This past weekend in the Ministry of Sound nightclub, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and former minister Louise Haigh opened and closed the conference of progressive pressure group Compass. Haigh called for an “economic reset” and Burnham criticised the party leadership for “too much timidity and factionalism”.
Also speaking at the conference were figures from the socialist left of the party – Nadia Whittome from the Socialist Campaign Group, and James Meadway, former economic adviser to shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
The “soft left” see themselves as pragmatic social democrats, while those labelled “hard left” are principled socialist campaigners in their own eyes. They have co-existed and co-ordinated in the past but rarely collaborated before. Yet now the historic divide is being overcome in the face of a common problem – a Labour government that is abandoning Labour values.
It feels like a Rubicon has been crossed. The last Labour government boosted international aid, introduced the winter fuel payment for pensioners and invested in public services after years of Tory decline. The current Labour Government has already defaced that legacy.
There have been twinges of discomfort from the centre left: Anneliese Dodds resigned her ministerial post in protest of the cuts to international aid, while Labour mayors like Sadiq Khan and Burnham expressed their opposition to cuts to winter fuel payments.
square ANDREW FISHER Keir Starmer has brought the Labour Party to its knees
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While Labour has often faced both ways on migration, talking up the benefits of migration while also threatening “toughness”, for a Labour Prime Minister to ape the language (intentionally or not) of the far right was another new low of the Starmer Government. The London mayor promptly and publicly distanced himself from the anti-immigrant rhetoric.
And that’s why the interventions of Burnham and Haigh last week are worth watching. Burnham is one of the more popular figures within Labour. When he criticises the leadership, then that is publicly raising questions about Starmer.
Haigh also backed the call of left-wing MP Richard Burgon for a wealth tax – Burgon has amassed 50,000 signatures in favour of the policy. More common ground being found between the left and centre left.
Andrew Fisher served as the Labour Party’s executive director of policy under Jeremy Corbyn between 2015 and 2019
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