by Richard Wright

The first of a series of political articles from all the different political parties. This one, by Richard Wright, asks if Socialism exists on any of the political parties anymore

A lonely Socialist (Or living in a past that is no longer the present)

I wander lonely as a cloud. Without a main stream party to call my own. Abandoned by the Blair fashioned Labour Party, reviled by the Conservatives, slightly misunderstood by the Liberal Democrats. When you think the closest thing I have to a voice is Tommy Sheridan you know you might be out of touch with modern politics. And I’m only 26!

“To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service.” The original version of Clause IV, drafted by Sidney Webb in November 1917 and adopted by the Labour party in 1918.  A piece of writing that summed up beautifully the socialist centre of this left win party. A party that formed the welfare state and gave this nation the NHS. A party that won the peace when the second world war was over.  And then in 1995 Tony Blair achieve what even the great Hugh Gaitskell had failed to do and brought down this centre of the party. That day destroyed the Labour Party I knew and loved. Yes I was only 12 but the fact was I had been political since a very early age. There had been a mock election at my primary school in 1992 and I had voted Labour. Primarily for the free sweets they had given out – true socialism at work. But the fact was my political nature has been informed by one event.

The Event was the miners’ strike of the 1980’s. I grew up in a little mining village in Durham called Seaham Harbour. It had 3 coal collieries. Due to the miners strike and the actions of Margaret Thatcher all 3 were gone by 1992. The place I used to call home fell into a depression in the 80’s and 90’s and is only now pulling itself out of it. It is still one of the cheapest places to buy property, although that fact is changing dramatically as it redevelops itself.  My father, a Salvation Army Officer at the local corps at the time of the strike, had to go and visit men who were on strike or had been laid off. He had to go and deal with the people who had anger filled hearts. Was it a Tory councilor or MP? No. It was a Salvation Army Officer who had to go and see the anger, fear & utter dejection in the faces of broken human beings. Will I ever forgive the Conservatives for it? No I never will. They broke the heart of the North of England because they could. And I know cheap coal, economic factors but they did nothing to protect the people they were meant to be serving.  When you’re in power you aren’t the government of the people who voted for you!  You do the best for every single one of your people. You look after the whole country, not just the part of the country you like.

So I come to this election. Fired up. Ready to get back into the heart of political battle. And what do I find? Every single party fighting over the centre ground. Pandering to every whim of middle England and taking no chance on the edge. Certainly, there are no main stream left wing parties for me to vote for. Is socialism dead in this country? We seem to be able to protest every time the price of bread goes up in Zimbabwe but we have forgotten about this country. Sure yes we need to support conflicts and situations around the world. But politics begins on your front door. And decisions are made by those who turn up. So where are the socialists? Where is the new breed of Keir Hardy, Ramsey McDonald, George Lansbury, Clem Attlee, Nye Bevan & Harold Wilson? I fear with the political landscape as it is today I will have to sigh, vote for the lesser of three evils in Clegg’s Liberal Democrats and read the 1945 & 1983 Labour party Manifestoes over and over and dream of what could be.