Whenever I am faced with a situation which my brain can't really comprehend, I find myself having a reoccurring dream. When I wake up I see things with clarity. Having spent five months campaigning for a Lib Dem victory, only to see them deliver a Conservative government, I went to bed rather early and rather confused last night. I awoke this morning, seeing the brave new world with stark clarity.
Firstly, let me tell you about my dream. As regular readers may know, in the late 1960's I used to star in TV commercials. One of these was made in 1969 for Galaxy chocolate and was filmed at Queens Ice rink. In my dream, I'm back at the Ice rink awaiting filming. I am discussing the future (I was 7 at the time) with my first love (a young girl who was also in the commercial). We were discussing the forthcoming decade - the 1970's. We talk about how they will be great, how England will hold the world cup for ever and how the Beatles will rule the world of music forever. All of a sudden I realise that it's 2010 (or whenever). England haven't had a whiff of the world cup, the Beatles split, it all went wrong in the 1970's. In a panic, I realise that it actually all worked out alright and the world kept spinning. For some reason, I awake knowing what needs to be done.
So what needs to be done. 40 years on, what lessons can we learn? Well let me tell you the first lesson that anyone who works in the public sector should learn. Join a Union and get active. My mind turns to Arthur Scargill. Most people remember him for losing the war against Margaret Thatcher in the 1980's miners strike. Most people forget that he was the leading activist when they beat the Tory government of Ted Heath in the early 1970's. Scargill was a great activist but a lousy leader. He was the man who invented "flying pickets". I wouldn't advocate his style of leadership in the 1980's, but we desperately need his style of activism from the early 1970's.What the public service unions need now is a whole host of tireless activists to organise opposition to the forthcoming cuts at local level. I know we need to address the issues of public debt. I just don't believe that the way to do this is to slash services to the vulnerable. Don't expect any help from the Labour party. I believe that in an act of supreme cowardice and dereliction of duty, they failed to engage the Lib Dems and other minor parties in a coalition to protect the weakest. I believe that for reasons of political expediency, they want the Tories to spend a few years weilding the knife. They lack the balls to do it themselves. Whatever the Tory-Lib Dem government does, they do it with Labour collusion.
We are now entering a phase where things will be harsh. Don't expect any favours from the politicians, because you won't get any. Here's my advice :-
* Join a Trades Union if you can
* Join a Residents association if you can
* Stop buying crap newspapers which are full of lies and owned by foreign moguls who only care about their own profits
* Get out on the streets and protest against the cuts when they come
* Support local people who organise local campaigns against policies which hurt local people
When I see senior politicians getting the bus rather than the chauffer driven limo, then I'll believe in new politics. Until that day, I'll just do what I can as best I can to stand shoulder to shoulder with those people who are trying to help the most vulnerable members of our society. Lets remind ourselves that people like solicitor Yvonne Hossacks and resident David Young stopped the Tory plans to abolish Sheltered Housing. It was a failure of local politicians such as me to kick them out which may have negated this good work. I apologise for that failure, but now more than ever it is vital we support people like David and Yvonne. I believe that the Tory plans for Barnet can still be stopped, it will just be far, far harder. The time for navel gazing has gone. What is done is done. We now have to start organising our opposition to this brave new world, both in Barnet and nationally.
3 comments:
I think this govt would be mild. They won't wish to rock the boat for the 5 yrs. Expect loads of negotiations with trades unions instead of strikes. Many people just wish to get on with building a prosperous country and fairness. Lib Dems would make sure things like sheltered housing would get protected.
A Suburban Voter
I do so hope you are correct, but we should all plan for the worst. The behaviour of certain Barnet Conservatives has coloured my view rather
hold on, hold on now Rog: you can't blame Labour for the fact that the Libdems have willingly sold themselves like a tart to the highest bidder ... at least Labour has had the dignity to walk away rather than cling on at any cost. This dance of death the Libdems have started with the Tories has lost them an incalculable amount of respect by both Libdem and Tory supporters. I do agree, however,wholeheartedly with what you suggest about people becoming more active politically, both in unions and locally. As someone who has actually been a union activist in public service, I feel very strongly about this: unfortunately most people are inclined to be apathetic and sit back and moan rather than get out there and try to change things they don't like. And er,as I recall it, there has been precious little interest in union activity by libdems. I think in truth Rog, you are a disaffected socialist, not a natural libdem: come on home, your party needs you!
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