Meeting held on Monday 19th June 2023
Nine people were present. Five gave their apologies.
Partygate and the divisions and chaos in the Tory party led us to wonder whether Johnson would ever return to parliament, or whether there would be an early election. The global context is the rise of the right wing National Conservatives such as: Trump, Erdogan, Oban, Johnson, and (the late) Berlusconi. What is their appeal? In US conditions are different: strong right wing Christians and also threat of armed violence; whereas in UK religion is not strong and no real threat of violence. But the erosion of trust is a common thread.
How is Labour responding? Starmer is beginning to formulate policies, although we have as yet heard little which addresses the appalling shortcomings in education provision. There is a need to articulate more firmly the fundamental Labour beliefs in public service, fairness and greater equality. Nationalisation is supported by many but the financial costs are not well understood. How is it that money can be ‘created’ for banks through Quantitative Easing but not for nationalisation or public services? It seems Labour policies (just like Tory policies under Truss) will be constrained by the financial markets through bond traders, etc. The problem is not so much the specific policies but the economic system that shapes them, of which there is little public understanding. Thatcher’s likening of the economy to household budgeting is intensely misleading.
New Economic ideas are emerging from several organisations (like New Economic Forum, Positive Money) but such ideas are not taken up by politicians. Is this because of the enormous momentum of dominant economic (and social) ideas: they take much time to change? Might the imminence of climate catastrophe possibly prompt such change?
Our uncertainty about Starmer’s Labour Party is that he is too cautious.Caution never won elections changed the world. Corbyn was not cautious and gave hope (even if he did also have failures). Should be more explicit in promoting greater equality. Such ideas would be opposed by the Tory media and ‘the establishment’. But what exactly is ‘the establishment’? The bond traders and financiers (as above), or the products of the upper classes and their ‘public’ schools?
It was suggested that if an election led to no overall majority, then the more progressive parties might be compelled to collaborate, leading to, possibly, a change in the methods of electoral representation.
Next meeting, 17th July