Identity Crisis

Who are Labour?

Seriously, who are they? Does Labour even know?

I've always been on the left and as such Labour has been my political home. The party's historical track record of supporting the working class and giving minorities a voice are partly why I'm proud to say that. However, ever since Thatcher, the destruction of the trade unions and 'New Labour', the party's future has become increasingly blurred. With new leaders seemingly trying to 'reinvent' the party because they can't quite decide just how far left they should go, the party's identity is in crisis.

As a leftie, it seems to me that the current Labour Party, under leader Keir Starmer, is very much concerned with trying to win over a few 'floater voters' - the soft right-wing liberal types' and taking Labour's inherent socialist supporters for granted. Labour are losing votes from people who have always voted Labour for simply failing to deliver real socialists policies based on the principles the Labour Party was first founded upon. Labour now is not the same Labour as the past.

Of course, to hold Keir Starmer personally responsible would be misguided, this has been years in the making. The mainstream media having had a lot to do with controlling the narrative surrounding Labour's direction. Jeremy Corbyn is undoubtedly an old school socialist, yet when he was leader he didn't just have a small following of old school lefties reminiscing better times. No. He also had an overwhelming number of young supporters, lots of whom had never had an interest in politics before. What was the result of engaging the previously disengaged 'youth' of this country? Fear. The media got scared. People were waking up and the status quo was under threat. So what did they do? They attacked him. Relentlessly.

In reality, the Conservatives have just slowly been continuing the work of Thatcher, shifting the political window ever more to the right. Socialists’ policies just appear more and more 'extreme' the longer it goes on. Policies such as renationalising services like energy, transport and royal mail. Or providing everyone with free broadband. These get laughed down as being ridiculous nonsensical ideas. A universal basic income* remains completely unthinkable. Yet all the while the NHS is being ripped away from us and privatised before our very eyes and we are powerless to stop it.

The agenda from the right-wing establishment is more blatant now than ever, partially because, I think, they know that due to a lack of real opposition they can get away with it. They are not too fussed about Keir gaining popularity in the polls because unlike Jeremy he hasn't become a threat to the status quo. Anything the current Labour proposes to do can be easily be undone. We saw this with New Labour in the late 90s and early 2000s, where are all the Sure Start centres they brought in, hey? They lasted long, didn’t they?

In short, the opposition is weak. Labour is not a force to be reckoned with because they are not even pulling the window of political possibility in the right (meaning left) direction. Instead, the current leadership is working politely within the parameters set upon them by the right.

Due to this many are deflecting and there will no doubt be a rise in fringe parties. The Breakthrough Party are one example already, formed on social media and gaining momentum. Furthermore, with the chances of being reinstated all but completely dismissed, there are even recent rumours that Corbyn is being encouraged to create his own political party based around the already well-established Peace and Justice Project. If this happens, and if those parties were to gain enough support, it could mean the beginning of real change. However, if they don’t win over the majority of the electorate, it only goes to serve the Tories. With Labour splintered they would continue to hold a majority with even less of an opposition and remain in power for another term. And, what's worse, it would be all Labour's fault.

So, this leaves lefties like me in a slight predicament. I am voting Labour because I still believe in Labour? Of course, there are still many valid reasons to have hope; Rayner. Burnham. Butler. Sultana. To name just a few. Or do I vote Labour, like many others will, to simply ensure the Tories eventually get kicked out? Or, on a final thought, do I vote for the party with the socialists’ policies I can wholeheartedly stand behind? It's tricky.

In summary, Labour need to decide who they are, and quick.

*[Recommended book: Utopia for realists by Rutger Bregman. For more insight into Universal Basic Income].