The Alternative: Towards a New Progressive Politics

I am old enough to have been involved in politics in the early 1980's when, the creation of the SDP gave hope of both proportional representation and a real break in our two party political system. Despite taking a huge chunk of votes, the SDP never achieved the break through and things eventually returned to the old confrontational style. This lead me to start this book with a health dose of scepticism; the only new kids on the political block are UKIP, a party almost unbelievably, to the right of the Conservative Party. Labour, the largest of the centre left parties, is doing its best to tear itself to pieces and the government are moving the goalposts in terms of boundary changes before the next election: surely, the Conservatives are going to lead for many years to come.

Gradually, as I read the various contributors, my attitude began to change. If, and it is a big if, the left leaning parties can learn to work together, we could put a cohesive alternative to Conservative 'austerity for the poor and riches for the rich' policy. There has only been one election, since WW II, at which the right have received over fifty per cent of the vote. At the same time, they have formed the government for a great amount of time than anyone else, largely thanks to the infighting of leftist groups.

It is incredible to think that we are currently suffering a Conservative government when the party received 24.3% of the electorate's votes. This cannot be correct. It is fine and dandy to talk of 'strong government' but, where has this supposed strength taken us? We are slipping, year by year, further down the list of best countries in which to live. Our finances become more perilous - even as the ordinary working person becomes less and less well paid. We now have record numbers of full time working people claiming benefits, just to keep their heads above water. Where is any evidence that this 'medicine' is leading to a brighter tomorrow for any but the already very rich?

Members of political parties tend to be protective of their own party and venom is often more viscously aimed at a group with whom they share some views as opposed to the outright opposition. It is going to take considerable selling to get many members to accept any agreement, particularly as Labour are so much the larger grouping in parliament; at least in part, due to the vagaries of first past the post politics. On the other hand, there is a growing acceptance that, if we don't do something, we will have a prolonged period of Conservative rule and will lose, amongst other things, our beloved NHS.

I am still to be fully convinced, but this book has taken me some way along the road. ( )