.  They want to see a government that does everything it can to liberate the people of Gaza and not do everything in its power to lock up the grandparents who stand up for Palestine. This is the Labour Party and it can and must be a force for good.  Yes, working alongside all the other forces for good in politics and civil society. 

The mainstream of this country know we need radical answers now to the wicked and complex challenges we face. Things are starting to come to a head.  Choices will have to be made. It is a time for new leadership, leadership that combines humility and boldness. The alternative to a future that is social and democratic compels us all to step up.