by Mark Langabeer, RMT member (personal capacity).
BBC’s Parliamentary channel recorded Ian Murray’s pitch for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Almost half of his speech was about his humble beginnings. From working as a kitchen porter to running pubs and festival events. He described himself as an entrepreneur and a ‘winner’ because he is the only Labour MP in Scotland. One thing that couldn’t be denied, is the belief in his own importance.
He went on to explain that Labour had suffered four election defeats and electors were telling him that they couldn’t vote Labour. Labour had let the people down and he was sorry that good colleagues that lost seats, yet had always served the ‘ national interest’. Amusingly, he went on to explain that Gordon Brown’s speech in 2009 was the best ever, because it listed all of Labour’s achievements in power. Despite Labour’s poor showing in 2019, in terms of numbers and vote share, Labour did better than Brown in 2010.
Brown secured more seats than Corbyn because Labour won 40 seats in Scotland. They were lost because the SNP were opposed to austerity, at least in words, and appeared to offer a more radical alternative to Labour’s acceptance of austerity, albeit at a slower pace. This was proven in 2017, when Labour narrowly failed to win; it did secure a 40% share of the vote and deprive the Tories of a working majority.
So what are Murray’s secrets to success? He pledged that he would listen to the electorate and produce a report on it’s findings. He would also produce a report on how Britain is governed. He was critical of Labour’s stance over Brexit, believing that Labour should have supported Remain and he opposed a second referendum in Scotland. He would have a zero tolerance approach towards antisemitism and intimidation within the Party.
He also made reference to the challenges of the future, like automation and robotics and the ageing population. He believed that electing a Scot would improve our standing in both Wales and Scotland. When it comes to policies, he had absolutely nothing to say. His approach is disingenuous, to say the least. Murray states that he wants ‘progressive’ policies, but fails to explain what they are.
If the truth would be told, he’d expel party members on false claims of anti-Semitism and try to prevent the implementation of Labour’s more radical policies. He refuses to accept the right of self-determination for Scotland and in doing so, he actually plays into the hands of the Nationalists. His narrative on Brexit is the same as all the other parties. It’s the most ‘important issue of our time’, is the mantra. NO, it’s the policies of national governments that count.
Labour cut through the fog of Brexit in 2017
One of the arguments against the claim that Britain is ruled by Brussels is that only 15% of our laws are made in Europe. A bus driver in the UK has less protections on the length of working hours than in the EU. I wish the EU were running the show. Labour were able to cut through the fog of Brexit in 2017. Not so in 2019, and that was the principle reason for Labour’s defeat.
It is likely that Murray’s pitch for Deputy Leader will fall on deaf ears. This so-called ‘winner’ will lose in the forthcoming election. Starmer is far more astute than Murray. He even claims to be a personal friend of Corbyn. The Establishment, ie the heads of the major companies, tops of the civil service, judges, Monarchy, Press and the House of Lords know that the Tory Government will be one of crisis. They need a Labour Party that they can rely on and can discredit at a later stage.
Starmer is their man. Labour’s rank and file should remember that he was a supporter of the attempt to topple Corbyn. Should he be elected, he would also attempt to remove left-wingers within the party. It’s often stated that the Party is a broad church. Up to a point, this is true. However, for Labour’s right-wing, it’s their way or the highway. At a certain stage they will attempt to split Labour and get the right wing to act as loyal lieutenants of the establishment.
Capitalism offers no future for the great majority in Britain or that matter, internationally. Only a socialist society can end the prospect of wars and environmental degradation. Only Labour, committed to public ownership of the Banks and major corporations, can begin to introduce a programme that would improve the lives of all in our country.
January 20, 2020
