Labour

In recent months, the ghosts of New Labour have resurfaced on the political scene, imploring the current Labour leaders to reclaim the so-called “centre ground”. But the reality is that capitalism in crisis and the traditional parties of the “centre ground” can offer no solution. Instead, there is a growing radicalisation, and a political polarisation taking place.

After a period of silence, the Blairite careerist rump inside the Labour Party has started stirring things up again. Rumours have even been circulating of a plot to remove Ed Miliband as leader and replace him with the Blairite Alan Johnson. Steve Jones looks at the latest machinations of the Blairites.

We publish here an open letter from Darrall Cozens, President of the Coventry TUC and lifelong member of the Labour Party, who responds to the Labour leader, Ed Miliband’s, justification for supporting the recent vote in Parliament backing military action in Iraq.

By all accounts, Labour should be miles ahead in the opinion polls as more and more people turn against this coalition government of the rich. But Labour is now only a few points ahead of the Tories with just ten months to go before the next general election. Without a bold socialist programme, Rob Sewell argues, Labour are heading for disaster.

Recent opinion polls have put the Tories ahead of Labour for the first time since 2012. Does this mean that the public has made an historic shift to the right? In reality, the contradiction lies between the working class’ interests and the Labour leadership. Daniel Morley argue that the latest polls are a dire warning to Labour: they must fight on a pro-working class, socialist programme to win back support.

The death of Tony Benn after a long illness at the age of 88 marks the passing away of an outstanding leader of the British left. Although Tony Benn came from a very privileged class background, he became the standard bearer for the left and the militant working class in the 1970s and 1980s. Rob Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal, looks back at the life of a greatly principled socialist.

Saturday 1st March saw the Labour Party Special Conference, venue for the vote on the Collins Report, the proposed changes regarding the trade union and Labour Party link. Steve Brown, delegate to the Special Conference, reports on the discussion and the meaning behind the changes, which were voted through.

The Young Labour National Conference was held over the weekend of the 22nd – 23rd February 2014. As with previous events of this kind, a large proportion of the agenda was given over to speeches by members of the Shadow Cabinet about the necessity of “fiscal responsibility”. Despite this, there was a noticeable shift leftwards in Young Labour, particularly noticeable among those who are newest into the Party. Ben Gliniecki reports from the conference.

Ordinary working people have faced an onslaught against their living standards over the past five years due to the crisis of capitalism. The leadership of the Labour Party should be offering concrete political proposals to combat this. Instead, however, the LP has spent the last four years concentrating on a reorganisation of the Party. Darrall Cozens examines the recent focus of the Labour leaders on organisational changes rather than political alternatives.

Labour Party members and trade unionists have been given just one short month to digest and discuss the new “reforms” on trade union affiliation to the Labour Party. Steve Jones examines the likely impact of the internal changes being presented by Ed Miliband.

The capitalist media have presented the recent policies of Miliband and Balls on the banking system and tax as revealing a ‘growing contempt for capitalism’ amongst Labour leaders. The reality, however, is of confused and contradictory policies that simply create the illusion of defending the poor whilst ultimately defending the capitalist system.