Not a recipe for good business, you might think. But ongest-running establishment record. Of course, like all great trade secrets, its formula for simple: it has managed to convince its clientele that it's the only joint in town. Remedies The authors of Wrong? like particularly disgruntled diners whose gastronomic expectations were that little higher and disappointment is thus that deeperNow they are clubbing together out on the street to discuss possible remedies: "There must be a better way of running things.' 'I suppose so, but this is the only set-up experience of.' 'Well look, let's take a really firm stand next time - then maybe we can at least get them to leave the tablecloths on.
Perhaps not a very kind portrait. But one of the most striking features of the Labour left is its inability to criticise and rethink the structures of capitalist society in a radical way.
After all, the wasn't the first right-wing government we've had to suffer. As the second Wilson government raced towards electoral defeat banner of 'In Place of Strife' in the late '60s, many Labour lefts pondered deeply about "What went wrong?' A young Labour MP by the name of Stan Newens, writing in New Left Review in 1968, pinpointed the fact that *...the real power decisions has been The present discussion, enriched - if that's the word - by four years of the Heath government and another five years of right-wing Labourism, doesn't seem to have gone that much further.
When the miners felled the Tory government in "74, Labour knew full well that it was coming to power at a time of international economic crisis, Britain the worst country in the advanced The question was Labour leadership would try to ride out the storm in the interests of capital Socialist Challenge 27 September 1979 the Went of whose much we ve nad Labour's le episode Labour flying the tundamental excuse for postponing it.
of making entirely Fund capitalist investment.
the more radical measures Benn's National and afflicted capitalist down whether the ground.
The record NO PARKING FIRE EAT a huge increase in the dole queues or whether, as Tony Benn put it in 1973: "The crisis we inherit when we come to power will be the occasion for the Under the immense pressure from only the bastions of British capital — which transferred money out of the country hand over fist — and their friends and allies in the International Monetary Treasury, Labour chose to attack working class living standards in order to recreate favourable conditions for profitable Pay restraint, public expenditure cuts, the steering of Britain into the EEC, were one side of the package.
The other was the dropping of all to which Labour had committed itself — Tony Enterprise Board 'planning agreement' scheme, supposed Lo give government powerful leverage over the major industrial firms, was scaled industrial neemocracy and schemes were just talked into the of the Labour government in raising profits and lowering living standards is shown in Hughes puts it in Wrong?: 'The legacy. is there no in reduced public services, unkempt and obsolete buildings, and potholes in the roads, but in an additional half a million or so unemployed workers.' Decline The remedy advocated by Labour left is not so clear diagnosis, but broadly speaking it can be summed up as pulling out of the EEC; imposing import controls protect British industry; and using the instrument of a powerful National Enterprise Board, compulsory planning agreements and widespread trade participation in management decision-making to force firms reinvest their profits in 'regenerating industry' On the basis of the increased productivity and output it would then be possible to satisfy working class material and social needs, stabilise the economy, move towards socialism.
There are, Went difficulties ignores the fact that the decline of British industry is an historic one that public cannot be overcome by a few discreet import duties. Several key sectors of traditional British industry shipbuilding cars, clothing, and much of the engineering industry, among others - have long been uncompetitive on a world scale.
the the beginning run-down British capital seeking compensation in the enhanced opportunities invest in more profitable European industries.
Pened, but big strengthened. This is a process in which the working interest, and the call for Britain to withdraw from the EEC resulting justifiable.
trying to create a behind the wall of import controls.
and however, several industries, this scheme.
- steel textiles and beyond. its Beginning into Betracted protracted retreating these sectors, division British industry is being weakcapital class has is quite Yet the solution does not lie in "siege' economy the further For one thing, import controls will do nothing to help export-oriented which include many those in crisis. Indeed, by inviting retaliation from the more powerful capitalist countries it would have severe negative consequences And the home market is not a sufficient basis for efficient production under modern conditions Socialism has to be built on the foundations of capitalism, but going accomplishments. The attempt to build an isolated British would mean the of labour forged by capitalism, to a less productive, more backward national structure The price of this would be to undermine socialist internationalism. After all, if 'socialist' Britain can try to solve its unemployment problem by excluding foreign competition, why is the same course not valid for the French or Italian labour movements? And the real victims would be those Third World countries whose future growth, pathetically stricted by imperialism, depends or development of the
ng class character. lection post mortem soul-searching. This publishes essays by leading the title What Went Government.
an movement. Wrong? Explaining the Fall of the Labour ROY ALEXANDER casts a critical eye on these musings and assesses their importance for charting the future course of the Labour Michael Bandit Fi di Patrill Birt
----- pull-quotes -----
withdrawn from Parliament.' Crisis