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New Labour’s failings give rise to British fascism
I vaguely remember the bright-eyed and optimistic Tony Blair entering Downing Street in 1997. A hopeful nation truly felt that things could only get better. Less than ten years later a tired and beaten Blair left Parliament with an electorate feeling cheated and deceived.
New Labour have given us much in their twelve year tenure; top-up fees, illegal wars, high unemployment and plenty of sleaze for the tabloids. Our government proves an endless source of amusement for Mock The Week panellists and journalists, but are we happy to have laughable elected representatives ruling us? Of course not. New Labour’s fall from grace in just over a decade shows how easily a government burdened with running a country can collapse, dragging the citizens down with it.
The current economic situation coupled with high unemployment has been compounded by the farcical second homes fiasco. New Labour is a sinking ship. The recent wave of cabinet ministers jumping overboard shows that the party is on its way out. What does this mean for us? At the next election we will almost certainly see a shift towards the Conservative Party. David ‘Punch and Judy’ Cameron will no doubt capitalise on public disaffection, in typical Tory fashion, by pushing blame towards immigration and lack of privatised services. The future is seemingly gloomy, with the two main parties as contrived and hypocritical as each other.
With an impotent current government and another just as incompetent on the horizon, fringe parties are hoping to capitalise on the political instability and gain seats. The fascist organisations in this country are definitely keen to capitalise on disenfranchised voters, hiding their venomous homophobia and racism in populist policies. Any hope of a better political situation rests with the Green Party who support stronger local communities, workers’ rights and improved public services. But until then, the majority of those representing us are selfish individuals, so far removed from the young people of this country that they still think PacMan is a popular video game. The University of Kent, and undoubtedly many others across the country are holding a ‘no platform’ policy when it comes to British fascist parties. In attempts to nullify the party’s growing presence, the university refuses to give them a voice, inferring that it is not a valid or credible party and so does not deserve exposure as more mainstream parties are granted.
The recent European Parliament elections allowed New Labour to give their biggest gift to the British electorate. Britain’s most controversial and fascist party recently gained two seats at the European Parliament elections. Through the recent crises that the government has caused, voters are increasingly turning to extremist parties in protest. The shocking numbers of votes that Labour lost in areas where the British extremists have gained, as a result, have led to two members of a fascist organisation being chosen to represent the UK in Europe. Nearly a million people in this country voted for these fascists, thanks chiefly to New Labour’s ability to alienate the electorate.
I hope Jacqui Smith’s husband enjoyed his taxpayer pornography while it lasted, I am glad that the Gosport MP’s ducks had a nice fifteen-hundred pound island to live on (again bought with taxpayer money), and with the current state of British politics in need of a dramatic shake up, perhaps there is only one solution; a revolution.
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OK, I’m not a particularly partisan bloke but this article is total rubbish and I don’t even know where to begin with pointing out the naivety and factual inaccuracies. But let’s have a go, eh!
Let’s start with New Labour. There’s lots I don’t like about New Labour, I didn’t support the Iraq war, I don’t like the sound of ID cards and Gordon Brown doesn’t exactly inspire me, but they’ve done much more good over the last twelve years (not ten btw) then bad. The minimum wage and sure start has lifted tens of thousands out of poverty, investment in the NHS has tripled and although I recon the money could have been better spent, waiting lines are at an all time low. Fox hunting has been banned, there are tens of thousands more police, doctors, nurses and teachers. The devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, overall crime down, introduction of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, scrapping of Section 28 to allow for Civil Partnerships, hundreds of thousands of children lifted out of poverty, a doubled overseas aid budget to help some of the poorest countries in the world, cut long term youth unemployment by roughly 75%, record levels of literacy and numeracy, huge investment in higher education, the list is endless.
And don’t even get me started on the economy. People seem to have forgotten that our economy has been the envy of Europe for the vast majority of the time New Labour has been in power and that unemployment actually hit an all time low only a few years ago. Unemployment is still nowhere near where it was under the last Tory Government and let’s face it, despite what the Daily Hate Mail might say this a global recession and there is very little the Government could have done to stop us feeling it’s pinch. I’m just pleased that we have a Government that is still willing to spend money on public welfare at a time when the public need it the most. If David Cameron and his toff friends get into power they want to introduce public service cuts right left and centre and let the recession “run its course” or something like that. Easy for him to say, his family arn’t gonna be hit by the recession. It’s the people that are losing their jobs, the ones that will be relying on a welfare state that will feel those cuts. I don’t think Brown is the most inspirational Prime Minister but the way he brought world leaders together at the G20 summit was bloody heroic at a time when no other world leader was taking the initiative. No wonder Obama prefers him and thinks Cameron’s a light weight.
Top-Up fees? Yeah, don’t like them but I’d rather see more money in higher education. I’m all for taxing the rich more but any sane person will tell you there isn’t enough money sloshing around to make Education totally free. ‘Illegal Wars’, the Iraq war was perhaps illegal but please tell me what the other one was because Afghanistan certainly wasn’t. The Second homes/expenses scandal is a scandal, but one that is cross party, don’t lay all the blame entirely at Labour’s door.
And actually I do want a government I can mock. I certainly don’t want one I can’t, isn’t that the sign of a fascist state, this ain’t Iran you know! In fact I’d be bloody annoyed if Mock The Week didn’t mock the Government.
Now I said I was non partisan but I like most people can’t stand the sight of Nick Griffin and his BNP lot. The fascists are a threat and people should take it seriously, but less actual people voted BNP at these elections than at the last European elections, so to suggest that mainstream politics or the Labour lot have made more people turn to the BNP is factually incorrect. The Greens have done better and I like most of their policies on the environment, but that’s where it ends, because at the end of the day all they are is a single-issue party with a single and narrow minded outlook on a complicated and interdependent web of issues that need prioritising and addressing altogether… hence the three big parties. Their good for a protest vote but they’re not gonna do well at the General when the British people turn once again back to the big two/three as they always do.
Just for good measure I should knock the lib dems a bit who lets face have no idea what they stand for. Are they left wing, are they right wing, do they like students with the unachievable promise of free education (sorry haven’t they decided they don’t like free education anymore? I can’t remember) or do they hate students with their campaign to stop any street from having more than 20% students. I dunno!
Oh and one last thing, thought I’d check this out first but I was right, the University of Kent does NOT have a No Platform policy, the Student Union does. Just thought you might like to know that!
Mainstream politics does need massive reform, but the answer isn’t the Greens, the BNP or any other fringe Party pretending to know what Britain is all about.
By Anonymous on 29.6.2023
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I think what Elliot means by “revolution” is a revolution of ideas. This could be manifested, in amongst other things, in a change in our parliamentary and electoral system, which would allow parties that get millions of votes evenly across the country to do better than in the current FPTP. What actually constitutes a ‘revolution’ is open to many different interpretations and it is this that is the debating point.
By Zain Sardar on 27.6.2023
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Are we allowed open endorsements of certain parties on inQuire? I’d hate to see the site chock full of “Vote Green” or “Vote UKIP” articles.
Plus I would disagree with the no platform policy. Ideologically, I would disagree with it because it curbs free expression. Practically, I think the best way to ruin the chances of neo-fascists is to let their opinions be heard – at which point everyone of moderate intelligence will realise that they are simply ridiculous. Censorship will only add an air of mystery and attraction to their sordid cause, and add smoke and mirrors to their true intentions. Simply ignoring and sniping at fascist parties from afar it will not make them go away.
By njd on 26.6.2023
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As the said journalist, i strongly advocate some debate on my article.
A revolution suggestion was meant to be a contencious point. Im not sure a revolution would be the right solution at the moment. I do feel we need an alternate government that is truly for the people, and no more privatisation.
Debate, debate!
By Comrade Eliot on 26.6.2023
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Hmmm, I made my not-so-little comment well over 24 hours ago and haven’t seen it go up yet. Have I been censored because I don’t agree with this jounalist’s assessment?
Come on Inquire, lets have some debate!
By Anonymous on 25.6.2023
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I fear with the current public sentiment a revolution would only allow facists even more power. What exactley would your revolution solve?
By Eric Blair on 24.6.2023
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