Essay: Is The Labour Party Still Socialist?

Posted: 02/01/2014 | Author: The Political Idealist | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: History, ideology, Labour, living wage, marxism, new labour, Opinion, philosophy, socialism, Thatcherism, trade unions, Working class |6 Comments »

The Labour Party has always had a complex relationship with socialism, for despite being firmly aligned with the ideology in its constitution (and, until the late 20th century, the public eye) the party has suffered extreme internal and external conflict with regard to its ideological direction.

There is a popular narrative that the party began life as an almost revolutionary force (after all, at the party’s foundation in 1900, organised labour was still regarded as a Marxist concept) before a rightward shift towards a social democratic platform that turned it into a credible party of government after World War Two. Following the rise of Thatcherism, Labour responded with a move further towards the centre of the political spectrum by embracing neo-liberal policies as ‘New Labour’. That is perhaps the prevailing understanding, and there is a degree of truth to it.

The original “Liberty” logo of the Labour Party, in use until 1983 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For example, if one compares contemporary Labour Party policies with those from the past, there is a marked change from the classic Socialist ideas. Public ownership of key industries and services; economic planning; trade unionism; heavy taxation of the rich; defence of and enhancement of the welfare system; and a generalised suspicion of commercialism are all ideas that have been discarded or completely changed. Labour is much less radical, and its ideas no longer reflect socialism as it was in the past.

Indeed, some of the actions of the New Labour arguably run contrary to the socialist ideal. Would a genuinely socialist government have allowed, for example, an increase in income inequality over a 13 year period in office? It would be difficult to envisage such a scenario.

Accordingly, it could be argued that Labour has departed from socialism, but I would argue that Labour still seeks to realise socialist ends: it is just the means that have changed. The last Labour government attacked poverty and its causes with typically socialist passion, and the importance it placed on as improving the lives of ordinary people through expanded public services, better education, higher incomes and enhanced social mobility is proof that the party is a s socialist as it ever was.

It doesn’t matter if it calls itself an “instrument of the working class” or not: as long as the Labour Party supports the causes of egalitarianism (such as with SureStart or more university places); social justice and wealth redistribution (the Living Wage, 10p tax band); and enabling the working majority to live richer and more meaningful lives, it is a socialist party, regardless of the political ‘brand’ the party decides to adopt.