Murphy's Law

Blairite Jim Murphy, a former shadow defence minister, has been announced as the new leader of the Scottish Labour party. Since 2001 Mr Murphy has claimed over £1 million in expenses, voted to cap benefits in March 2014, failed to show up for the vote against the Bedroom Tax, voted for tuition fees despite being NUS president, went on 100 day tour of Scotland campaigning for a no vote, which meant leaving his Eastwood constituency without an MP for almost a third of a year. Yet claimed over £200,000 in Westminster expenses, is a major figure in Labour Friends of Israel, who refuses to recognise of the state of Palestine and strongly supported the illegal invasion of Iraq and unaligned himself with Ed Miliband when he apologised for said invasion. Murphy has never rebelled against the party line in Westminster. Murphy has been sharply critical of any left turn, saying that “galloping off leftward” would be a big mistake. “The SNP would love it if we did that.” [FT, 09/11/14]

All Socialist Courier can say is “Who cares?” According to the best political pundits in the business, the bookies, 90% of the money they had taken for the contest had been for Murphy. But what does it mean? Very little, the Socialist Courier blog says.

The SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN has consistently maintained that the 'left-wing', despite their claims to being socialist are, in reality, reformist rather than revolutionary organisations, with no more than a sentimental attachment to the working class. The rise of the Labour Party has caused inestimable damage to the revolutionary movement for Socialism. The SPGB argued from its formation in 1904 that only socialism can provide a solution to the problems of the working class. Genuine socialists have to be prepared to swim against the tide of popular sentiment, clearly have to combat all manifestations of chauvinism, both unionist or separatist.

The Labour Party in Scotland has consistently shown a readiness to reshape itself, discarding principles, to acquire votes yet even its opportunism has been unable to avoid the slide in support that has been going on for years. Although Scottish Labour has never won over 50% of the national vote, the party did hold the overwhelming majority of parliamentary seats and had control over local government for decades. This was not least because Labour was associated with mass council house building, the formation of the NHS, and other reforms following the second world war. Former Labour voters feel ignored and betrayed by the party. Infested with careerists, it has lost touch with the people it was supposed to represent. Labour has become increasingly viewed as simply another party of the Establishment, which, of course, it always was. At present many are disenchanted, disgusted or outright hostile to Labour, The party is largely empty of active workers.

 Capitalism can no longer afford reforms and as a result we have capitalist austerity and he probably realizes that any promises he makes will never be achieved. Capitalism has no reforms to give. We have seen bursts here and there which are expressions of the deep discontent, frustration and anger that exist in society. There is a deep appetite in society for a greater and more fundamental change. The ideas of reformism or nationalism, which attempt to patch up capitalism, offer nothing for working people. Elaine C. Smith argued that the reason for Scottish Labour’s  poor performance was a lack of socialist analysis and socialist solutions. “The root of the problem is class society; the root of the problem is inequality; the root of the problem is in-work poverty; the root of the problem is unemployment. The root of the problem is avaricious capitalism and our job and the job of the Labour Party, surely, is to root it out.” Yet all she offers is neo-Keynesian state investment that is utopian and undeliverable.

 Socialism, in its modern sense, was born in Scotland. Robert Owen at New Lanark is where it all began. It is the task of the Socialist Party to win those open to revolutionary ideas and offer a real alternative to capitalism and nationalism. What we need is a revolutionary socialist transformation of society! Let this be the message to those who believe in real socialism, we are the party for them, we are the rightful home for you.