Sovereignty Of Neo-Liberal Economics

Tommy McKearney warns of grim times ahead as a result of another term of Tory rule from Westminster. Tommy McKearney is a member of the Independent Workers Union and has been a long time Marxist activist, critic and writer.


So the Posh Boys are back for another five years with all that means for the working class. Let’s remind ourselves that austerity is not a euphemism for financial prudence but is instead a weasel word to disguise the sovereignty of neo-liberal economics and the immiseration that inevitably follows. 

A significant portion of the blame must be laid at the feet of a British Labour party that has failed dismally to promote the interests of the working class it claims to represent. With a million British people dependent on food banks, little more need be said about the condition of the working class in England. What a pity that all the Labour Party had to offer was to provide a risible list of ephemeral, anodyne promises chiselled on what might be its own tombstone. 

The time has surely come for British trade unionists to review their relationship with the Labour Party. A strong and confident working class depends on having trade unions able to protect employment rights and defend the social wage. A Labour Party reluctant to aggressively promote these issues is simply a ‘beaten docket’, something that should be discarded and replaced with a party fit for purpose.

Scotland has understandably rejected the bogus promises of right of centre social democracy. Whether the rampant lion of the SNP can deliver a better package is open to doubt. Nevertheless, if the nationalist’s success allows working people there to realise that they can decide their own conditions and future, it is a positive development. At any rate it appears fairly obvious that the SNP victory means the United Kingdom’s constitutional structures will sooner rather than later undergo radical change.

Undoubtedly this will impact on the 6-Counties, where to the outside observer little appears to have changed. There is some evidence, however, that the Sinn Fein momentum has somewhat stalled. While the party remains a significant force in northern politics, its results were mildly disappointing. It’s too early to say if this is an aberration or a trend but Sinn Fein was unable to remove completely the SDLP while its vote slipped in West Belfast with a remarkable performance by the socialist Gerry Carroll. One small crumb of comfort, though. The Tory majority removes the threat of formal participation by the toxic DUP in a Westminster cabinet. 

Overall and in spite of the clear Conservative Party majority, this election has left us with more questions than answers. How much longer can the Scottish question remain unresolved? If its denouement leads to an independent Scotland or even a federal Britain, what will be the impact of this on the North? Will Cameron be able to contain anti-European sentiment in Britain when he calls an in-out referendum on EU membership and can the Tories remain intact thereafter? Finally, will the British Labour movement, including obviously the trade unions, make serious steps to rebuild a meaningful and purposeful entity or will they send a fact-finding mission to Greece to ask Pasok how best to deal with obsolescence.

3 comments:

  1. The Bliar move to right wing politics and courting of Murdoch media in order to get into Downing Street buried Labour. It is no accident Adams is such an admirer of Blair. I thought Miliband was paying lip service to the unions in an attempt to appear to be a Labour party still. It was shocking to hear Labour MPs state that you cannot win an election in Britain from the left. Centre right and right yes, left no. What are they doing in a Labour Party. You are 100% correct Tommy. The unions need to dump that outfit ASAP.

    I think the Scots will push for further powers in a devolved government. There is not a big enough push for independence and why switch an aspiration of 50% for the outright hostility of 50% forced into an independent Scotland. They have been content enough with the Union, so I suspect strong devolution will do them. It is strange to think there was so much trouble on this island and a civil war over what Scotland are doing now. I also would not rule out SF taking Ireland back into the Commonwealth should the Belfast (agent) mafia running the party this last 30 years be 'directed tactically' to do so. It may be no bad thing either, if combined with Irish unity. As I have said before most of our youth are there (Commonwealth)already.

    There needs to be an entire rethink on the UK model. Toffs in London and the home counties lording it over everyone else is out of date some time ago. Whether Tory Boys like Cameron give a genuine stuff will be a different matter.

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  2. Larry

    A lot of 'what ifs' here but... what if the UK does move to a federal system, and what if the UK negotiates a treaty with the EU to stay in but outside the Franco-German economic union plan? And what if the 26 thought it would be better to join this new federal UK on the same terms as Scotland? Home Rule for slow learners? How might republicans view that?

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  3. Peter

    I think there is a developing potential for major political transformation. On the 'if' side of things, should the UK withdraw from the EU Dublin will be drawn even closer to the UK. Ireland was only permitted to join in 1973 as a joint application with the UK. They had been rejected by themselves. This is a recognition of the economic ties. I have a feeling the UK will renegotiate their membership, Scotland, Wales, the North will all get greater devolution powers allowing England more of the same for itself. Ireland will officially re-join the Commonwealth and the council of Ireland will finally function as intended. Presented as Eire Nua to republicans. lol

    Interestingly, two people, one a FF supporter the other a SF member both had TWO sons who emigrated in recent days to Australia and Canada respectively. There is no 'issue' with the Commonwealth that I can see.

    https://uk.news.yahoo.com/cameron-must-accept-snps-anti-austerity-mandate-uk-153532885.html#bqvx0DX

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