Sometimes
little incidents reveal much more fundamental truths. This article from the Guardian on Tuesday
September 09 which covered some of the fringe meetings at the TUC conference
clearly demonstrates just how out of touch many of the New Labour careerists
really are:
“One telling anecdote to emerge from the Compass gathering was when David
Lammy, the schools minister, discussed his shock at finding one of his mother’s
pay slips, dated 1986. Lammy’s mother, recently deceased, had worked both in
the NHS and for London Underground. Going through his mum’s things after her
death, Lammy learned that her take-home pay 22 years ago was just £900 a month.
The eyes of fellow panellist Heather Wakefield, Unison’s
head of local government, visibly widened. She waited until it was turn to
speak to point out that £900 sums up the take-home pay of some of the lowest
earning staff serving in local government in the 21st century – something Unison has been trying to raise for quite some time.
It’s good for Labour ministers and trade unionists to talk.”
So
much for New Labour having its ear to the ground and dealing with the realities
of modern living. The fact is that many workers are on the breadline and simply
can’t afford Gordon Brown’s wage restraint policy. More than that, it shows how
vital it is to begin to reclaim the Labour Party.
