Editorial 335
Authoritarianism, war and repression is being turbocharged by the Trump presidency. The White House has given a green light to Putin’s brutal illegal war of aggression in Ukraine while backing Israel’s genocide against Palestinians and, latterly, the war on Iran.
It’s time for Labour and democratic states across the world, especially Europe, to call out Trump’s malign policies and take action to oppose them. Keir Starmer may have got his piece of paper with its shallow trade deal, but 25% tariffs remain on the UK’s beleaguered steel industry. The wider threat of trade war remains. Meanwhile, in the US, mass deportations are underway, LGBTIQA+ and abortion rights are curtailed, universities are being silenced, dissent is being repressed, democracy is being squeezed, and economic protectionism is boosted.
In the UK, Starmer’s response to our home-grown right-wing populist nationalists is to pander to many of their policies. Labour’s recent white paper on immigration, prefaced by the prime minister’s appalling “island of strangers” speech, makes huge concessions to the anti-migrant rhetoric of Reform. As Don Flynn explains (see article on Chartist website), migrants make a huge contribution to the UK economy and health and social care services. Asylum seekers are looking for sanctuary and a better life. They are willing to work, if allowed, and contribute. UK numbers are far lower than European neighbours Germany and France, whilst Spain’s progressive attitude of welcoming migrants is boosting the economy.
Labour had poor results in the recent council elections and narrowly lost in the Runcorn by-election to Reform, whilst winning in Scotland. Karen Constantine looks at Labour’s mistakes in Kent, where Reform took over the council, elections having not been delayed. The only way to beat Farage’s upstarts is to confront their policies and expose their incompetence, she argues, with examples of the latter aplenty. Their English brand of DOGE on hard-pressed local authorities is likely to wreak havoc on local services.
Duncan Bowie looks in more detail at the devolution proposals, finding the plans lack evidence or impact assessments with redundancies likely with the reduction of local authorities. Victor Anderson echoes concerned voices from the RSPB to Natural England over the Planning and Infrastructure Bill with powers to short circuit environmental objections to building developers.
On the bigger picture, both Paul Teasdale and Victor Anderson fear the government has tied itself into an austerity programme with its self created fiscal rules, fixation on the phantasm of ‘economic growth’ and reluctance to bring in a wealth tax and a more redistributive taxation system. Despite chancellor Reeves’ £113bn capital spending review for the next ten years with its headline plans for better public transport, £13bn warm homes allowance and 3% annual rises for the NHS, with defence and energy infrastructure spend increases many other areas will suffer cuts, particularly education and local government. Moreover, while the investment might mean more homes, renewable energy and better transport it’s the urgent action today to improve lives that is really needed. Instead of maintaining the Tories’ two-child benefit cap and penalising disabled people in the Welfare Bill proposals to cut Personal Independence Payments, making millions more insecure and poorer, what’s needed is a big investment in social infrastructure to improve lives immediately.
On Labour’s recent Defence Review Patrick Costello and Glyn Ford argue for a more fundamental reset on Europe, which envisages the UK as part of a European defence force rather than a stand-alone nation or alignment with US.
Fundamentally, it is on the democratic front that Labour needs to get its act together. Internally, the party has lost thousands of members as reported by Ann Black. Many CLPs are dysfunctional and the policy review process has not effectively engaged members. Without enthusiastic and motivated activists Labour will lack the grassroots to mobilise in election campaigns and community initiatives. Simon Hannah casts a wider look, arguing that nationalisation alone is insufficient to transform our economy and society. Democratic involvement by users and providers in transport, energy or steel and other public services is vital to making real change. His focus on the international eco-socialist revolution that’s needed brings a powerful reminder that climate change and the failures of neoliberal capitalism now make a more radical programme essential.
Reminding us of the dangers of the far right in Europe Andrew Ryder and Aliz Nagy report on the Orbán government in Hungary which is prefiguring many of the reactionary, divisive, authoritarian nationalist measures that other populist parties would seek to introduce if in power. Sasha Ismail provides a positive update on the work of the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign to win trade union support and aid for besieged Ukraine under constant blitz from Putin’s military machine. Peter Cooper and Svitlana Romanko highlight the importance of deepening sanctions against Russian liquid gas carried by Glasgow-based Seapeak.
In Gaza the bombing and butchery of the Israeli regime reaches new levels of brutality reports Bryn Jones. The UK government has blood on its hands so long as arms supplies and contracts with Israeli companies continue. Sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers is a welcome but token gesture. Sarah Champion MP says Labour must go much further in its actions to halt attacks on food, water and medical aid to Palestinians, particularly children. Israel is now a rogue state in the middle east. Its escalation of war against Gazan Palestinians to Iran threatens the whole region and beyond says Patrick Costello reminding us that Netanyahu’s actions could trigger war against the oil-supplying Gulf states with global energy supply implications. Labour must stay firmly out.
Labour needs to stand up to Netanyahu and his backer in the White House as well as Putin in the Kremlin. Illegal occupations and wars have to be called out and opposed. As the US moves deeper into a MAGA world the UK needs to join forces with our European allies forging an independent route through the fog of war and authoritarianism.