Twenty first century socialism in the streets

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Today hundreds of people marched through Brighton in defence of the National Health Service and in opposition to austerity, in a very successful demonstration organised by Sussex Defend the NHS.

Since I am supposed to be taking moderate exercise I was very happy to have the opportunity to carry the Brighton Labour Party banner for a fair bit of the march, and was also honoured to be asked to address the rally in Regency Square at the end of the demonstration.

I was very pleased that Labour Party members were by far the largest contingent on the march, albeit of course our membership overlaps with that of GMB, UNISON, Unite and the other trade unions who were also present.

I was even more pleased to be able to pledge, on behalf of the Labour Party in Brighton and Hove, which I know to be true, that we shall oppose all and any future attempts to privatise public services. (There is no need for any other left-wing political parties now that our Labour Party has rediscovered our purpose, and I welcome the growing recognition of this.)

Most of all though, I was pleased to be part of an activity which will, I think, be ever more important to twenty first century politics – the mobilisation of working class people.

The era of professional politicians, to whom the mass of the people delegate responsibility for the management of society, is at an end. In most of the world, this ending (which was horrendously (mis?)described by Gove in the run up to the tragic result of the 2016 referendum as an opposition to “experts”) is leading to a collapse of the political “Centre” to the benefit of the hard- and far-right, as social democracy continues its generation long decline.

The “populism” of the right, offers nothing to working-class people. Indeed its nature emphasises that it is not only the social gains of the last century which are at risk, but the democratic gains of the previous century.

Here in Britain, almost uniquely, we have rescued social democracy from the local consequences of its global decline by the good fortune of finding a socialist leadership for our Party of the Left. This means that we have a chance to work for Labour administrations, both nationally and locally, which will be led by socialists.

However, we must not give false faith to our people in the idea that all they need to do is vote for the right (left) candidates and then sit back while (better and more left wing) professional politicians deliver social justice.

The limited mobilisations which we saw today (to defend the health service in Brighton and contest the far right in London) are – like the more substantial German mobilisation against the far right - simply a token of the continuous mobilisation which we now need, so that we can support – and hold to account – the socialists whom we hope to elect to political office.

The real threat which a socialist-led Labour Government poses to the ruling-class and the establishment is not so much from the legislation which it might pass (although this will be a threat to entrenched privilege). More threatening still will be the empowerment of working class people given the hope and encouragement which a Government acting in our interests will offer.

This empowerment can create a virtuous cycle in which a radicalised movement places progressive demands upon elected politicians, whose positive responses to those demands will provide further encouragement to the movement which can then make further demands.

At the same time a socialist administration (and this is as true locally as it is nationally) will face attacks and sabotage from every quarter (not excluding from within our own ranks) – and it will only be the mobilisation of our class, in our workplaces and communities and on our streets, that can hope to hold even the best of our elected leaders to their own honestly made promises.

Or – as I put it rather more succinctly when speaking in Regency Square this afternoon – this is a class war, which has been declared upon us, and in which we have no option but to defend ourselves.