Published Summer 2011 on The Green Benches website.
This thought will be painful for many in the Labour Party, myself included. I voted for
Labour in 1997, for Tony Blair. He was a breath of fresh air. Tony and his team had great ideas, the tories looked tired and could not recover from what seemed an endless number of scandals. As a result, New Labour won a landslide victory.
Yes, New Labour introduced the minimum wage, reduced unemployment, invested in the NHS, in education, commenced Surestart… But as we know things began to sour, initially due to the Iraq war when we saw marches at Westminster, Labour MPs speaking and voting against the government – including the one I worked with. These were heady, uncomfortable days. I felt very much at odds with my own party. Members left Labour in droves..
It was almost from that point onwards that things started to go downhill, even though we won a general election again and again. But was that, in part, due to the tory party still recovering..? They certainly didn’t like being thrust into opposition – their arrogant assumption that they belonged at the top table had been proven wrong !
In May 2010 we found ourselves in opposition. Many had become disenchanted with Labour. Not just middle England voters who Tony had targeted, but those at our core, those who intrinsically belonged with Labour. Many felt let down and they let us know. They were once known as the working class, but many are no longer working…
A couple of weeks ago we witnessed the worst riots ever seen in the UK. People have been outraged at seeing communities set on fire, shops looted, people killed etc. I don’t need to go into this. But within a week after the riots began, and after the calls for strong sentencing, reports and interviews emerged that confirm there are very serious problems in some communities http://is.gd/eiJulf These are many young men who have no hope of finding a job and where young girls become pregnant as a route to finding independence, an income. We heard that many young people leave school without some basic educational achievements yet we understand that educational achievements were rising year after year.
So along with Peter Oborne do we need to ask if Labour tackled the problems that were on their doorstep for so long ? Hindsight is a wonderful thing indeed…
It is right that Ed Miliband is not retreating from accusations and is facing them head on - even suggesting that the riots may be linked to various scandals – MP’s expenses, phonehacking and the banking industry http://is.gd/48c3iv. There are some who disagree but we have seen Ed in the midst of all the troubles with Labour MPs in their constituencies. He has been meeting people from around the country and I believe that he has recognised a repeated thread which has led him to reach several conclusions.
Ed Miliband challenged David Cameron to hold an inquiry, stating that if he wouldn’t, then he would ! We shall have to see how in depth this will be. Labour’s Inquiry would least involve those in the ivory towers of Whitehall, but involve the residents and leaders who are at the heart of those troubled communities http://is.gd/fFdlQb. Let’s see what form the government’s inquiry takes.
To tackle the issues will cost us heavily. But riots cost us heavily too. More people are now jobless due to fires and will require financial support. People have lost their homes, so we are faced with re-accommodating them. Businesses have been ruined. Businesses, homeowners and tenants will claim for damages and as a result insurance premiums will rise. If not insured the state will assist, basically falling to us to pay. Yes the riots have been about behaviour and responsibility but also about much more. This costs in financial terms but in so many other ways too.
We have heard voices state that young people feel there is no hope, they lack jobs and opportunity the haves and the have not’s. We are a county of grafters and we must be allowed to graft ! Morally, I would rather that we faced up to our responsibilities as a nation – we need to show consideration and provide jobs for all sections of our society. To ignore is to turn our heads away from the truth and we know what happens then !
Rather than concentrate on the City - the matriarch of capitalism, we must look at new forms of manufacturing, new industry - training and skills need to be acquired. For those who do not achieve required grades for University, or may not wish to be saddled with huge debts, we have to find alternative forms of employment. Rather than pursue a purely academic curriculum, we should explore other avenues for young people in their later years at school, maybe introducing forms of vocational training with work experience on the agenda. Surely this has to be the way forward. Everyone benefits !
The Government front bench has little understanding of the lives of people in the communities we have seen so much of recently. I hope Labour keeps this government on its toes, ensuring that the issues that need to be addressed, are addressed. We cannot afford to ignore – this would be futile and uncaring. People are depending on us… we cannot let them down this time. Is this too tall an order ?
