With the election looming, things for the Left don't seem good. We are being attacked from the Right- the Tories are on a pretty much direct-route of self-flattery to No.10, and the far-far Right- the BNP- a party who having exchanged the boots (DMs to be precise), for suits. So, at the polls we are left with the Lib Dems, New Labour or the Greens. We could discuss here the possibility of a Socialist-Trade Union coalition, but at the moment it seems the whole project is headed for the same dumping ground that NO2EU enjoyed. We, as revolutionary Socialists, need to hold our hands up and frankly say, WE ARE FUCKED. We have not organised, we have not put a clear framework and argument to the working class, we have failed them. However, we shouldn't let our past failings, stop us from being active at this next election, there is still room for us to move about in. There may not be enough room to swing a cat in, but we just have to keep the fight going. This isn't to say we aren't making progress as Socialists in Britain, my particular party Worker's Liberty, are standing a candidate in London, but we are far from making a bid for power. I don't want to suggest that we as Socialists, pander to any party line, or try to "buddy" up with any party for the sake of credibility, or even rely on elections to solve the exploitation and inequalities that face the working class. What I am suggesting is that due to the huge threat to the working class from the Tories and BNP, we on the Left need to unite and blockade the Right-tide that is rising, and the only way we can stop this is to get behind a mainstream party. If we can stop the Right, we can then take that victory under our belts, and get on fighting for the working class. So I want here to look at the alternatives Socialists have at the next election.
The Lib Dems are a confusing bunch. They speak highly of upholding civil liberties and electoral reform, which would seem to make them appealing to the Left, but they are still at heart a Capitalist party. People are lavishing praise upon Vince Cable, and he does make some credible criticisms of Labour party economic policy, but they will still be a party of "friendly, friendly, smiley, smiley" Capitalism if elected, and still will be a party of CUT CUT CUTS. Personally, Nick Clegg freaks me out, he's a little bit too creepy, and his Cameron-I'm your best buddy-top button undone, no tie- approach just makes me wriggle with cringeworthyness. So I don't think the Lib Dems can ever be a alternative for the left, as they have no standing in labour movements, and our politics could never come onto their agenda.
The Greens......grrrrr. The Greens annoy me for a number of reasons. Number 1, leader Caroline Lucas reminds me of some children's tv show Rainbow-esque character, which I find a little unnerving. Number 2, I don't think any ground can be made to saving the environment through market-politics. Allowing markets to run Green policy in my eyes will not work, as markets and neo-liberal principles encourage over-production, which has landed us in the Climate-pickle we find ourselves in today. I don't think anything can come from a Green-movement which comes from above. Those directly involved with the production of carbon-emitting industries must be the ones who take control of the movement, and make this change happen. If Climate-change policy comes from above, it will be dominated by business-interests rather than the interests of the people who climate change will ultimately effect.
That leaves us with Labour. There has been a lot of debate recently on the Left about the possibilities of supporting Labour at the next election. I can see the argument both ways, but I am really torn on the issue. My first gut-reaction was to say, woah-there, I'm not supporting the Labour party- the body-count in Iraq, Brown's stutterings in the Commons, and Mandelsons leering face all spring to mind. It seemed to me at first bizarre to support a party, that had let down the working class, a party who had abandoned its core vote for the centre ground, who paid dues only to Capitalism. But I was happy to be swayed in the other direction, and I do see the logic behind the Left getting behind Labour. Its does have its roots in trade unionism and the working class, and in all honesty, it is the biggest opposition there is to the Tories and the BNP.
It would be wrong for the Left to start apologising for the failings of New Labour or try to defend their wheelings and dealings of the last 13 years, and I don't think there is any room to try and make in-roads into the party in the long run, but at a time when the country faces Tory Rule with a large BNP presence, Labour are the lesser of evils. I'm still not 100% behind supporting Labour at the next election, but if the choice was given to me- David Cameron's smug grin or Nick Griffin's freakish gawp or Brown's constant grimace, I think Brown could be stomached for another term.