compass DIRECTION FOR THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT think PIECE The Challenge for Progressives: Change the Discourse

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Thinkpiece No. 73 www.compassonline.org.uk thinkPIECE compass DIRECTION FOR THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT

The Challenge for Progressives: Change the Discourse

by Timothy Davies

Compass Thinkpieces are intended to create real debate and discussion around the key issues facing the democratic left - however the views expressed in these publications are not a statement of Compass policy. Change the Discourse... www.compassonline.org.uk PAGE 1

The Challenge for Progressives: Change the Discourse by Timothy Davies

Introduction

n his recent Thinkpiece (July, 2011), Alan O’Shea drew upon I the writings of Antonio Gramsci to identify what needs to be done to shift the political culture away from “There is a theme here ‘market fundamentalism’ towards – the Tories set the one in which the economy is agenda, Labour subordinated to the needs of society rather than the other way round. operates within it....

Gramsci argued that in capitalist societies If the next general the interests of a dominant class were election comes down to furthered where they were successful in promoting their sectional interests as in which party can best everyone’s interest. Hegemony referred to manage austerity, the situation where the world view of a Labour is finished.” dominant class became accepted as common sense, i.e. what everyone in society, even those disadvantaged by the (New Statesman,23/01/12) status quo, took to be obvious. Change therefore required a ‘war of position’ where those seeking change needed to reveal the self-interested nature of the dominant ideas for what it is – the ideological expression of profound insight he offered into how this and position themselves as more truly the vested interests of a limited section of nexus comes to be embodied in representing the general or public interest. society - and offer an alternative social discourses. democratic vision of a ‘good society’. They The starting point for such a counter- must, in other words, change the discourse. For Foucault, discourses – ways of thinking, hegemonic movement, O’Shea argues talking and writing about the world following Gramsci, involves “an examination Discourse analysis represent the place where power and of dominant discourses and practices”. My knowledge meet: the power to represent purpose in this article is therefore to The notion of ‘discourse’ is most the world in particular ways which serve to examine ‘neoliberalism’ as the dominant prominently associated with the French constitute the ‘reality’ of everyday life for discourse of this present historical philosopher Michel Foucault, a writer both the ordinary member of society. Discourses conjuncture and analyse how its retrograde revered and reviled in roughly equal link to power because there are potentially, precepts have spread way beyond the measure by social scientists. My purpose at least, multiple, competing discourses confines of government into the wider here is neither to promote nor defend his surrounding any object, event or person, institutional structure and into popular work as a whole - were I even equipped to each with a different ‘story’ to tell. The culture. My contention will be that for do so. Rather, it is to draw upon a part of crucial issue politically is which story gets progressives to make any real his work concerned with the relationship told and which construction of reality is they must directly challenge this discourse between knowledge and power and the offered.

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Central to any analysis of the role of ‘sex worker’. They both denote a person As Harvey puts it: discourses in society is an understanding of who sells sex for money, but whilst recent the role of language and before we can government publications, both Labour and “Neoliberalism has, in short, become proceed to analyse neoliberalism as a Coalition, have stuck with the word hegemonic as a mode of discourse. It has dominant discourse we therefore need to prostitute, opponents prefer the term sex pervasive effects on ways of thought to pause and elucidate this. worker because it characterises the point where it has become prostitution rather differently – as incorporated into the common-sense way Language and the essentially a service occupation. many of us interpret, live in and construction of reality understand the world.” (2005, p.3) Neoliberalism as a At this point the reader may reasonably be Everyday thinking suggests that the words dominant discourse thinking “Ok, but surely things have moved we use to describe the world simply on since 2005? We have, after all, lived describe what is there: that they simply The key idea informing neoliberalism is that through - indeed are still living through the reflect some pre-existing objective reality. In individual freedom is best guaranteed by after-effects of - a global financial crisis in a sense, of course, they do relate to the ‘free market’ and that the role of the 2008. Surely you’re not suggesting something other than themselves, state is to promote markets where they neoliberalism has been left unscathed?” something ‘out there’. But the crucial point don’t exist (eg through privatisation) and to recognise is that the world around us is remove barriers to the free operation of My answer would be both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. ‘No’, open to different interpretations and which markets where they do exist (eg ‘restrictive it has certainly provoked some important words are used to describe what is out practices’ by trade unions and financial new protest movements (notably, Occupy there helps determine how people regulation of stock markets). Beyond this and UK Uncut) and even electoral understand the world. the state should do as little as possible developments (specifically the election of consistent with maintaining social order Francois Hollande in France) that I think In a vital sense, therefore, words don’t and the integrity of money - hence, offer some hopeful chinks in the armour of simply describe the world, but construct neoliberals’ opposition to ‘Big Government’. neoliberalism. But ‘yes’, neoliberalism the world. As Dale Spender put it in an As Pierre Bourdieu (1998) has put it, rather remains dominant at present and as Colin early, influential study of language and more succinctly: “What is neoliberalism? A Crouch has recently argued in The Strange sexism: programme for destroying collective Non-Death of Neo-Liberalism (2011) the structures which may impede the pure financial crisis – a product many would Language helps form the limits of market logic”. argue of the wanton greed and lack of our reality...It is through language adequate regulation of finance capital - has that... the world becomes To describe a particular discourse as been magically recast as a product of comprehensible and meaningful, ‘dominant’ is to make the claim that it is so profligate government spending, the that we bring into existence the embedded in a society that it is accepted solution to which is austerity and drastic world in which we live. almost unquestioningly as self-evidently reductions in social expenditure by the (Spender, 1990, p.3) true. state.

To give an example, readers of The Politics globally since the late seventies has Guardian some years ago confronted by been dominated by neoliberal ideas, having The impact of neoliberal the headline ‘Two Schools for Moslems been taken up by political and economic discourse Promised’, might have been surprised if elites as the preferred solution to the dual they had opened the same day’s copy of problems of ‘stagflation’ (rising There is not the space here to provide a the Sun to read about the same story unemployment combined with rising comprehensive review of the many ways in under the rather different headline ‘Schools inflation) and the crisis in the seventies of which the discourse of neoliberalism has for Virgins in Gymslips’! capital accumulation. David Harvey (2005) infiltrated the culture and therefore the argues that almost all states, from those understandings of people in society. One further point needs making about the emerging from the collapse of the USSR, Instead I will identify what I consider to be connection between language and the old-style social democracies like New some of the key areas where its impact can construction of reality. This is that the Zealand and Sweden, post-apartheid South be seen and seek to highlight the role that meaning of words comes in two main Africa to China, the UK and the USA, have language has played. forms: what they denote and what they embraced neoliberal tenets. Deregulation, connote. Dictionary definitions of words privatisation and the withdrawal of the state usually indicate what they denote. But from many areas of social provision has words with the same denotation can have been the inevitable concomitant of this significantly different connotations. Think, ideological shift. for example, of the nouns ‘prostitute’ and

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1) The denigration of the state and the It hardly needs pointing out that the term choices, were unnecessarily bureaucratic public sector . militates against a rational consideration of and subordinated individual needs to the the circumstances where government vested interests of trades unions and As Colin Leys (2011) has argued intervention to protect or promote the well- professional associations. ‘Choice’ has “After 40 years of ideological onslaught, being of citizens would be desirable. become the rhetorical device used by the very idea of ‘the state’ is close to Instead, by framing the issue in this way it successive governments since Margaret joining others such as ‘collective’ (not to encourages a knee-jerk rejection of Thatcher’s to sell the subsequent reforms mention ‘socialist’ and even ‘left’), in the whatever is being proposed. For example, of these services to the public (cf depository of Unclean Concepts. ‘State at present in the USA whilst a number of ‘NHSchoices’ – the name of the NHS bad, private good’ may be a crude slogan, individual states have banned mobile website today). An inspired piece of spin, but it is the very real starting point of phone use by drivers, there is no federal because who could possibly argue against many politicians and most media ban. The announcement by the US the desirability of offering people more commentators...” Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, in choice? April of this year that such a ban was One sees this for example in the taken for necessary predictably produced headlines This is not the place to try to address the granted assumption that independent such as the following (on the Freedom wide ranging and complex issues raised by schools are superior to state schools, Informant Network ): “Nanny State: Fed these reforms, a topic richly deserving of a supposedly evidenced by their greater Wants Nationwide Ban on Cell Phone Use Thinkpiece in its own right. However, a success in public examinations. The fact While Driving”. thought provoking starting point was that with their selective intakes, smaller provided by Bill Jordan in a paper on class sizes, enviable facilities and 3) The reconstruction of citizens as individualism and the choice agenda educationally-engaged parents they would consumers published in 2005. Jordan attacks the idea need to be completely incompetent not to that public services should be treated like a get better exam results is lost on most Within neoliberal discourse people are commodity. To do so is to neglect two vital people. One can only imagine the constructed primarily as consumers. All elements that make such services frustration of the hard-pressed state school kinds of implications follow from this. distinctive: ‘voice’ (participation and head on hearing the pleas to independent For one, pupils and students, patients, even collective action) and ‘loyalty’ school heads from Ministers – both Labour defendants at courts in England and Wales (interdependence and belonging). In other and Coalition –to ‘share their educational are now, first and foremost, ‘customers’. words, health, welfare and education play a DNA’(Lord Adonis) with their benighted The 2011 annual report for Her Majesty’s vital part in helping to promote social state sector ‘colleagues’! Court Services (now HMCTS) proudly integration in society and a sense of reported in its Foreword: mutual responsibility and citizens should However, the area of the state where this have the chance to play a significant role in denigration is perhaps most pronounced “This year we made good progress in the design of such services. Farming them and therefore deserving of special improving our understanding of the out to ‘Any Qualified Provider’ will lead to attention, is the welfare state... needs of our customers, and in the further fragmentation of our already meeting those needs we have divided society. 2) The demonising of the welfare continued to promote Lean ways of state working to reduce our costs and 4) The eclipse of the ‘social’ streamline processes providing even The crowning glory of the post-WWII better services for court users.” David Cameron may have partially Labour government, a comprehensive rehabilitated the notion of ‘society’ with his welfare state designed to support people But, since ‘the customer is always right’, talk of the ‘Big Society’ (of which, more ‘from the cradle to the grave’ is now this reconfiguration inevitably risks later), but when Margaret Thatcher associated in many people’s minds simply undermining the authority of teachers, declared in 1987 ‘There is no such thing as with ‘scroungers’, ‘benefit cheats’ and the nurses, doctors, legal advisors, etc. Whilst society. There are individual men and ‘something-for-nothing brigade’. The key no one would defend the tyrannical teacher women and there are families’, she was linguistic intervention was Margaret or supercilious doctor of old, treating articulating a central tenet of neoliberalism Thatcher’s use of the term ‘nanny state’ to crooks as customers is surely a step too that can be traced back directly to its refer to the welfare state, with its far! putative founding father, Friedrich Hayek. connotations of a set of institutions that kept the British people in a state of child- For another, as customers, people expect If there is no such thing as society it follows like dependency, thereby encouraging choices. 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processes and structures of which they the proliferation of lifestyles associated with the thought police’; ‘the cult of political may not even be aware and which lie the growth of a consumer society, distinct correctness’. Its power is revealed by the largely outside of their control, is bogus. social class sub-cultures are less evident fact that, rather than being recognised as today than they were. But ‘class’ has been embodying a partisan viewpoint, it is widely Today, individualism rules. If you are obese, primarily a vehicle for talking about socio- perceived as common sense. for example, it’s because you’ve chosen to economic inequality in society and the eat too much and exercise too little. And, of irony is that the period during which the Now, of course it is true that there have course, if one only considers the situation concept has faded from political discourse been examples of ludicrous neologisms from an individualistic perspective, this is has been the same one during which and of actions that represent high true: people who are obese have chosen to economic inequality in the UK reached its handedness in the name of linguistic and engage in health-damaging behaviour, just highest level in recorded history (NEF, social reform (although it’s also true that like people who smoke and those who use 2011). the right have deliberately invented illicit drugs. The point, however, is to neologisms and fabricated events in order recognise that this is a partial truth This is no coincidence. Rather it is precisely to tighten the screw). But language reform masquerading as the whole story. It is, in the consequence of the dominance of has played a crucial role in the progress other words, ideological. Sociological neoliberal discourse. To talk about class made by minority groups and every research indicates that for all three inequality is to engage in ‘the politics of movement for change inevitably includes a behaviours there is a clear social class envy’. Better not to do so, particularly as the lunatic fringe. Consequently, as Neil gradient: the lower the class, the higher the right wing tabloids would like nothing better Thompson (1998) has persuasively argued: proportion engaging in such behaviour. than an excuse to roll out yet again that People choose, but their choices are never tired old bogey man ‘Red Ed’! “PC refers to a reaction against equality completely ‘free’. They are shaped by their practice, rather than a genuine socio-economic circumstances, their 6) The reconstruction of equality approach to promoting equality. It is a values and beliefs, their level of self-esteem strategies as ‘political correctness’ reified, reductionist concept used and so on. And all of these represent social, ideologically to demean, ridicule and not individual, influences. The discourse surrounding political therefore undermine equality correctness provides a paradigmatic strategies.” 5) The ‘death’ of class illustration of my thesis. Framing the debate Under the influence of neoliberalism, ‘social Over the last 40 or 50 years various class’ has been excised from the political minority groups have fought to overcome Another way of thinking about the issues lexicon in the UK. This is hardly a matter of their marginalised position in society and raised by the dominance of neoliberal surprise in the case of politicians of the stigmatised social identity. This has discourse is suggested by George Lakoff, a right. David Cameron’s view (expressed in involved both linguistic and social reform. In professor of linguistics at the University of 2008) that “I don’t believe this is a class- neoliberal discourse, linguistic and social California, Berkeley. In his book Don’t Think ridden society. I think that’s a load of reform are reconstructed as political of an Elephant! (2004) he talks about the rubbish.”, was entirely predictable. But correctness and ‘PC’ is presented as a real importance of ‘frames’, unconscious politicians on the left are no more willing to social movement orchestrated by left-wing cognitive structures that shape the way we talk about class. One of ’s key extremists. The problem facing society in view the world. ‘When we hear a word’, he themes is the ‘squeezed middle’, referring this discourse is not the marginalisation of argues, ‘its frame or collection of frames is presumably to the middle class(es). But the minority groups but the restrictions placed activated in our brain’. Thus, if instructed word itself appears to have entered Colin on people’s freedom to do and say what not to think of an elephant, we are unable Leys’ depository of unclean concepts. they want by political correctness. to prevent the image of an elephant nevertheless entering our mind. Why is this? It has to be acknowledged that The term itself has had a chequered history the usefulness of class as a concept for (Cameron, 1995) but its most recent Lakoff is politically active and has advised understanding contemporary society is a incarnation dates from the seventies when both Bill Clinton and Howard Dean on their matter of debate even amongst it was appropriated by those on the right political campaigning in the USA. His key sociologists. Indeed there are those who wishing to attack the curriculum reforms message is: have announced its demise (e.g. Pakulski being introduced by progressives in some and Waters: The Death of Class). Certainly, universities in the USA. Since then its “...when arguing against the other side, there appear to be lower levels of class acronym has become globally recognised don’t use their language because it consciousness today (although this is and its message widely embraced: ‘it’s evokes their frame and not the frame notoriously difficult to measure). And, with political correctness gone mad’; ‘here come you seek to establish.”

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Let’s spell out the implications of this attained, there can be no disputing the Neoliberal discourse has demonised ‘left’. drawing on some of my previous examples. progress made by women, ethnic It’s time to reclaim the term. Every time a left of centre politician uses a minorities, LGBT groups and disabled phrase such as ‘PC’ or ‘nanny state’ they people. • Social democracy, not socialism: the reinforce a neoliberal discourse. Even if they left is presented in neoliberal discourse as a were to say ‘Actually, I’m in favour of a How was this achieved? Whilst in no way unitary entity. Yet democratic socialism and nanny state’, or ‘I support PC’, the effect is seeking to minimise the importance of social democracy are as different as the same: reinforcement of a frame leadership, activism, commitment and traditional liberalism and conservatism. In designed to promote neoliberal ideas. The public education, a crucial component was my view, ‘socialism’ is incapable of being only way round this is to reframe the discourse change. For most of the rescued at this point in time from the debate by using either neutral terms or twentieth century the dominant discourses negative connotations attached to it in the terms that carry positive connotations: ‘We surrounding disability and homosexuality, public mind. This, of course, presents support the need for an interventionist for example, were medical ones. Disabled something of a problem for the Labour state’ or ‘We believe in linguistic people and homosexuals were represented Party given that Clause 4 of their Rules sensitivity’*. as ‘ill’ (mentally ill in the case of states that “Labour is a democratic homosexuals), in need of medical care and, socialist party”. Do we really want another Mehdi Hasan, writing in the New ideally, a ‘cure’. Towards the end of the Clause 4 moment? Probably not. Statesman earlier this year, persuasively twentieth century these medical discourses But to pretend that there is no draws on Lakoff’s work to urge Labour to were challenged by new civil rights inconsistency between this official identity reframe its message. Instead of talking discourses which argued instead that these and talking as a centre left party is to offer a about cuts, austerity and the need for groups were oppressed citizens and that hostage to fortune and a discursive gift to ‘tough choices’ he argues that Labour must what they needed were civil rights – equal the right. fight the battle on its own terrain by offering treatment as citizens. a different narrative: I realise, of course, that for many on the left What are the key elements of the discourse this is a heretical suggestion, so let me try “There is a theme here – the Tories set that progressives need to promote? I would to justify it. Firstly, given where we’re at, the the agenda, Labour operates within it.... suggest the following: most important thing over the next few If the next general election comes years is to elect a government that offers at down to which party can best manage • Embrace the ‘L’ word: political parties least some hope of reducing the obscene austerity, Labour is finished.”(New that believe in social justice and recognise inequalities in our society. Secondly, Statesman, 23/01/12) the social harms generated by because of the success of a neoliberal indiscriminate marketisation should not be discourse, anything left of centre is now Hasan urges Labour to ‘change the subject’ afraid of embracing the label of a Left wing seen as politically suspect by your average and offer voters a different narrative party. Joe. I would identify myself as of the focused on jobs and growth. Hattersleyite tendency and have had the Older readers will recognise my reference bizarre experience over the last 30 years of Changing the discourse to the salutary case of Michael Dukakis, the finding myself increasingly seen by others Democratic Presidential nominee in 1988. as a dangerous radical! Thirdly, the so- So what are the implications of the (Younger readers need to know I’m not called ‘collapse of communism’ was argument I’ve sought to sketch out above? referring to a popular USA TV series about actually a collapse of state socialism and – Lesbians!) In a speech in the run up to the rightly or wrongly – few members of the The fundamental implication is that until election, Ronald Reagan asserted that it public would see the demise of those and unless progressives directly challenge was time “to talk issues; to use the dreaded regimes as any kind of tragedy. Finally, the dominant neoliberal discourse, it will L word” and that Dukakis’s policies were nobody can agree about what a socialist continue to provide the frame through “liberal, liberal, liberal.” (In the American society would entail any longer. I respect which all political issues are viewed. context, for Republicans, to be a ‘liberal’ at those who nevertheless cling to their vision that time was tantamount to being a of a socialist society as a long term goal, The remarkable successes of the feminist communist in the McCarthy era.) How did but don’t see this as strategically viable in movement, the black civil rights movement, Dukakis respond? Did he say ‘Yes, I’m a the here and now. the gay rights movement and the disability liberal and I’m proud of it!’ No. He caved in rights movement over the last 50 years are to Reagan’s ideological attack, declaring • An enabling state: if ‘the left’ needs instructive in this regard. Whilst there is still that the “L word” of his candidacy was not rescuing from the negative connotations some distance to go before full equality is “Liberal” but “Leadership”. Dukakis lost! loaded onto it by neoliberalism this is even

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more true of ‘the state’. ‘Big Government’, Equality Trust. Drawing on what is surely Marxists believe that Britain is controlled ‘state interference’, ‘statism’, ‘nanny state’ - one of the most significant pieces of social by a unified ‘ruling class’. There are the neoliberal connotative onslaught has research of the last 50 years – The Spirit divisions at the top of the class structure been unrelenting. Yet the state is the only Level by Wilkinson and Pickett - he outlines as there are lower down and Labour can ultimate safeguard we have against the their findings that more equal societies are exploit the different interests of finance capture of society by vested interests and it ‘better for everyone’ and that the most and industrial capital in dealing with the has the potential at least to enable the unequal societies, the UK and the USA in right wing bias of the British press. needs and interests of all to be considered particular, inevitably generate a host of when government policy is being social dysfunctions. Similarly, the economic Cameron’s discourse of the ‘Big Society’ formulated. As Leys has argued in relation case for a more equal society has recently has already (hopefully) been dealt a fatal to the various elements of the welfare state, been persuasively made by Stewart blow by Rowan Williams’ scornful we need to see them “as the historic Lansley in his book The Cost of Inequality dismissal of it as “aspirational waffle collective achievements they are, as .The concentration of income and wealth in designed to conceal a deeply damaging expressions of what a mature society can the hands of a small, super-rich elite, as has withdrawal of the state from its accomplish through collective effort, happened for example in the UK and USA, responsibilities to the most vulnerable”. achievements we have a collective is incompatible with economic stability and And Nick Clegg’s espousal of a discourse responsibility to protect and sustain”. dynamism, Lansley argues. around the ‘open society’ requires little in the way of critical deconstruction given David Harvey cites Karl Polanyi’s work – an Yet we have to recognise that ‘equality’ is the barriers posed to an open society important if somewhat neglected thinker the bête noir of neoliberalism and is loaded (and particularly to social mobility, today – to explore some of the different down with negative connotative baggage: Clegg’s personal hobby-horse) by connotations of ‘freedom’. Polanyi equality = treating everyone the same = extreme economic inequality. acknowledged that market societies had communism. Labour politicians eschew brought in their train many freedoms which references to ‘equality’ for good reason! It Nevertheless, the divisive precepts of people rightly cherish, such as freedom of may sound a bit lame, but nevertheless the neoliberalism are so embedded in our speech, freedom of association and the way forward linguistically may be to talk political culture that if Labour is to rescue freedom to choose one’s employment. But about the advantages of less inequality, us from their baleful influence it must be Polanyi cautioned that what he called rather than greater equality. both linguistically sophisticated and ‘liberal utopianism’ also produced a range discursively aware. of negative freedoms: Conclusion Timothy Davies “the freedom to exploit one’s fellows, or In keeping with Compass’s mission, this the freedom to make inordinate gains article is addressed to progressive without commensurable service to the thinkers generally, but it would be naive to community, the freedom to keep suppose that there is currently any other technological benefits from being used party besides Labour in a position to for public benefit, or the freedom to challenge electorally the neoliberal profit from public calamities secretly hegemony I have sought to describe engineered for private advantage.” above. My concluding comments are (Polanyi in Harvey, 2005, p 36) therefore more narrowly focused on the Labour Party specifically. There are, I Without state intervention, fat cat financiers believe, a number of reasons to be will continue to award themselves gigantic optimistic about Labour’s chances at the bonuses (‘because you’re worth it’), the next general election, not the least of obesity epidemic will continue to spiral out which is Ed Miliband’s appointment of Jon of control, multi- national corporations will Cruddas as co-ordinator of Labour’s continue to secrete vast funds in tax policy review. havens, and so on. Miliband’s championing of “responsible • Less inequality: Supporters of Compass capitalism” is moving in the right hardly need convincing of the importance discursive direction: an opportunity for of a more equal society. The social case for the public to learn about the difference this has already been cogently argued in an between the denotative synonyms: ‘free earlier Thinkpiece by Bill Kerry of the market’ and ‘capitalism’. Also, only vulgar * A term coined by Neil Thompson .

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Acknowledgements Shaheen, Faiza (2011) Ten Reasons to Care I would like to thank Joe Cox of Compass About Economic Inequality, New for his constructive comments on earlier Economics Foundation, October, 2011. drafts of this article. Spender, Dale, (1980) Man Made References Language, RKP. Bourdieu, Pierre, (1998) The essence of neoliberalism. Le Monde diplomatique, Thompson, Neil, (1998) Anti-Discriminatory (English Edition), December, 1998. Practice, 2nd edn, Palgrave Macmillan.

Cameron, Deborah, (1995) Verbal Hygiene, Wilkinson, Richard and Pickett, Kate (2010) Routledge. The Spirit Level,Penguin.

Crouch, Colin, (2011) The Strange non- death of Neo-Liberalism, Polity Press.

Freedom Informant Network, (2012) Nanny State: Feds Wants Nationwide Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving (Jim Forsyth, 27/04/2012, Reuters) www.freedoinfonetwork.org

Harvey, David, (2005) A Brief History of Neoliberalism, OUP.

Hasan, Mehdi, (2012) Don’t think of an elephant, New Statesman, 23/01/2012

HMCS, Annual Report and Accounts 2010- 11, The Stationery Office.

Jordan, Bill (2005) Public Services and the Service Economy: Individualism and the Choice Agenda.Journal of Social Policy, 35,1,p143-162

Kerry, Bill (2009) Taking Equality Out of the Left Ghetto, Compass, June, 2009. thinkPIECE c Lakoff, George, (2004) Don’t Think of an Join today and you Elephant, [Summary published by CapitolReader.com on December 2, 2004] can help change the world of tomorrow - Lansley, Stewart (2012) The Cost of www.compassonline.org.uk/join/ Inequality, Gibson Square.

Leys, Colin (2011) Healthy Alternatives, Red Pepper, July, 2011.

O’Shea, Alan (2011) Lessons from Gramsci on political mobilisation,Compass, July, 2011 The Challenge for Progressives:

Pakulski, Jan and Waters, Malcolm (1996) Change the Discourse The Death of Class, Sage.

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