Michael Meacher

Labour Party | Oldham West and Royton

Article for Morning Star: NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE LEFT TO REASSERT ITSELF

For all the talk about the need to debate policies and not personalities, there’s very little of the former going on and far too much of the latter. We regularly hear about how contenders are well connected, or what odds are offered by bookmakers, but much less about what they would do if they held office.

A policy debate – as part of a leadership contest, not one designed to predetermine the policies of the winner - is required. Candidates from all wings of the party should offer their views on the most pressing issues facing the Labour Party and the UK, giving party members an democratic opportunity to elect a new leader. Such a contest would not only clear the political air ahead of next year’s regional and local elections, it would actually be the best possible lead-in to them, with minds focused on the polices to be presented to the electorate. The alternative is a continuing period of uncertainty.

One clear certainty is the importance of a changing policies, not merely swapping one leader for another while ploughing on regardless. Since 1997, Labour has lost 4 million votes. Earlier this year, 320 Labour councilors lost their seats, the consequence of our present electoral unpopularity.

An artificial private market within the NHS; a two-tier education system; refusal to adopt the 4th option for Council housing; switching to private pensions which leave two-thirds of pensioners requiring means-tested assistance; outsourcing the probation service; leaving a fragmented private rail system operating inefficiently despite £2 billion public subsidies a year; handing over key local government functions to the private sector; scandalously risking £50 billion of public expenditure on PFI schemes many of which are already falling apart.   No Labour values are represented by these policies. If ever the case for a strong public sector needed to be made, the history of the last decade proves it overwhelmingly.

Since Blair was elected leader in 1994, the Left has been far more of a spectator than an actor. A leadership election is the time to press our demands for a radical change of direction. If we carry on as we are we will certainly lose the next election.

Conduct of foreign policy this deathly summer has been the clearest example of how the Prime Minister has lost the backing of the public. After the invasion of Lebanon (and Gaza) and the failure of ‘unilateralism’ we must press the case that the only way to peace in the Middle East (and ending the risk of terrorism at home) is through negotiation. Troop withdrawal from Iraq, at least by the middle of next year, is essential: our presence is fuelling the violence, not reducing it.  Britain should have no truck with a US or Israeli attack on Iran.  When world security is threatened, not by nuclear states, but by regional conflicts and international terrorism, we should also reject the £25 billion replacement of Trident.

Domestically, we need a real Labour economic policy that reduces the present grotesque inequalities in wealth and incomes. The national minimum wage should be raised to the European decency threshold of £7.45 an hour. We must switch away from the present low pay low skill low productivity economy, much stronger employment rights in the workplace, and a regional policy to spread job opportunities more evenly away from the South-East across the whole country. The expansion – now without limits, according to Patricia Hewitt - of privatisation and PFI, not only in health, but in education, housing, pensions, probation, rail, and local government must end. 

Climate change is an opportunity to lead the world not only in reduction of emissions, but also in technology, research and development, industry and employment – all of which would rise immensely if we switched away from fossil fuels, rejected  civil nuclear power and instead pushed strongly down the renewables route, which has yet to be properly tried.

Last but far from least, we have to address the lack of trust the public has for politicians. It’s not enough to have Big Conversations or declare “Let’s Talk.” A great deal more listening and taking account of what is said is needed – and the introduction of policy from above has to end if we want a united party and less “rebellion.”

Conference should have a real decision-making role, not merely provide a grandstanding for the Leader’s speech.  We need a mechanism to hold the Leader to account, and should consult the membership about how that should best be done.  And we need a new constitutional settlement that cuts down Prime Ministerial patronage and is able to hold the executive to account.

This is the Left platform we should be pushing in this leadership election.  If enough members vote for it, we can make it a reality.