A friend asked my thoughts on this times article.

Labour has no hope of winning power alone | Comment | The Times

I think the headline should have been reduced to “Labour has no hope of winning”.

Both main parties now suffer from names that no longer reflect their political aspirations. The current right wing government can’t be described as conservation and the Labour party has lost its working class base. The days when the working class could be easily defined are long gone. The miners and mill workers, ship builders and steel workers had a proud tradition that defined their class and the Labour party reflected their political ambitions for improvement through collective bargaining and public ownership. Landed gentry and professional workers were keen to conserve what they had got either through conquest or better life opportunies achieved by inherited money or better education or just plain luck.

It is now time to change the name of the main opposition party from Labour Party perhaps to The UK Reform Party. This party needs to appeal to voters across the political divide who aspire for personal improvement irrespective of where they currently sit on the present ladder of class or creed or geographical location. It would build on the best traditions of unity, empathy and social conscience from all the existing parties. It should aim to adopt a principle of joint ownership for parts of the economy that are critical to our defence, economy and the welfare of its citizens. Certain services funded by taxpayers money should have that funding identified and ring fenced. Services aimed at the public for public good should be publically owned and accountable for in parliament.  

Everyone knows who they think is working class but how many of us are proud to be working class?  I have in the past sold my time, efforts and skills, such as they were, for money. This I thought was work either with muscle or brain, but my labour didn’t define my aspirations for me, my family and country or predefined  my choice of which party to vote for.  This may not have been the case for many where perhaps in their minds there was a correlation?

This is not a time for a  party of Allies but a time to define and choose a new battle ground and recruit a new modern army united in a common cause whilst paying due regard to the battle honours of the past.

 

Ron 😊