The Green Party, in the style of other protest movements, has spent a good deal of time attacking the uniformity and failures, both real and imagined, of the political establishment. And, following the typical trajectory further, once they are in power, they have sold out further than the major political groups could be accused of. It is very similar to Animal Farm in that way.
I am a very committed member of Labour, but I consider myself ideologically independent of any party. As such, I recognize that I share many ideas with the Greens, and do not wish to attack them without justification. However, most discussions I’ve had with Green supporters have resulted in my defending blistering attacks on my party for a number of policies pursued in the New Labour era. Indeed, the majority of Greens seem more fussed about encouraging infighting within the Left than defeating the real enemy. However, it seems that in their power base of Brighton and Hove, they have surrendered their claim to be the real voice of the working masses.
In 2009, the then Conservative-run council tried to impose a pay deal on employees which meant a cut of up to £95 per week, with the burden falling particularly heavily on low-paid cleaning staff. Rightly, trade unions disputed the plans and a negotiated settlement was reached. For a while, it seemed that the matter had been put to bed. The last people observers expected to draw up similar plans was the incoming Green administration, which claimed to be on the side of the low paid.
Yesterday, the GMB union was warned by a senior council member that its plans for industrial action (after negotiations collapsed) against the slashing of its members pay would be similar to the ‘ Winter of Discontent’ partly attributable to Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power. It would appear that the party, which the member insisted was still the most trade union friendly, wants council employees to roll over and accept savage pay reductions without any protest. Is this inconsistency as simple as ‘we like trade unions, as long as they don’t bother us’? ‘ Yes, you should be able to strike, but if you do it’ll destroy you’?
The party which calls itself the most progressive in the country displays an ideological flexibility of which Nick Clegg would be proud. If the administration sees pay cuts as necessary, then that is one issue. But equating the slightest resistance from the workers whose livelihoods are at stake to something which crippled the case for workers’ rights is as strong an anti-union message as I’d expect from the Tories in local government.
As the GMB said: “from Green to true blue in just two years”.
