April | 2009 | Liberal Conspiracy

A wake-up call for the left

by Sunny Hundal April 29, 2009 at 9:20 am

With the New Labour project almost over, we can be comfortable with two assumptions: the Tories are coming to power; the left will descend into civil war over future political direction. So I want to draw the battle lines as early as possible, and this is part of that. The question could be posed in many different ways, but this may be the simplest: What has been the left’s main problem over the last decade?

For me, it is the failure to illustrate an easily identifiable vision for the future beyond tired old platitudes, and build mass movements on those ideas. It is the failure to build wide-ranging popular coalitions that aren’t hijacked by the SWP hard-left. It is the failure to build organisational capacity and, more importantly, harness the energy of the people.

What do I mean by that?
continue reading… »

46 Comments ¦ 29th April

Atrophy: how the left blew its big chance

by Dave Osler April 28, 2009 at 7:18 pm

HAYEK, von Mises and Popper presumably never did get around to reading Gramsci. But in retrospect, the political movement these men – together with others – famously launched at Mont Pelerin some 62 years ago represents the most successful counterhegemonic bloc ever yet constructed.

Even though the brand of classical liberalism they advocated seemed a hopeless anachronism in 1947, with Keynesianism so utterly in the ascendant, the free market right was clearly in it for the long haul. continue reading… »

28 Comments ¦ 28th April

Labour has failed its own supporters

by Sunny Hundal April 28, 2009 at 10:45 am

These bits stick out from the Indy’s ComRes poll out today:

Some 94 per cent of people who voted Tory in the 2005 general election say they would support the party again now. For Labour the figure is 62 per cent and for the Liberal Democrats 68 per cent. … Some 63 per cent of those who regard themselves as natural Tories say they are “absolutely certain” to vote at the next election, compared to 48 per cent of Labour identifiers and 51 per cent of natural Liberal Democrats.

This doesn’t point to the party failing to attract swing voters – it points to the fact that it can’t even manage to energise its own constituencies. Perhaps the same applies to the Libdems. But all this isn’t surprising when New Labour is headed by people who want to bash the poor (James Purnell), push expensive and useless databases (Jack Straw), support a police force that attacks our right to peaceful protest (Jacqui Smith, David Blunkett), continue to fail us on climate change (Ed Miliband) and on foreign policy (David Miliband) and want to privatise the post offices while crapping on Trade unions (Mandelson). These people don’t deserve any support from the left,and the voters are saying that loud and clear.

On the economy, New Labour’s only hope, it has completely lost control of the agenda by letting the Tories scream ‘class war’ while simultaneously call for lower taxes for high earners and lower wages for public sector workers. On the economy it would be easier shooting fish in a barrel than pointing out Tory hypocrisy but still New Labour lame-ducks can’t manage it.

It’s time to scrap ID cards. It’s time to scrap Trident, and rein in spending because our debt is indeed in danger of spiralling out of control. But at least do that in the right places. If Labour MPs really want to save their seats they should be saying this loudly and we should support them in doing so.

51 Comments ¦ 28th April

How Darling plans his ‘efficiency savings’

by René Lavanchy April 28, 2009 at 7:48 am

It’s a targeted programme of efficiency savings that will free up cash for investment in frontline services. Or it’s a devastating round of cuts that will damage public services and prolong the recession.

Take your pick, but don’t be surprised.

With immediate effect, the state must now change the way it works. Back office functions will be benchmarked. Procurement will be collaborative. Commercial potential will be harnessed. All adding up, we are told, to £15 billion. What will it mean?
continue reading… »

17 Comments ¦ 28th April

Event: Do tax havens cause poverty?

by Newswire April 27, 2009 at 10:54 pm

Defenders of tax havens argue they provide vital financial services for international trade, and that most comply with money-laundering regulations and have juridical co-operation treaties. This panel will explore the issues surrounding tax havens, in particular their impacts on poor people.
continue reading… »

3 Comments ¦ 27th April

Sometimes I can’t tell brown people apart either

by Sunny Hundal April 27, 2009 at 2:59 pm

I can only assume that in order to hide his embarrassment over Iceland now electing a left-wing government, thanks to policies Daniel Hannan MEP was praising not long ago, he has now written this hilarious post saying he can’t tell the difference between Sunder Katwala of the Fabian society and myself. Perhaps we do look that similar, though I have the advantage of a distinct beard. Or perhaps it’s that elusive sense of humour Iain Dale thinks only right-wingers can have. Who knows. My twin has replied to Hannan here.

But I do think Dan Hannan MEP should stop being embarrassed he got it so spectacularly wrong over Iceland’s economy, and should go on a worldwide tour to advise governments of economic policy. He’d be helping leftwing parties everwhere. Though I’d advise limiting use of the ‘you people all look a bit similar‘ theme – it might not work in other places.

81 Comments ¦ 27th April

The left and ‘rural issues’

by Paul Cotterill April 27, 2009 at 12:17 pm

Rowenna Davis made a very decent stab of calling the Left to address rural issues more seriously, on Libcon recently. However, the example she chose to show how these ‘rural issues’ should be natural matter for Left concern and action is reflective of much of the Left’s basic misunderstanding of rurality and rural campaigning.

Yes, the campaign against pesticides is an important one, and Rowenna is correct to say that it should be a leftist struggle because it is about the abuse of power – the power of agri-business to keep health protective legislation at bay. But the biggest issues for people living in rural areas are not classic ‘rural’ issues, in the sense that they relate to farming and landuse policy.
continue reading… »

26 Comments ¦ 27th April

« Older Entries ¦ ¦ Newer Entries »