Didn’t GrizzlyGus mention on here that he was a one-man poster machine in that-there London, making loads of NuLab posters for the ’97 election ?
GG, doing his bit for NewLabour
No, I stopped supporting the Labour Party in 1995 precisely because of New Labour. I have never voted or done any election work of any description for Labour since then.
In fact in 1997 I was deeply concerned with New Labour winning the election, arguing as I did, that a New Labour government would not represent any significant improvement over a Tory one.
As it happens I actually went further, and said that New Labour winning the general election would be seriously detrimental to British politics, as it would result in there being no effective left-wing opposition in Parliament – apart from a handful of Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru MPs.
I accused many on the left who despite all the evidence concerning how New Labour would behave once in office, but nevertheless still supported Labour in ’97, of being in denial. I summed it up at the time as wishful thinking on their part that Tony Blair was some sort of “closet socialist”.
Abandoning Labour on ’95 was no easy decision on my part, and not least because not only did I for many years invest a lot of time and effort in party election work (everything from knocking on doors/leafleting to carpentry work in party offices) but I considered the two Labour MPs elected in Croydon in ’97 as personal friends. In later years I was forced to publicly denounce them – on one occasion, in the lead up to the Iraq war, with one sitting next to me.
In the ’97 general election I canvassed for the Liberal Democrats which I continued to support until Nick Clegg became leader in 2007. Like Blair before him, I didn’t need to wait until Clegg achieved power before figuring out what sort of politician he was. Although I have to admit that in both cases I did not foresee the total extent of their lies and treachery.
Who I support in local and national elections is solely dependant on what I consider serves the best interests of the ordinary British working people. It often bears little semblance to my own personal political commitment. As an anti-Trot/anti-ultra leftist, I strive for immediate gains for the working-classes. Not simply for an offer of a promised Utopia.
And right here and now, what would serve the best interests of ordinary British people, would be a social-democratic alternative to the 30 years of creeping neo-liberal market fundamentalism. I would if necessary, even support a One Nation Tory with that aim. I am however neither a social-democrat nor a Tory.
The “one-man poster machine in that-there London” refers to a pre ’95 occasion when for London-wide local elections, as part of an election team, I cut to size the timber and board for the majority of the ‘Vote Labour’ garden stake posters – well certainly for South London anyway.