The Starmer Labour government

[imposs1904]

“Anything new about this? Will it help?”

I think what’s fascinating about stuff like this is that it’s another indication of how short-lived the current Labour government’s ‘honeymoon period’ was. I think it’s unprecedented in recent political history that a political party which had won a landslide in seats has pissed off so many people in such a short period of time. (An indication of the current political climate, no doubt.)

Once upon a time, a dissident current within the Labour Party would have denounced a Labour govt’s actions but would have stayed in the party and fought their political corner. In Broxtowe, they obviously don’t see that as an option in 2024 . . . and that’s only 6 months into this Labour government.

This is a one-term government.

[DJP]

“This is a one-term government.”

It actually makes political sense to do all the unpopular stuff now when the next election is four or five years away. And the rise of Reform is actually a blessing for Labour. If Reform survives until the next election it will split the vote on right.

[ALB]

This assumes that they will be able to do popular stuff later on nearer the next general election. They might calculate on doing this but we know that, capitalism being capitalism, they can’t guarantee that they will be in a position to do this.

In fact we know, from our knowledge of how capitalism works and that it can’t be controlled by governments, that they are unlikely to be able to. Such popular stuff as increasing real wages and social handouts (one of their election promises) is not something in their power to bring about.

This said, there is a chance that they could be lucky in that capitalism might happen to be entering into the boom phase of its cycle a year before the election. I suppose that, if you are a government that has to seek re-election, that this might happen is a gamble worth taking. In fact that’s all they can do.

[h.moss@swansea.ac.uk]

Yes, it’s like looking into a crystal ball. Who even knows if Reform will still be a force in the next election and won’t go the same way as the SDP did in he 80s?

[Author]

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