ChartistC 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01H cover 19/12/2016A 08:02 Page 1 RTIST For democratic socialism #284 January/February 2017 £2

Dave Cunningham Paul Garver Dave Toke Trumpism Rebecca Long Bailey MP Westminster View Claude Moraes MEP Populism Julie Timbrell Common rights John Palmer Brexit plus film and book reviews ISSN - 0968 7866 ISSUE

www.chartist.org.uk Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 2

CONTENTS

FEATURES Contributions and letters deadline for Editorial Policy CHARTIST #285 The editorial policy of CHARTIST is to promote debate amongst people active in 7 February 2 017 TRUMPISH VICTORY radical politics about the contemporary Chartist welcomes articles of 800 or 1500 words, and Dave Cunningham challenges the relevance of democratic socialism across letters in electronic format only to: [email protected] 8 rust-belt thesis the spectrum of politics, economics, science, philosophy, art, interpersonal Receive Chartist’s online newsletter: send your email address to relations – in short, the whole realm of [email protected] DOZY DEMOCRATS social life. Paul Garver rues Clinton’s lack of Our concern is with both democracy and Chartist Advert Rates: 9 progressive credentials socialism. The history of the last century has made it abundantly clear that the Inside Full page £200; 1/2 page £125; 1/4 page £75; 1/8 page £40; 1/16 page £25; small box mass of the population of the advanced 5x2cm £15 single sheet insert £50 BREXIT - THE ARTS capitalist countries will have no interest We are also interested in advert swaps with other publications. To place an advert, please Keith Savage chronicles the threat in any form of socialism which is not email: [email protected] 11 thoroughly democratic in its principles, its practices, its morality and its ideals. Yet the consequences of this deep attach - Unlike the defeated Democratic BREXIT - LABOUR ment to democracy – one of the greatest candidate - pages 9-11 Duncan Bowie exposes policy Cover by Martin Rowson advances of our epoch – are seldom www.CHARTIST.org.uk 12 confusion on the front-bench reflected in the discussion and debates amongst active socialists. CHARTIST is not a party publication. It BREXIT - WORKERS’ RIGHTS CHARTIST brings together people who are interested in socialism, some of whom are active the Clive Lewis MP highlights FOR DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM Labour Party and the trade union move - 13 another Tory clanger Number 284 January/February 2017 ment. It is concerned to deepen and extend a dialogue with all other socialists and with activists from other movements BREXIT - POPULISM REGULARS involved in the struggle to find democrat - Claude Moraes MEP surveys the ic alternatives to the oppression, exploita - 14 threat tion and injustices of capitalism and class society BREXIT - TIME TO DERAIL OUR HISTORY - 70 4 R H Tawney on Equality (1931) Editorial Board John Palmer calls on Labour to 16 seize the opportunity LETTER CHARTIST is published six times a year 4 Keith Savage on post truth by the Chartist Collective. This issue was produced by an Editorial Board consisting LUCAS PLAN EDITORIAL of Duncan Bowie (Reviews), Peter Chalk, Nigel Doggett reports on its 40th 5 Chartist laments a Trump Mike Davis (Editor), Nigel Doggett, David 18 anniversary and Mike Davis presidency and continues to Brexit bungling coming home to roost Floyd, Don Flynn, Roger Gillham, question Labour’s Brexit for Prime Minister May - pages 11-17 reviews a reprint Tehmina Kazi, Peter Kenyon (Treasurer), policy Frank Lee, Dave Lister, Andy Morton CHARTER OF THE FOREST-1217 (Website Editor), Mary Southcott, James POINTS AND CROSSINGS Grayson, Patricia d’Ardenne, Sheila Julie Timbrell celebrates the seal 6 Paul Salveson on the Tories 20 on commoners’ rights Osmanovic, Robbie Scott and Patrick switching tracks on rail Mulcahy. Production: Peter Kenyon and Andy GREENWATCH Morton YEMEN - BRITISH HYPOCRISY 7 Dave Toke assesses Trump’s Andy Gregg calls the UK threat to the environment Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of 21 government to account the EB FILM REVIEW 25 Patrick Mulcahy on The Student

Contacts PALESTINE - RETHINK TIME? BOOK REVIEWS Salma Karmi-Ayyoub makes a 26 Harry Bentham on Corbyn, Published by Chartist Publications 22 case for a single state solution Duncan Bowie on Boko Haram, PO Box 52751 London EC2P 2XF Somalia and resisting Lenin, Paul tel: 0845 456 4977 Mackney on Greece, Dot Lewis on YEAR END REPORT South Africa, Mike Davis on Printed by People For Print Ltd, Unit 10, Riverside Park, history theft, and Patricia Sheaf Gardens, Sheffield S2 4BB – Tel 0114 272 0915. Trevor Fisher ponders the d’Ardenne on women’s lib 24 collapse of liberal democracy Email: [email protected] The price of British arms sales to WESTMINSTER VIEW Website: www.chartist.org.uk Yemen’s neighbour - page 21 32 Rebecca Long-Bailey MP on Tory Email: [email protected] meanness Twitter: @Chartist48

Newsletter online: to join, email [email protected] January/February 2017 CHARTIST 3 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 4

OUR HISTORY EDITORIAL

OUR HISTORY - 70 Time to turn tide against Tories t is clear the Government has no coherent worked world has been the leitmotif of the 21C R H Tawney - Equality (1931) plan on Brexit. Teresa May is looking ever there is nothing to say this phenomena can’t be more isolated in Europe and her three turned back with the narrow nationalist eco - awney was an economic historian. committee of the London County Council and of the Brexiteers seem wilfully oblivious both to nomic agenda that Brexiteers, Trump, Le Pen Influenced by the social idealism of consultative committee of the Board of Education. the consequences of leaving the Eu with no in France and the right in Italy advocate. Edward Caird and the religious liberalism he died in 1962. he is the subject of biographies by deal or explaining this to the British people. Protectionism is the herald of trade wars. Trade of Bishop Charles Gore, after Balliol Ross Terrill (1973) and Anthony Wright (1987). IBut a lack of coherence extends beyond Brexit. wars usher in military conflicts. This is not a College, oxford, he went to live at the “It is true that while inequality is easy, since it The Autumn Statement from Chancellor place we should revisit. Toynbee hall settlement in Whitechapel, where he demands no more than to float with the current, hammond revealed the Tories have no answers Dave Cunningham and Paul Garver look Tbecame involved in social work. he then became a equality is difficult, for it involves swimming on the economy. The government has failed on at the reasons for Trump’s victory identifying teacher for the Workers Education Association. against it. It involves material sacrifices by some, their own deficit reduction plan, abandoned the challenges facing the uS left, while Dave This was a lifelong interest and he served 42 and a lot less painful surrender of sentimental osborne’s targets, failed on clamping down on Toke is sanguine on prospects for a major years on the WEA’s executive council and was presi - claims by others, and on the part of all, sufficient tax evaders, failed on holding down inflation. reversal of the Paris climate change accords, dent from 1929 to 1945. Tawney’s academic base self-control and public spirit, sufficient respect for Rebecca Long-Bailey Shadow Treasury minis - despite Trumps’s scepticism. was the London School of Economics, where he was themselves and appreciation of their neighbours….” ter, itemises the sorry list of failures. hammond For Britain Brexit is the defining political first Reader and then Professor of Economic history. “The reasons for equalizing, as means and oppor- has no answers on the crisis facing the national challenge. John Palmer argues that while the his first academic work was a study of the Agrarian tunity allow, the externals of life is not that the scaf- health Service. There was no mention of social left must sharpen its assault on the govern - Problem of the Sixteenth century , published in 1912. folding is more important than the shrine, or that care in the Autumn statement. hospitals face ment’s incoherence, support parliament against he fought in the First World War, being severely economic interests, for all their clamour and insis- ever growing waiting lists and bed blocking as a the executive, with a possible Supreme Court wounded. his 1920 study, The Acquisitive Society tence, possess the unique and portentous signifi- result of patients without community support, ruling backing not only the Westminster par - was a critique of capitalism. In 1926 he published cance with which the fashionable philosophy of the A&E closures, demoralised junior doctors and a liament but elected houses in Scotland, Religion and the Rise of Capitalism . Equality fol - age is accustomed to ascribe too them. It is not, as threat to 50,000 Eu nationals working in the northern Ireland and Wales also having a vote lowed in 1931. austere critics assert, to pamper the gross bodily nhS. The nhS chief says the underfunded ser - on the Brexit plan and triggering Article 50. Tawney was a Christian Socialist moralist not a appetites of an envious multitude, but to free the vice is on the brink of collapse. The however Palmer sees the key moment to scup - Marxist. he had a profound belief in political spirit of all…. The chief enemy of the life of the spir- Sustainability and Transformation Plans, sup - per Eu withdrawal in 2018 or 2019 when the democracy and an opponent of all forms of totalitari - it, whether in art. culture or religion … is as every- posed to aid merging of health and care emptiness of the government ‘deal’ is fully anism. he served on a number of Government one knows, the idolatry of wealth, with its worship provide a paltry carrot to Local revealed. Commissions, including the Sankey Commission, in of pecuniary success… and its strong sense of the Authorities (facing 50% cut backs) The irony is that government 1919 where together with Sidney Webb, he argued sanctity of possessions and weak sense of the digni- and health boards. Even Tory MPs Brexiteers campaigned to ‘take for the nationalisation of the coal industry. he was ty of human beings, and its consequent emphasis, like GP Sarah Wollaston have Labour has back control’ but when it comes to a regular contributor to the Manchester Guardian not on the common interests which unite men, but recognised STPs as a cover for to expose Tory fundamental decisions they don’t and the New Statesman , writing mainly on educa - on the accidents of property, and circumstance, and cuts. want parliament in control. tional reform. economic condition, which separate and divide neither does the government gaffes, gaps and When it comes to extending Tawney joined the Fabian Society first in 1906 them.” have answers on schools funding, greater control for workers on (later serving on its Executive committee), then the “Though the idea of an equal distribution of instead wasting funds on a weaknesses with company boards and in work - ILP in 1909 and then the Labour Party in 1918. he material wealth may continue to elude us, it is nec- throwback grammar school pro - clarity, coherence places Teresa May’s pledge has stood unsuccessfully for a parliamentary seat on essary, nevertheless, to make haste towards it, not gramme. It has no answers on the been torn up at the first test. three occasions though he considered he was more because such wealth is the most important of homeless crisis or for millions and a unified Clive Lewis Shadow Business useful outside parliament. In 1922 he published man’s treasures, but to prove that it is not. It is pos- struggling to pay rising rents and alternative secretary exposes government Secondary Education for All and in 1924, Education: sible that the ultimate goods of human life …. May housing costs.. no answers on trans - hypocrisy in the retreat evidenced The Socialist Policy . he also contributed to the be more easily attained, when its instruments and port as the chaos on Southern rail in corporate governance proposals. Labour Party’s 1928 manifesto, Labour and the means are less greedily grasped and more freely demonstrates. no answers on prisons Whether hard or soft Brexit the real Nation . Tawney was a member of the education shared.” as riots, over-crowding and understaffing question is how to build a winning pro protests show. Eu alliance for the 48% and peel away the Meanwhile working people are experiencing doubting and disillusioned leavers. The evi - the worst decade of wage restraint since the dence of the economic, social and cultural perils 1880s. Alongside one million people using food of withdrawal is stacking up. Keith Savage Left needs a message banks is a precariat of five million plus workers highlights the catastrophe for the creative arts on zero hours contracts, insecure agency work while scientists and universities are looking n the wake of the Brexit vote for you and your community if recognises that we rely on others and self employment facing yet more reduced in- down a barrel of oblivion for many projects and and Trump’s election victory you vote Labour. There is a ratio - and that we value others; we can - work benefits. They struggle in a twilight zone of research collaborations. the received wisdom is that nal, logical argument behind the not live alone and that interde - uncertainty, unable to plan or be sure bills can Labour’s front bench team need to go on the Ithe Left needs a message that will message. pendence is a crucial part of the be paid from week to week. offensive in 2017. Duncan Bowie argues force - counter those populist Right slo - The Left has a long-standing human experience. “Living overhead hangs the prospect of a huge jolt to fully that Labour has to expose Tory gaffes, gans – “Make Britain Great insistence that political progress together responsibly” emphasises the economy as a result of Brexit. This could gaps and weaknesses with clarity, coherence Again” or “We want our country results from rational argument that we should take into account deepen the anxiety and confusion in which the and a unified alternative narrative. This must back.” The question is, what form and persuasion – that decisions our own physical, mental and populist right seek to prosper. The election of begin with clarity on Brexit and no equivocation might these populist Left slogans result from clearly thought emotional health and that of oth - Donald Trump underlines the dangers for the on a commitment to working to stay in Europe. take? through analysis. In reality, of ers, and the environment, in our

R labour movement and left in the West, indeed Corbyn is strong on free movement but this is

E Corbyn’s Labour talks a lot course, most of us make choices life choices and behaviour. the whole world. 2017 is not the 1930s, but the not enough. nor is it sufficient to be ‘anti-aus -

T about ‘Fairness’ and ‘Equality’ based on intuition and gut feeling Seen this way what may rise of the populist right, pandering to racism, terity’, for equality and a national Education

T and whilst there is nothing wrong – we are creatures driven by emo - appear to be a bland platitude can xenophobia, sexism and nativist nationalist sen - Service. These abstract slogans need to be sur - E with these ideas as such do they tion as much as by reason. So be imagined as having a bold and timent is a chilling portent. Claude Moraes mounted by a positive story on building an L really have a resonance? There what might a populist Left slogan progressive political content. MEP examines the rise of the populist right economy that works for all and a responsible are several problems. There is be that appeals to our instincts or with elections in Italy, France and Germany this society that stands for the 99% against the 1% something passive and paternal - emotions? KEITh SAvAGE year indicating the danger of further gains for corporate elite. istic about these notions – it is Let us consider “Living togeth - BuxTon the far right and neo fascist parties. In the cold climate of 2017 the stakes could implied that equality will happen er responsibly.” “Living together” Whilst globalisation, automation and a net - not be higher. C 4 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 5 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 6 POINTS & CROSSINGS GREENWATCH

Going vertical on rail Trump: climate change denier Paul here are signs that Chris Grayling, the rate social responsibility’ as more than the occasion - Dave he election of Donald Trump probably will continue with their own clean power plans. new Transport Secretary, is flexing his al charitable grant. means that, one way or another, the uSA Trump may order the reversal of the regulations Salveson political muscles and moving away from Grayling is clearly moving away from the separa - Toke will pull out of the Paris Agreement on cli- restricting mercury and toxic emissions, compliance the cautious approach adopted by his pre - tion of operations and infrastructure which was a mate change. This may make less differ - with which makes coal plant more expensive. on a Tory decessor Patrick McLoughlin. That’s not hallmark of the original privatisation model in the explains ence to how much carbon the world would however, as stated already, coal power plant are necessarily a bad thing. he wants each rail fran - 1990s. It hasn’t worked and there is huge unhappi - have emitted in future years than what you might being retired without this measure anyway. change of Tchise to be run by joint management teams, includ - ness within the rail industry about the slow delivery why Trump Tthink. Resistance to Republican initiatives to pare down ing representatives from both the train operating of infrastructure enhancements. The latest fiasco For a start the Paris Agreement already has environmental regulations may prove to be rather track company and network Rail. In his recent announce - with Great Western electrification, with several might not enough national states as signatures representing a sturdier and more effective than the anti-environ - ment he said "I intend to start bringing back togeth - routes falling off the programme, is just one exam - high enough proportion of global greenhouse gas mentalists bargain for. er the operation of track and train on our railways." ple. Some talented managers within network Rail make emissions to remain valid with a uS withdrawal. Third, there is the global impact of Trump’s pro - he continued “We need to change the relationship feel frustrated about the situation but are powerless The Agreement requires there to be signatories rep - tectionist trade strategies to consider. Trade restric - between the tracks and the trains on the railway... within this large (state-owned) bureaucracy to effect much of a resenting at least 55 per cent of global emissions, tions on China, and quite possibly even the Eu, may passengers don't understand the division between change. difference and there's more than that left in the agreement help relieve competitive pressure on some uS indus - the two. They just want someone to be in charge. The next two franchises will be interesting tests without the uSA. tries, but they will, overall, make the world poorer. They want their train to work. I agree with them," of the Government’s willingness to force more radi - to action Second, internally, such downwards pressure on China's economy is less robust than it appears, with he added. I agree with him. he suggested that the cal change and begin steps towards vertical integra - carbon emissions as there is is mainly bound up rising levels of bank debts and it is vulnerable to uS pilot for this new approach will be the oxford – tion. The Wales and Borders franchise will be let by on climate with technological changes or policies that are likely pressures to increase the value of its currency. Cambridge line, a victim of the Beeching cuts and a the Welsh Government, which has aspirations for a to continue anyway. Coal consumption in the uS Indeed, my outlook is that there will be anything route which is gradually coming back to life. on publicly-owned railway, whilst East Midlands will change has fallen by around a quarter since 2008, but from a global slowdown in economic growth to a full- December 12th, Chiltern Railways began operating be the responsibility of the Department for according to a recent paper published in The blown world economic meltdown. This of course, to a from oxford via Bicester into London. The projected Transport. I suspect both will end up with broadly Electricity Journal this has very little to do with greater or lesser extent, will have a downward pres - new line would continue similar approaches, with obama, and almost all to do with the increased sure on carbon emissions and probably more than eastwards on to Cambridge. greater vertical integration availability of cheap natural gas. The growth in pro- offset the impact of Trump’s reversal of obama's The market for the new between the train operator duction of shale gas has been the factor that has internal energy measures. route is massive. and network Rail, and clear reduced the demand for coal and led to the closure of But there’s no doubting the ferocity of the attack The idea of a vertically- requirements to ensure posi - increasing numbers of ageing coal fired power plant. on climate change science being waged by many con - integrated organisation for tive impacts in terms of Another factor reducing coal use is the growth of servative Republicans. Indeed climate change the proposed East-West Rail employment policies and renewable energy - mainly wind and solar. These deniers circulate petitions saying that scientists do line from oxford to community benefit. technologies are promoted by a bi-partisan not accept the notion of human-induced climate Cambridge makes a lot of What should a ‘left’ Congressional agreement on a policy of production change. They get thousands of signatures for this, sense. It will be small response be? We need to tax credits (wind) and investment tax credit (solar). except that it seems just about anyone with a degree enough to have real focus, drop this childish attach - These will decline in force and run out in 2020. can sign them and that there seems to be a lack of but big enough to have bene - ment to ‘bringing back however, many Republican Congressmen are rela - climate scientists themselves signing the petition. fits of scale. Appropriate size British Rail’ and recognise tively sympathetic towards renewable energy, and Trump is apparently intending to abolish nASA’s and focussed management is that smaller units of man - there are possibilities that some form of tax credit climate science portal, and administrators working actually more important agement are needed, support could be renewed. The Republicans may not for uS Government agencies are scurrying to get than whether it’s public or whether public or private. care much for the climate issue, but they are inter- their science data copied before it is erased by the private. And the idea that Cooperative models need to ested in helping people, including often the renew - ‘post-truth’ brigade. Scott Pruitt, the man picked to future franchises will have be explored and encouraged. able energy industry, make money. be the new head of the Environmental Protection much greater integration Both Wales and Borders and Certainly Trump is likely to want to short-circuit Agency has said (in the National Review ): ‘Scientists between network Rail and East Midlands make sense obama's ' Clean Power Plan ' which was being pur - continue to disagree about the degree and extent of the franchise operator makes Tory Transport Secretary Chris Graying as management units, sued through the aegis of the Environmental global warming and its connection to the actions of sense as long as there are on the right track? though more could be done to Protection Agency, although even here, many states mankind’. C ways of harmonising the rel - devolve responsibility to the

atively short-term horizons of a franchisee. I’m local level. In the short term, why not try an inte - e d

against franchises because they don’t engender the grated approach for an existing line or local network o m

long-term commitment and loyalty that a perma - which would be low-risk, probably on a regional

y c

nent business has (again, whether public or private). group of lines. Given that we’re leaving the Eu one i

l o

Could long-term concessions that are vertically inte - benefit is that we won’t be tied by Eu laws on opera - p

grated be the way forward? It should be tried, with a tions/infrastructure separation so we might as well d

e s

clear remit from Government to extract maximum get some benefit from the Brexit shambles. a b

social and economic benefit from the concession and An intelligent ‘left’ approach would be to push the

e c

a strong degree of commercial freedom for the opera - franchising authorities (Welsh Government and n e

tor to develop new services and products. DfT) towards further positive social, economic and d

i v

It’s seldom recognised on the left, but the environmental outcomes. This should include much e

n

Government’s Department for Transport has been greater emphasis on bus-rail integration and i

pursuing a radical agenda towards new franchises, encouragement to operate integrated services. The p

m u

insisting that bidders bring tangible ‘external’ bene - unhelpful attitude of the Competition and Mergers r T

fits to the operation and also pursue enlightened hR Authority needs to be challenged.

d l

policies internally – including doing something People want to use railways. We are, at last, mak - a n

about rail’s traditionally poor record on diversity. ing the right moves to encourage that and the left o

D

This may not be something that you would expect needs to engage positively and imaginatively – and t

C c e

from a Conservative Government, but it is happen - not be stuck with out-dated solutions. l

e -

ing and it is forcing train companies to see ‘corpo - t

n

e

d

i s

Paul Salveson blogs at www.paulsalveson.org.uk e

r P

6 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 7 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 8

TRUMP LONDON

proportion of Jews and increas - because the ingly Muslims and gay people. Its Republicans platform supports the gains of the now control Trumpism’s triumph new Deal of the 30s and 40s, house and Social Security, Medicare and the Senate, the like, now under threat. Presidency Dave Cunningham It is also funded to a large and undoubt - Forget the rust belt, on how Trump won degree by major corporations, edly the wealthy liberals and Wall Street Supreme everal polls conducted the increasing wealth gap, the Belt just doesn't hold up … In the firms and is led largely by a ‘cen - Court in the last summer suggested debt trap for college students and Rust Belt, Democrats lost 1.35 trist consensus’ of a whole genera - near future. Clinton and Trump were the proposal for free university million voters. Trump picked up tion of Democratic Party leaders, The the most disliked candi - education were presumed to be less than half, at 590,000. The including obama. over the past Democratic dates in the history of part of her Electoral College fire - rest stayed home or voted for decade they lost nearly a thou - Coalition is the Presidency. Clinton was an wall! someone other than the major sand seats in state legislatures, a increasingly Sexceptionally poor candidate An informative and insightful party candidates.” dozen Governor’s races, sixty nine unable to pro - given the baggage she carried, article, which appeared on “This data suggests that if the house and thirteen Senate seats. tect its own some of it not her fault as a victim www.chartist.org.uk a few days Democratic Party wants to win The face-off of these coalitions members and US rustbelt voters don’t account for Trumpism’s triumph of a 30-year Republican demo - after the election headed, ‘Trump, the Rust Belt, it should not go increased the polarization its long-term nization campaign. Much related white nativism and economic pop - chasing after the white working- bemoaned by pundits and editori - social, ecologi - to her hawkishness (voting for the ulism: a new (r)age for western class men who voted for Trump. alists, but as the blocs represent cal and economic gains. Trump’s ing most Republican women, into Bush-Blair war against Iraq, politics’, adds context and detail The party should spend its energy existentialist threats to each staff and Cabinet choices indicate a unified bloc with the far right sabre-rattling against Russia, to the above: figuring out why Democrats lost other, this can only increase. The he intends to push a hard-right and white supremacists enraged involvement in the Libyan desta - “Economic populism has long millions of voters to some other day after the election, African- administration, and the with the election and then re-elec - bilization), personal friendship been the not-so-secret-weapon in candidate or to abstention….” American environmentalist com - Democrats have little leverage to tion of a black President. with the war criminal henry the rust-belt. obama won in these In the early 1970s, then- mentator van Jones charged: stop him. Anything like this is almost with - Kissinger and her cosiness with rustbelt states in 2012 as he President nixon sought to rein - ‘This was a whitelash against a Trump, whose rise to political out parallel in uS politics, and to Wall Street, none very palatable pushed a government bailout for vigorate the sclerotic Republican changing country. It was white - prominence was based on promot - a very heavy degree the product for progressives or liberals, the the treasured (but declining) Party. The ‘Southern Strategy’ lash against a black president in ing ‘birther’ nonsense about of racism and misogyny. But it people who drive Democratic American car industry. The auto aimed to make the Republicans a part.” obama, was able to pull the vast seems to be what really hap - Party get-out-the-vote ground - industry has become a symbol of national party by flipping the Clinton’s loss is catastrophic majority of Republicans, includ - pened. C work. America’s once mighty Fordist solid-south Dixiecrats, by inflam - production regime. obama’s oppo - ing white people’s resentment of “Vote for us: we suck less” nent in 2012, Mitt Romney, was black gains in the Civil Rights against the bailout and wanted to movement and subsequent legis - Add to this a truly awful cam - let the auto industry fall. This lation. Cynical beyond belief, the The left woke up too late paign…unfocussed, rambling and decided ohio’s result in 2012 and strategy proved a roaring success, lacking a clear narrative and it took the rest of the rust belt needing only a few election cycles point. Clinton’s message was with it…This year the party roles to transform the whole south into Although the electoral victory of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton was not predicted by heavily negative, endless were reversed: Democrat Clinton a red zone. Paul Garver fundraising paying for massive – the face of Wall Street, and anti- most of the media, an explanation is relatively uncomplicated says television advertising, focusing on trade Billionaire Trump (implau - White nationalism Trump’s grotesqueries and sibly) – the ‘champion of the peo - he Democratic Party voters in Presidential elections, cies. It also assumed that the loutishness, exposing Trump’s ple’…Donald Trump combined a over the past 40 years the campaign unerringly Democrats like obama could nar - normally Democratic preferences bigotry, misogyny the videotapes different brand of economic pop - Republican Party has morphed found the narrow path rowly win states like Florida and of unionized households would immigrant bashing, all of course ulism with a counter-culture into a tightly-knit coalition of to defeat. The frame - north Carolina, allowing the elec - restrain the growth of the male true. But she gave no particular white nativism that, as right-wing Southerners, rightwing evangeli - work for this defeat is tion of a Democratic President. white tribal vote that has increas - reason to support her. “vote for populists usually do, included a cals, the 1% and other wealthy established by the Electoral col - however over the past decade, ingly leaned Republican. us: we suck less” is not an effec - heavy dose of racially charged and white people, by an ideology Tlege, which awards all the elec - Republicans have solidified their The Clinton campaign relied tive motivational approach. To anti-immigrant rhetoric.“ of white privilege and white toral votes in a state based on political control over interior too heavily on wooing millions of the extent she made programmat - Most of Clinton’s losses in the resentment, expressed by racist even the narrowest plurality of states, including formerly liberal partisan Republican and conser - ic points, as John Judis comment - rust belt states were by razor-thin dogwhistling (though rarely votes in a way that favours states ones like Wisconsin and ohio. vative Independent voters who ed, they “read like bullet points in margins. nationally she won the upfront racism). In 1980 Reagan with smaller populations by By carving up national and state normally vote Republican by an office memo and simply eluded vote by 2.6 million, some 2%. used this approach effectively; granting them more electors per legislative districts to create per - waging a largely negative cam - the greater public”. Sociologists, Kilibarda and eight years later Bush routed voter. Trump won the majority of paign that pilloried Trump’s myr - The Democratic Primary sea - Roithmayr, did exit polling in five Michael Dukakis the same way. national electoral votes in enough Clinton’s major talking point in iad blunders and offensive com - son should have warned her. 40% Rust Belt states in the online White nationalism now seems a states. ments and positions. Clinton’s of the Democratic electorate voted journal Slate . They challenge the part of the DnA of contemporary For decades there has been a debates and advertising was that major talking point in debates for Bernie Sanders, a man proba - growing consensus the white Republicanism (as is fervent anti- rough balance between she was not Donald Trump and advertising was that she was bly unknown to party activists a working class in the Rust Belt abortionism). Republicans and Democrats at not Donald Trump. She barely year ago: a Senator from a tiny played a decisive role. The Democratic Party has the national level, with only manent Republican majorities in mentioned the progressive plat - northeast state, in his mid-70s “Trump did not really flip white become, not always willingly, a marginal changes. Most cities rural and suburban areas, form adopted by the Democratic with no money sources behind working-class voters in the Rust loose coalition of groups opposed vote Democratic, most suburban Republicans have entrenched national Convention under pres - him and who self-identified as a Belt. Mostly, Democrats lost Dave Cunningham to or threatened by the values of and rural areas Republican. their control of the national Paul Garver is a sure from Sanders and his sup - democratic socialist (in main - them….The real story—the one is a long standing the Republicans. This is the so- There remain strongly house and most state legisla - member of porters. stream uS politics since the the pundits missed—is that voters Chartist called obama Coalition, contain - Democratic areas in the tures. Democratic Though the Trump campaign McCarthy 50s) and who had beat - who fled the Democrats in the correspondent ing the organized labour move - northeast and West Coastal The Clinton campaign became Socialists of sent many prominent Republican en Clinton in the rustbelt states Rust Belt 5 were twice as likely from Berkeley, ment, African Americans and states, even in suburban and over-reliant on anticipated America politicians into fits of despair, of Michigan and Wisconsin. no either to vote for a third party or California. other ethnic minorities, immi - rural areas, while Republican favourable demographic changes, very few Republican voters were one in the Clinton campaign to stay at home than to embrace grants, liberals, progressives and majorities dominate the Southern particularly the growth of the sufficiently alienated to vote for seems to have noticed that the Trump.” leftists, single and working class and Western Mountain states. Latino population, presumed to very states that Sanders won on “In short, the story of a white white women and lots of white With the larger turnout of be alienated by Trump’s anti- ConTInuED on PAGE 10 >> themes of economic inequality, working-class revolt in the Rust people under 40 contains a large younger and more racially diverse immigrant and anti-Mexican poli - 8 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 9 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 10

TRUMP BREXIT

>>C onTInuED FRoM PAGE 9 Clinton. on the other hand, the Creating in a post-Brexit world demographic constituencies the Keith Savage Democrats counted on – women, As the reality of Brexit begins to become clear examines some of the people of colour, educated urban dwellers – were not motivated to issues facing the creative industries in the UK turn out in large enough numbers to win most of the swing states hose working in the gle them out but most will have that Barack obama had narrowly creative industries expertise that results from high- won in 2008 and 2012. There was were among the most level training and industrial a strongly anti-establishment committed to the experience. Much of that comes mood among white voters particu - Remain argument dur - from home-grown professionals larly in the former industrial ing last June's referendum cam - but in some parts of the creative heartlands, and many of them Tpaign. When the result was industries up to 40% of the work - viewed Clinton and not the bil - announced the level of despon - force has come from the rest of lionaire Trump as representing dency was not surprising. The Europe and beyond. The relative - the Establishment they feared sense of disappointment was per - ly easy movement of labour has and despised. sonal but there was a broader been a great advantage to such sense that a significant part of specialist areas of work. Negative factors Democratic Socialists of America attracting millenials following Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 the uK economy was now at risk. Animation, visual effects and Presidential election - is there a pattern developing across the pond? The creative industries are video game design are all indus - The Democrats could not con - said to be the fastest growing sec - tries with a widespread skills trol these negative factors, partic - tor in the country, providing 1.11 shortage. In a post-Brexit world ularly the unexpected surge of ers in these states, thinking them the Left and social movements million jobs, earning £87.4bn there are two solutions that Sage at Gateshead: dependent on EU funding - like racial and nativist fears and ani - safe for the Democrats. In 2016 a are energized and prepared to annually and contributing £20bn might make up for this shortage. many regional regeneration schemes mosities among the White tribe majority voted for Trump. organize effective resistance (10%) of services exports. For Either we could provide the that Trump ruthlessly exploited It is tempting for the Left to against the worst measures of the some the realisation that they training and experience for work - simple visa requirements make making the election unpredictably complain about the failures of the Trump administration. The (if were so out of touch with ‘their’ ers that live here already and travel and commercial touring rel - close. But for Democrats to lose neo-liberal wing of the perhaps temporary) victory of communities was shocking. Many who will continue to have the atively cheap, flexible and easy to the election to such a flawed can - Democratic Party, but we must native Americans against the arts organisations are small in right to remain, or we can allow arrange. didate as Trump required several take our share of responsibility. routing of the Dakota Access terms of scale and funding; they those with specialist knowledge blunders that were related and We had a good run with the can - Pipeline is encouraging, despite are based in some of our more the right to entry. neither seems In a post-Brexit world interactive. didacy of Bernie Sanders, coming the catastrophic threat of inaction disadvantaged neighbourhoods. likely to happen. The government I identified the first of these closer than we could have hoped on global climate disruption. The artists and the administra - is rooted in a mid-20th century one downside of 'protecting our (Chartist 282 ) in predicting the to his selection as the Democratic tors are generally liberal in social educational world where the borders' will be an inevitable possibility of a Trump victory, candidate. he would have defeat - Numerous indications outlook and found what they saw industrial changes and opportu - tightening on travel for uK citi - “enabled by Clinton’s waffling on ed Trump. But we could have as an illiberal, negative or hostile nities of this century have yet to zens. It is a fact that major uK the TPP (Trans-Pacific done more to insist that Clinton There are numerous indica - vote in those areas as hard to penetrate. It seems that creative arts projects have been dependent Partnership), which is giving actually run on the progressive tions of growth and revitalization accept. "how did we come to be so subjects are more likely to be on a significant element of Trump a huge opportunity in sev - of Left and socialist organizations out-of-touch?" one festival organ - marginalised when it comes to European funding. This is espe - eral states that normally vote Too many sulked for too long about since the election. Throughout iser from Kent asked me. Part of the core curriculum. At further cially true of regional schemes Democratic in Presidential elec - the country grassroots groups are the answer, some would say, is and higher education level there such as the Sage in Gateshead or tions (ohio, Pennsylvania, Sanders before waking up and accepting Sanders’ challenge to that the arts and creative indus - is little sign of the significant hoME In Manchester. In a post- Michigan), where corporate-domi - reacting to the real dangers posed create local chapters of Our tries have got a bit too comfort - investment required in industrial Brexit world the uK government nated trade treaties are widely Revolution to continue the strug - able when it comes to working apprenticeships of the sort might make up for the loss of held responsible for industrial col - by Trump gle both electorally and around with Europe and the Eu – they demanded by the creative indus - European grants for the arts - but lapse.” issues. A massive march of see all of the benefits and none of tries. a degree of scepticism could be for - Trump’s razor-thin victories in planks we forced her to accept at women is being planned in DC for the problems. As for migrant labour making given. Bigger transformative pro - Michigan and Pennsylvania (giv - the Democratic Convention. Too Trump’s inauguration day. up the shortfall - well the home jects are also at risk. Few cynics ing him a national electoral many sulked for too long about A major influx of millennial Benefits of being a member office regulations are unlikely to remain when it comes to recognis - majority) were clearly based on Sanders before waking up and youth into the Democratic allow that. The £35,000 annual ing what being European Capital his criticism of Clinton’s prior reacting to the real dangers posed Socialists of America (DSA) that So, what are the benefits of income requirement before being of Culture did for Glasgow and support for the TPP and the by Trump. began earlier in 2016 accelerated being a member of the Eu to the granted right of entry is beyond Liverpool. uK bids are due for refusal of the Democratic plat - The progressive wing of the after Trump’s election. Thousands creative industries? A recent most. This will be especially true 2023 - with Leeds a likely candi - form to come out clearly against Democratic Party led by Sanders of young people woke up the day report by the Creative Industries of those businesses located date. The present political uncer - ratification. and Massachusetts Senator after the election to the necessity Federation (CIF) suggests that beyond London and the M25 belt. tainty leaves this development in Elizabeth Warren is trying to oust of the struggle for economic and there are four key areas where The CIF warns of serious prob - the balance. At a British level Underestimated the danger the discredited leadership by social justice. Many new DSA the industries and Europe are lems for these industries and gov - alone will this bring an end to the electing progressive Minnesota locals and organizing committees crucially connected. These are to ernment action to anticipate uK City of Culture initiative? It is The Democratic Party underes - congressman (and Muslim) Keith have been established throughout do with talent and skills; funding these issues is needed now - not already evident that hull will be timated the danger of households Ellison as head of the Democratic the country, and the membership and cultural exchange; trade and sometime in 2019 when the red, transformed by its successful 2017 of present (and former) unionized national Committee. Ellison of some DSA locals quintupled investment; and regulatory white and blue Brexit is close to bid and this owes a lot to the his - industrial workers switching has been endorsed by the AFL- within the last month. frameworks, such as that dealing being a reality. The widening of toric connections, as a port, it has their votes to Republicans to CIo. Ellison’s election would The coming years will be chal - with Intellectual Property Rights. the industrial skills gap may be with Europe. The post-Brexit protest the loss of well-paying mark significant progress towards lenging for the u.S. Left, as for This article focuses on the first one issue. It may also become world may give artists plenty to jobs in these states. It did not establishing a more left populist the Left in Europe. We need to two of the four. What the CIF more difficult for British-based produce work about but it may support the large-scale deploy - alternative to right wing develop our international commu - describes as 'Brand Britain' relies artists and performers to travel well be produced by a smaller and ment of canvassers from Working Republicans. nications and commitments for on a pool of specifically skilled and earn money. The tumble in less well equipped workforce America (an AFL-CIo associate) Regardless of what happens mutual learning and support. C and trained technical staff. Some the value of sterling may make undernourished by weakened to talk to white working-class vot - within Democratic Party circles, will have valued talents that sin - exports cheaper but currently international links. C 10 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 11 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 12

LABOUR BREXIT

fused about academies and free Momentum groups continue to and Axe the housing Act meet - schools, while on transport and enthuse new activists, but rather ings and even at the SWP’s annu - the nhS we oppose the cuts with - than focus on campaigning issues, al Marxism conference. I also Labour: after the Referendum out setting out how we would some activists have chosen to work with professional groups, fund improved services – and on focus on internal Labour Party campaigning groups and council - Policy confusion on numerous fronts means it is time for Corbyn’s front bench to get a grip the issue of strikes whether on factional activity. This is disrup - lors and MPs and even members Duncan Bowi e Southern Rail or in the postal ser - tive, counter-productive and at of the house of Lords of all politi - says vice, we keep mum for fear of times unpleasant and alienating. cal parties (except uKIP) if neces - upsetting trade unions, employers The fault however is on both sides sary to argue the case for changes or consumers and take the easy – not every new activist should be of policy in my areas of interest. he Labour Party both in opposition or in option of criticising the treated as either a Trotskyist We all need to be pluralist. We appears to have a low Government, such as Andy Government for not sorting out ‘entrist’ or naïve or both. must forget the personalities and profile at present. The Burnham (soon out of parliament the mess. We should be prepared to col - factional rivalries and get on with leadership still seems to to be Mayor of Greater What is perhaps most disap - laborate with a range of allies the real politics, which can have a be having difficulty in Manchester), Yvette Cooper, who pointing is the failure of the Party where the objective is shared. I real impact on peoples’ lives. C both deciding its position on has had a high profile on the and many MPs to engage with the have spoken at Momentum meet - TBRExIT and if and when it has refugee issue, and Ed Balls for his massive new membership. ings, at Defend Council housing one on promoting it in a consis - performance on Strictly Come tent manner. The Party seems to Dancing. be focusing on criticising the The Party does not seem to be Government on the lack of clarity able to take a clear position on Tories renege on worker’s voice in its position without having any any substantive issue, whether it more clarity as to its own, other be Trident, where the party seems Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell and leader than arguing for a ‘ soft’ BRExIT to be supporting renewal for fear Jeremy Corbyn weighing up policy options Teresa May promised workers on the board in her PM acceptance speech. rather than a ‘hard one’ , which is of upsetting the unions over job Clive Lewis MP not very different to the losses, despite having a leader, highlights yet another dropped pledge Government’s ‘ have one’s cake shadow foreign secretary and quantitative easing proposition e have heard a lot to abide by the and eat it position’. What the shadow defence secretary who seems to have been dropped as it about the Prime corporate gover - Labour Party should be arguing oppose renewal. The Party actual - tends to appear to be ‘funny Minister’s policy nance code will do much more clearly is that BREx - ly seems to be arguing for increas - money’ and the notion that on corporate gov - little unless the IT will not solve the problems ing the defence budget, though it Labour cannot be trusted with the ernance, but the code is tightened. Britain faces and in fact is a is unclear who we want to fight. economy. The Party recognised more they said, the less we have BhS may have diversion from facing up to these Why is the Party not arguing that there is a need to rebalance Wactually known. been a private challenges. for a programme of arms conver - the regional economy (and should When the Prime Minister company, but Labour has been thrown off sion? Securing Britain against have done so before the regional launched her leadership bid she Sports Direct is course, first by the Eu referen - terrorist threats does not neces - divisions over the referendum said she wanted a change in the not, and we know dum vote and then by the rushed sarily mean we have to drop made it a bit more obvious that way big business is governed. what has gone on restructuring of the Government not all parts of England had She said: “later this year we will there. under a leadership which is at recovered from the 2008 reces - publish our plans to have not just To strengthen least appearing to be more sym - The Party does not seem to be able to sion) but is frightened of depress - consumers represented on com - the power of pathetic to the concept of a ‘one take a clear position on any ing London’s employment growth pany boards, but workers as well. boards to give nation’ conservatism and even and after all Sadiq Khan, the pro- Because we are the party of oversight on how gives an impression that they substantive issue growth London Mayor is the most workers.” companies are run believe that society should at senior elected Labour politician, But it seems there has been a or their remuner - least be a little more equal than it bombs on other countries, which and appears to be a source of sta - change of mind because just ation structures will change little produce in four—and we see this has been. surely by now we have learnt is bility and sound thinking in this weeks ago we heard it was not unless the make-up of those in the yawning gap between top The Corbyn leadership did not counter-productive, or implying fractured country as well as with - about putting workers on boards boards is also shaken up, yet we pay and average pay: in the 10% have much of a chance to set out a support for dissidents when we do in the fractured party. but about finding a model that all know what has happened to increase in executive pay when new course with the shadow cabi - not have the political will or mili - The Party seems to be reluctant works for everyone. Perhaps it is the Government’s commitment to workers are suffering 10 years of net splintering and then the dis - tary capacity to back them up. to make political choices which the same model as for Brexit: to put a diversity of voices on stagnant wages… ruptive challenge to Corbyn’s What is the Party’s position on would upset anybody. on housing have their cake and eat it… boards. Corporate governance reform is leadership. Corbyn, despite his interventions in other countries, we can’t decide whether to sub - In november parliament For too long our economy has not just about improving the second leadership victory has not described as humanitarian or oth - sidise home owners (as proposed debated the fate of Sir Philip suffered from an inherent short- image of our corporate sector or however been able to exert any erwise? Where is the notion of a in the Redfern report led by a pri - Green. I said that the most termism—a short-termism that placating our innate sense of authority over the Labour party more ethical foreign policy, which vate developer commissioned by shocking thing about the whole sees the long-term health of a Clive Lewis is injustice at the lack of proportion - organisation or establish any we could have expected Emily the Labour Party) or to fund new affair is that everything he did company being sacrificed for a Labour MP for ality between the salaries of sense of collective responsibility Thornberry to support? What is social housing. We can’t do both. was legal. A key question today is quick buck, and that all too often Norwich South directors and their employees; nor within his reconstituted shadow the Labour Party saying about Labour would not even commit whether anything that has been obscures the link between and shadow is it just about fulfilling the wish - cabinet, and seems to be making a the un and its clear failure to do itself to repealing the appalling proposed would change that: do rewards and long-term perfor - Business es of the six out of 10 members of habit of making inappropriate anything useful in the horrific housing and Planning Act, a the proposals pass the BhS test? mance. In 1970, £10 in every £100 Secretary the public who, as TuC figures appointments to his staff, which series of conflicts both in the piece of legislation which the Bringing private companies went on dividends; now, it is show, want to see workers on give an impression that he is not Middle East and elsewhere, Conservative government has into the PLC rule book is a move between £60 and £70. It is This is an edited boards. These things matter, of on the same planet as the rest of where the Security Council can’t itself recognised is unworkable so targeted at a particular series employees and investment that version of his course, but corporate governance us. even agree on arrangements for and have in effect abandoned. on of events that I expect it will have lost out from this shift. speech in the reform is also about changing the Despite some valiant efforts by evacuating non combatants? planning, the Labour Party come to be known as the BhS We see that in our pitiful parliamentary way our companies, and therefore some shadow cabinet members, on domestic issues, the Party appears to support localism law. however, had the proposals investment and productivity debate on our economy, work. the Party’s new leadership also seems quiescent. There is lit - rather than a structure for outlined by the Secretary of State rates. Britain now languishes corporate The recasting of how our econo - remains largely unknown to the tle sign of John McDonnell’s national and regional planning been in place six months ago I 33rd out of the 35 oECD coun - governance my works is key to Britain’s suc - electorate as a whole and has lit - investment strategy, least of all which would most effectively use am not wholly convinced we tries on investment rates. Seen in cess. Without more long-termism tle media profile. It is perhaps not because the Party won’t discuss both development capacity and would have avoided the corporate this light, it is no surprise that it in our corporate practices, we will surprising that the media tends to the tax issue so does not know infrastructure investment. on governance scandals of last sum - takes British workers five days to not be able to address the prob - focus on those who had profiles how to fund any investment – the education, the Party remains con - mer. To force private companies produce what German workers lems. C 12 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 13 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 14

POPULISM

anti-immigrant and protectionist few years time the working popu - will not stop just because freedom sensibility. While there are many lation would be less than 50 per of movement to the uK has moderate members of the Five cent white. Blaming the ‘other’ for ended. In time this reality will Star Movement for example, its the problems of austerity now no become clearer and the need for Spectre of the far right in Europe emerging new young leader is the longer brings a place in coalition politicians to tell the truth more son of an Italian fascist. It is government for the Danish urgent. Claude Moraes important to always remember Peoples Party in Denmark or The coming months and years surveys the far right threat in Europe post-Brexit and Trump the far right and national social - Jobbik in hungary - it can help will see a popular and populist ist roots of Europe’s and indeed deliver you the Presidency of the take down of so called elites by uch is being said Pen, close shave with hofer in democracies particularly since the uS populist movements. united States. ‘the most elite’ politicians: hedge and written about Austria, the AfD in Germany – crash in 2008. In the united The Left should be in no doubt fund managers, right wing and the threat of the were these the votes of the “left States the poorest Americans and about the historical parallels, For the Left all over Europe, we are fundamentalist politicians and far-right in the Eu, behind” people affected by auster - the vast majority of ethnic mainly because the movement of media owners. We will see this in and the common ity and globalization, voting minorities still voted Democrat. the far right across the Eu has now faced with the complex mix of an increasingly monopolised right denominators with the Trump against elites or was it a racist Many people who were doing well been taking place for many years. populists like the Five Star movement wing media driving home the Mresult in the uS. Chartist readers reaction against immigration and were strongly attracted to the They have slowly and steadily message that populism is work - will no doubt be aware of the com - refugees? protectionist, overtly racist and taken their position in most mem - in Italy, the reinvented neo-fascist Le ing. peting arguments about what The answer is that all of these white supremacist message of ber states of the Eu as either Pen in France, the ultra nationalist It is entirely possible that as underpins populist, neo-fascist issues are coming to bear on what Trump. It is shocking when writ - coalition partners of centre right the American economy rises after and far right gains both across is a serious development in west - ten down and said aloud, but governments, or as with uKIP racism of Orban in Hungary, the neo- years of rebuilding, following the Europe and now in the united ern countries. We have reached a when millions of well educated, and the Five Star Movement in post 2008 crash, far from losing States. From my perspective point where the dominant groups well off Americans vote in this Italy, they have helped shift pub - nazi FPOe of Norbert Hofer in Austria the argument, populists and chairing the European in most western democracies feel way, it is important to under - lic opinion in a more anti-immi - and multiple populist and far right racists may find some temporary Parliament’s biggest committee a sense of threat and electoral stand exactly what people are vot - grant, anti-Eu populist direction vindication. This will be the dealing with issues of migration, advantage can be made of the ing for. The deep seated racism even though they have not parties like our own UKIP toughest moment for the Left, as fundamental rights and values sense of threat by any strategic or and misogyny in the uS elections achieved a place in government. it has been during right-wing pro - (and where the membership of my charismatic populist with a far are very clear but can be confused If we had stopped and looked For the Left the challenge is tectionist inspired periods in the committee includes far-right right or populist movement. in an economic analysis which at what was happening in enormous, but history tells us past. We have to learn from histo - MEPs, including Le Pen and udo If it were simply the vote of the somewhat dilutes their effect. hungary and Austria before even that there is no time to lose or to Claude Moraes ry and ensure that we have the voigt) there is nothing new about “left behind” and globalisation in For the Left all over Europe, the refugee crisis, we can see this lie down in front of far right pop - is Member of courage to present socialist and this steady and deliberate rise of Trump’s America, or in the we are now faced with the com - development building on austeri - ulism, racism and protectionism. European social democratic policies, know - fascism in the West. But undoubt - French Presidential elections next plex mix of populists like the Five ty post the 2008 crash and of If we buy in to the racist and pro - Parliament for ing that in time the Left and cen - edly we have reached a dramatic year, then the populist Left would Star movement in Italy, the rein - course rapidly rising as the tectionist philosophy of right wing London and Chair tre-Left will have to clean up the tipping point where the levers of also strengthen its arm. But only vented neo-fascist Le Pen in refugee crisis moved into top populists in a more globalized of the European mess. until then the West is power in key countries could more one component of this dangerous France, the ultra nationalist gear. The reality however, in economy, it is the most vulnerable Parliament’s about to go through a painful visibly be pulled by racist pop - composition are voters, who are racism of orban in hungary, the most western countries is that the in society who will be further hit. Civil Liberties, period of adjustment. That cannot ulists and opportunists and by reacting to losing out through neo-nazi FPoe of norbert hofer demographics are changing fun - The Left must take care not to Justice and Home mean we sit back and watch, we those whose ideology is clearly globalization, the stagnation of in Austria and multiple populist damentally. When Trump told his pick up the wrong lessons from Affairs have to fight every day, every neo-fascist, but presented in a their wages, loss of jobs, and the and far right parties like our own voters repeatedly “that this was the populist right. Immigration, Committee election, confident in an anti-aus - more complex way. So the elec - increasing gap between rich and uKIP. It is important to under - their last chance” to vote for his for example, is now a reality as terity and yes, anti-racist plat - tion of Trump, the prospect of Le poor in virtually all western stand that their appeal is to an politics he was sending a message western populations age. This form. C about a united States where in a will mean the movement of people

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Claude Moraes Labour MEP for London championing civil liberties and justice in the EU C

14 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 15 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:02 Page 16

BREXIT

Will right-wing ‘Populism’ kill the European Project? John Palmer questions the irreversibility of Brexit and calls for Labour to work for derailment

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; for how long it would mean actually deferring full meets the terms of the complete rupture with the and northern Ireland is also necessary for Article Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, Eu withdrawal (some talk of 2029). Eu which they have always argued for. Would the 50 to be activated, the government’s position would The best lack all conviction, while the worst Labour has not voted to expedite the govern - hard right really accept continued Eu budget pay - become perilous. Are full of passionate intensity . ment’s submission of Article 50. Admittedly the ments or some continuing European Court of For the socialist left there is, however, an even attempt to block it would have been politically Justice’s jurisdiction for the uK? more serious challenge looming over the Brexit dra - t is easy to see in W.B. Yeats powerful 1919 risky. It would have been presented – and look to It is not difficult, therefore, to foresee circum - mas. Can the Euro currency and even the European poem The Second Coming a prophetic warning many people – like an attempt to negate the out - stances in which the government – already facing a union itself survive the nationalist tempest sweep - for our times. The threat from the rise of pro - come of the referendum. It became clear that only a diminishing Parliamentary majority and being ing across the whole continent, not just the uK? foundly reactionary, nationalist, racist and very small minority of MPs – including the Scottish weakened further by the impact of slower growth, There is a danger that the demoralised centrist potentially totalitarian forces throughout and Welsh nationalist parties and some Liberal rising inflation and falling living standards - could parties and even European political establishment much of the ‘western’ world is unmistakeable The Democrats with a handful of Labour members – lose that vote. What then? The government would as a whole will try to buy time by adopting some of Iprecise circumstances which produced Brexit, the would support such a move. face some very unpalatable options. They include: the most pernicious slogans of the populist far right. election of Donald Trump as uS President, the however, the eventual ruling of the Supreme 1. Return to Brussels to beg for a further opportu - But this kind of manoeuvre is most unlikely to fool emergence of ‘illiberal democracies’ in parts of Court next month on the legal procedures for trig - nity and yet more time to renegotiate the terms of the populists’ voter base. Eastern Europe, the defeat of the Renzi referendum gering Article 50 may include some serious political the agreement. There is precious little evidence By legitimating racist and xenophobic responses, in Italy, the continuing rise of the French national headaches for the May government. If the Court that, having made some concessions to the British these voters will only be more inclined to vote for Front and other far right parties, may differ – but rules that the consent of the Edinburgh, Cardiff and government the other 27 Member States would the real racists and xenophobes - not their imitators they have similar roots and share a common politi - Belfast administrations is necessary before Article want to protract the process still further, given the - in future. That is surely an obvious lesson from the cal direction of travel. 1930s. The common roots include a bitter, popular back - In all of the current political turmoil, a serious lash against the protracted economic crisis of the alternative socialist, progressive European voice has past two decades, profound anger at growing yet to make itself heard. Jeremy Corbyn is to be inequality, falling real living standards, the insulat - congratulated for advocating a fighting front of ed life styles of the super-rich, contempt for main - ‘European socialists and other progressive forces.’ stream and centrist political parties and an alarm - The first step will be an important conference in ing acceptance of a narrow nationalist and racist London in the near future to organise opposition to reading of the causes of the crisis. All of these austerity. Such an alliance should include not only helped form the toxic mix which has led to Brexit Eu social democratic parties but also radical social - and the current crisis in Italy. ist parties like Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain, This should not justify any sense of political fatal - the German and Portuguese Left parties, among ism. The biggest danger posed by the populist far others. right is not that it can take political power in the The European left should also work with as many short term, but that its values and goals increasing - of the progressive Green parties in Europe as possi - ly penetrate the centrist parties of the right and ble. In Germany, in a stark contrast to what hap - even social democratic parties. nowhere is this dan - pened in the 1930s, the SPD, the Left party and the ger more clearly manifest than in the case of Brexit Greens have already agreed a common platform to where most of the Tory party and swathes of the fight the right in the next general election. Parliamentary Labour Party are moving to a ‘we too’ There is also a case for extending cooperation in attitude on Leaver issues such as ending free move - Britain to left nationalist parties such as the SnP ment of Eu labour and accepting Brexit as irre - and Plaid Cymru as well as Sinn Fein and the versible. Populism: corroding the the values of the body politik SDLP in northern Ireland, who all campaigned to one reason to question irreversibility is the obvi - remain in the Eu. Such an alliance must hammer ous chaos ruling within Theresa May’s government 50 can be triggered, the May government will be in many other existential threats to the future of the out a European programme to defend the progres - on how to actually handle Eu withdrawal negotia - a serious mess because the Scottish government union. sive social, environmental and equalities achieve - tions. Confusion rules on whether the government might insist on the right to a different, closer rela - 2. Acknowledge that no agreement is possible and ments of the Eu ever since the Delors years, what - wants to remain a member of the single market or tionship with the Eu. that when the two year Article 50 clock runs down, ever the pressure from the right. It must also work merely retain general or partial access to it (an Moreover the activation of Article 50 does not in March 2019, pursue the worst kind of ultra-hard out an economic and social recovery strategy to be access they may seek only for some selected econom - mean that the Brexit cannot be derailed by a later Brexit, some type of World Trade organisation fought for and implemented across the Eu. ic sectors). Linked to this is the squabbling over vote in Parliament. The really important moment regime for trade with the Eu and the rest of the But any European left strategy has got to affirm whether or not any access should involve some con - for Parliament will come when, at some stage in the world. This would be a nightmare for exporters into John Palmer is the goal of a more democratic and federal European tinuing payments to the Eu budget or some degree two years following the triggering of Article 50, the the single market and would eliminate any prospect former European union, capable of meeting the increasingly global of submission to the European Court of Justice for government has to report back on the deal they of a privileged status for uK companies (including editor of the challenges of economic stagnation, grotesque social those sectors. Even membership of the Eu Customs have obtained (assuming some such agreement can the City) in the single market. Guardian inequality, a disastrous degradation of the environ - union is in question. even be reached). 3. Withdraw the uK Article 50 submission and ment and - above all - a security and disarmament Increasing differences are also emerging over At that point MPs will have to decide whether the try to campaign for some changes in the details of strategy to counter the rise of bellicose power poli - whether - in a worst-case scenario of breakdown in eventual draft agreement fully protects the rights British rights and responsibilities while remaining tics in Washington, Moscow and beyond. This might the negotiations – the uK should depend only on and standards citizens have as Eu members. This full members of the Eu. It is now clear that the gov - boost the case for a much more thorough-going World Trade organisation rules. This would not will also depend on what assurances the govern - ernment can unilaterally withdraw Article 50 at democratic federalising of the ramshackle and guarantee tariff free trade access to the Eu single ment gives that existing rights and standards will any stage until the expiry of the two-year grace deeply reactionary uKanian state. market. In addition, there are big differences over be guaranteed against future government action period. There is nothing inevitable about any repetition the extent of any exceptions to the end of free move - after leaving the Eu to weaken labour rights, envi - If the Supreme Court ruling on the role of today of the lines of Yeats’ apocalyptic conclusions ment of Eu citizens. Above all there is no clear ronmental standards and other parts of Eu law. Parliament in the Brexit process underlines the in his Second Coming poem. But his is a warning we agreement on what a possible, protracted ‘transi - But questions will also be asked by hard line Tory ‘revocable’ nature of Article 50 itself and insists that ignore at our peril. C tional agreement’ with the Eu might look like and ‘leavers’ about whether the agreement actually the consent of the governments in Scotland, Wales 16 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 17 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 18

LUCAS PLAN

these are contested: the big super- organising a conference on unions span many sectors and Climate Change and Migration in interests, so GMB represents London on February 11th. many members in education. The Green Jobs Alliance is pur - An idea whose time has come? There are voices arguing for suing challenges such as alterna - change in unite, while public sec - tive methods of steel production Nigel Doggett tor and new technology-related in Yorkshire. Green economist reports on the Lucas Plan - Forty Years Anniversary Conference unions such as the uCW, FBu, and MEP Molly Scott-Cato uCu, unison and PCS have recently issued a report on con - he visionary Lucas Plan adopted progressive positions. version options for the Devonport (see lucasplan.org.uk) There is huge potential in renew - dockyard, which plays a major was prompted in 1974 able energy, green transport, con - role in maintaining nuclear sub - by the Lucas Aerospace trol and storage technologies but marines. The Green Party has an company plans for new constituencies and coalitions active Trade union Group and restructuring involving job losses. need to be built and the fears of the new Labour Energy Group is TTrade unionists across the compa - those who could lose out must be seeking support. SERA, the long- ny realised that opposing redun - addressed by local alternatives. standing Labour environment dancies was not enough; they numerous local alternative plans campaign held its AGM on the should develop socially useful are being developed and there is same day. alternatives to its heavily arma - scope for sharing, co-operation The conference showed a unity ments-oriented product range. and publicity. of purpose between trade union - The resulting 1976 Alternative There are still differences of ist, Labour and Green party Corporate Plan’s proposals outlook between the Labour members, academics and environ - included green technologies such movement and the largely middle mentalists, many attendees span - as energy conservation, wind tur - class green movement. There are ning several groups. Green left bines, hybrid car engines and a many activists who span this activists working across the celebrated road rail bus. A docu - divide but their impact has been labour movement need to address mentary film and a reissued book less than the sum of their parts. the many local economic and by hilary Wainwright and Dave Yet a plethora of lively campaigns social challenges involved. The Elliott are due out this year. have sprung up. The Million walls between the Labour and Although the Plan’s ideas were Climate Jobs campaign sponsored green movements are breaking not implemented by the company by the Campaign against Climate down but in the age of Trump and and lacked support from the gov - Change has produced an accessi - Brexit we need to dissolve divides ernment or wider trade union ble booklet, available from its of class, gender and culture. C movement, they inspired various website. Its Trade union group is initiatives, some adopted later by the Greater London Enterprise Board, and many were developed elsewhere. Taking control What can we learn for the chal - Mike Davis lenges we face in 2017? on a pioneering study inspired by the Lucas Plan The week of the anniversary conference in Birmingham last ARCHITECT OR BEE? THE HUMAN prototypes of city cars and medi - the speed of technological change november, temperatures in the PRICE OF TECHNOLOGY cal equipment for developing today with the internet revolu - Arctic were shown to be 20 Mike Cooley (Spokesman, £10.99) countries. The book is more a tion, globalisation and financiali - degrees above the norm, with mosaic of sketches and views sation and mass migration. potentially devastating conse - his was a ground-breaking drawn widely from speeches in Advances in technology can lead quences. ‘Business as usual’ in book when first published in Trafalgar Square to conference to job destruction, lower wages several senses is no longer an 1980. Today in the midst of papers. The ideas were worked and work intensification. But as option. Tglobal warming and economic tur - out in practice and brought Cooley reminds us they can also The event provided a chance to bulence with continuing deindus - together in this volume. It may be be liberating, freeing us from rou - learn and build on the inspiration trialisation in Britain, its republi - uneven, and a little technical and tine drudgery. Technology can of this grassroots-led process. cation is both timely and its mes - dated in places, but actual experi - make us more skilled and employ - Major themes were arms conver - sage prescient. able with work more stimulating sion, socially useful production Cooley was an engineer who The skills and ingenuity of workers and fulfilling. and the Just Transition, encapsu - achieved an international reputa - ultimately this is a question of lating the need to move from the current Southern Rail dispute. cultures and communities reliant tion as an activist trade unionist could be harnessed in the creative power. how can workers win the uK’s dominant arms and fossil Technology doesn’t get much on them. and academic. The centrepiece of political and industrial battle for fuel industries to low carbon coverage on the left beyond being The ‘Jobs vs Environment’ his thinking was that technology design of human centred socially control? alternatives, whilst ensuring that seen as good, modernising and myth refuses to die, despite stud - and automation need not be driv - useful production o’Grady echoes Cooley in skilled, well paid, unionised jobs implicitly politically neutral. Yet ies showing that low carbon en by destructive arms production underlining the value of the are created with employee partici - there is a rich tradition of radical Nigel Doggett is industries create more sustained and capitalist profit maximisa - ence is like that. worker’s voice in the process of pation. Dominant ideologies still science and technology exempli - studying employment than armaments, tion. nor need the process be The title always intrigued me. economic change. Cooley was a emphasise the roles of big govern - fied by Mike Cooley’s book Innovation and fossil fuels or nuclear power. At alienating and repetitive for the It’s from Karl Marx and means founder member of the Lucas ment or private companies, with Architect or Bee , covering the Energy the 2016 TuC Conference a worker. that while the bee creates hugely Aerospace Combine Shop simplistic narratives largely Plan and a radical critique of Transitions as motion on Climate Change pro - Rather the skills and ingenuity complex cell structures the Stewards Committee and co- ignoring the knowledge, motiva - technology under capitalism (see part of an MSc in posed by TSSA was defeated by of workers could be harnessed in human architect creates in her author of its alternative plan. tion and skills of employees. The review below). Cooley’s work pre - Climate Change unite and GMBATu, unions dom - the creative design of human cen - imagination that which s/he will At a time of growing uncertain - innovatory role of civil society saged the wave of technological and Policy at the inated by old heavy industrial tred socially useful production. ultimately erect in reality. Future ty and insecurity, the ideas in groups is increasingly prominent change through the ICT revolu - University of interests. Any green activist will Cooley came up with a huge planning is the difference. So we this book provide valuable but the trade unions have been tion, the destruction of traditional Sussex be dismayed by the GMB posi - variety of ideas, developed with have choices. The book has a new insights for an alternative route cast in defensive roles from the heavy industries and the whole - tions on fracking, nuclear power colleagues in trade unions. These introduction by TuC head map for genuine workers control 1980s miners strikes up to the sale destruction of working class and renewable electricity. Yet included the hybrid road rail bus, Frances o’Grady. She highlights and human centred production. C 18 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 19 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 20

REVOLTS YEMEN

Bring back Robin Hood British bombs: human disaster The Charter of the Forest is still relevant says Julie Timbrell Andy Gregg highlights UK government hypocrisy as Labour calls for suspension of British his year will be were incorporated into statute in ent role for everybody, becoming involvement and the Foreign Secretary attacks proxy wars the 800th anniversary 1297. primarily places of leisure, rather of the Charter of the At a time when the royal than places for needed for subsis - ery occasionally, Boris sect, a branch of Shia Islam), used against civilians. In 2010 Forest. While the forests were the most important tence and economic survival. Johnson’s scattergun Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait and even BAE pleaded guilty in a uS Magna Carta of 1215 is source of food, fuel and wood, the Successive land enclosures had self-promoting pro - further afield. court, to charges of false account - now much more famous, the Charter guaranteed commoners moved many of the rural poor off nouncements hit the The war in Yemen has its roots ing and making misleading state - TCharter of the Forest of 1217 at rights to gather berries, herbs the land and there was now a mark. It is ironic that in the breakdown of the political ments in connection with these the time was certainly as impor - and honey, to have pasture for need for open spaces in the over - his recent critique of both the transition that was intended to sales. An investigation by the uK tant, maybe more so, because it pigs and other animals, to collect crowded cites. Both the middle Svaudis and Iranians for conduct - stabilise the country following the Serious Fraud office into the deal gave commoners rights, privileges wood for building homes and for classes and working classes visit - ing a proxy war in Yemen is not overthrow of its longtime authori - was discontinued after political and protection against the abuses firewood, and to cut turf for fuel. ed commons and parks to enjoy only bang on target but has also tarian president, Ali Abdullah pressure from the Saudi and of the king, his sheriffs and the The charter also granted to small - the greenery, play sports, enjoy caused significant embarrass - Saleh, who was forced to concede British governments. encroaching aristocracy. holders the right to farm or make fairs and meet people. Commons ment to the uK Government as power to President hadi, previ - Crucially it allowed people to a mill or fish preserve. were a popular location for well as the British military and ously his deputy, in 2011. In the Suspend arms sales subsist and have access to the The rule of law was also estab - preachers to address the crowds, diplomatic establishments. The following months the state of commonwealth, in the forests, lished within the Royal Forests. and for protesters to meet and deliberately indiscriminate bomb - Yemen fell apart under a plethora In September 2016 the Foreign chases and heaths. It prevented The charter laid down a system of assemble. ing campaign by the Saudis con - of problems. Al-Qaida captured Affairs Select Committee pub - the king and his agents from con - governance for the common stew - This transfer of land from com - ducted with both British aircraft large parts of the countryside in lished a report that set out their tinuously enclosing the common ardship of shared resources, mon to park land was a frequent and missiles is surely a prima the eastern regions and there views on the situation in Yemen. land. More than that, it required which has lasted for centuries. compromise reached in the facie case of a war crime. over was a separatist movement in the however, plans to have their rec - King henry III to give up the Conflict over land ownership victorian era, with local working 7000 people have been killed and south. Constant threats of army ommendation to suspend arms parts of the royal forest lands and common rights has continued class people often working along - over five times as many injured revolts by officers loyal to former sales endorsed by the joint com - that had been seized by the previ - down the centuries as kings and side more privileged commoners since March 2015, mostly in air President Saleh, as well as mas - mittee on arms controls exports ous kings Richard and John. landowners have continued in the Commons Preservation strikes by a Saudi-led multina - sive corruption, unemployment (CAEC) were been blocked by From the time of William the to grab land, demand unreason - Society to save public space. tional coalition that backs the and food insecurity led to a power opposition led by Conservative Conqueror, the norman kings able taxes and curtail access to London would not still have large current President hadi. The con - vacuum. Disillusioned with the chair, Crispin Blunt. In a highly had enclosed more and more land, the commons. They have been open spaces but for the combina - flict and blockade imposed by the transition, many ordinary unusual move, however, the for - for hunting and for levying tax met by protests, revolts, and tion of direct action, community coalition has also triggered a Yemenis - including Sunnis - sup - eign affairs committee simultane - receipts and fines for war. huge organisation and legal action humanitarian disaster, leaving ported the houthis and in ously produced its own report tracts of land were turned into The charter laid down a system of taken by thousands of local people 80% of the population in need of September 2014 they captured suggesting the legitimacy of uK Royal Forest, including most of mobilising during the 17th, 18th aid. The most vulnerable chil - the capital, Sanaa and took over arms sales should be left for a Essex. governance for the common and 19th centuries to stop the dren have already begun dying of swathes of the Western and court to decide, but also called for stewardship of shared resources, plans of rich. famine and malnutrition in this, northern areas of the country. an independent un-led investiga - End to cruel punishments the poorest country in the entire In the teeth of this appalling tion into allegations that Saudi which has lasted for centuries Conflicts over the use of space region. catastrophe Labour’s call for a Arabia has repeatedly violated The Charter of the Forest also suspension of arms sales to the international humanitarian law put an end to cruel punishments uprisings.The rights and tradi - These conflicts over the use of The Saudis claim Saudis is absolutely vital even in Yemen. Crispin Blunt said: and arbitrary fines. Before the tions of commoning, laid down in space have intensified in London thought it has little chance of suc - “We have substantive recommen - agreement, hunting for deer was the Charter of the Forest, have in our century. Council housing The Saudis claim that the cess. Since the multibillion pound dations on the need to establish punishable by death, and poach - been a constant source of creative estates are being sold off to pri - rebels are backed by Iran because Al Yamamah arms deal in the clarity on such issues as the ers could be castrated and blind - resistance. vate developers, frequently the backbone (though not by any 1980s between the Saudis and the alleged use of uK-manufactured ed. The Robin hood legends are In the decades leading up to with significant loss of public means the entirety) of the rebel Thatcher Government, successive cluster bombs in Yemen and the set in this period and tell of feast - the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 there housing. Some of the most intense forces are made up of Shia houthi uK Government’s have always activities of uK personnel with ing on the venison in the were gatherings throughout the recent protests have been over fighters from the north of Yemen. cared more about the billions of the Saudi-led coalition…….. there Greenwood, and of evading the forests where villains (the poorest housing. Community protests Saudi Arabia has for many years pounds flowing into the British is a clear need for a wider discus - Sheriff of nottingham in the with fewest rights) joined togeth - around the Garden Bridge in been terrified of its own Shia armaments industry than about sion on the suitability of the laws Royal Forest. These are tales of er to set labouring rates. This vauxhall have united disparate minorities who are located in the any ethical or even strategic prob - governing arms exports. The brave resistance in a brutal time. movement for economic justice social groups protesting at the same north and eastern parts of lems such arms sales might throw Government has serious work to one of the major conflicts that was supported and aided by agi - folly of the enterprise, the loss of Saudi Arabia as its major oil - up. The Al Yamamah agreement do in answering this report." raged throughout the 13th centu - tators, some of whom were travel - trees, and the corporate takeover fields. Since the Iranian revolu - is the largest ever uK export In these circumstances Boris ry and beyond was the continued ling jurists who attended the of public space. The denuding of tion in 1979 the Saudis have felt agreement. In 2005 the then CEo Johnson’s off-piste statements enclosure of land. Successive courts established by the Charter public space by regulation and red threatened by the Iranians and of BAE Systems confirmed that about the Saudis puppeteering kings, with early support from of the Forest, and enabled the tape is as much a danger to their Shia allies both in Saudi BAE had already earned £43bln and waging proxy wars with the the Pope, either reneged on the spread of ideas. The local assem - democracy as the outright loss of Arabia itself but also as the dis - in 20 years from these contracts Iranians should have received far Magna Carta and Charter of the blies formed became known as the public space. enfranchised but majority popula - and that it was expecting to earn Andy Gregg is more attention from the British Forest agreements, or simply ‘Great Society’ and were one of new Putney Debates, a collec - tion in Bahrain and other key oil at least another £40bln. how Director of Race media if they weren’t so constant - ignored their provisions. Kings the means of building opposition tive that emerged out of occupy producing areas in the region. appalling that these contracts are on the Agenda ly intent on attacking Corbyn and continued to seize land, which led to ending serfdom and resisting London, will be hosting a celebra - This regional rivalry continues to without exception for weapons the left. Corbyn called for to conflict and war with the the Poll Tax, two of the main tion of the Charter of the Forest bedevil the whole of the Middle systems that have been used Johnson to be ‘brave enough’ to barons. As a result both the char - demands of the Peasants’ Revolt, in the autumn of 2017, exploring East and can be found lurking against civilians in the region back calls to stop selling arms to ters were revised and reissued when thousands gathered in its contemporary relevance to behind the conflagrations in Syria despite pathetic attempts to Saudi Arabia at his recent speech several times throughout the 13th Blackheath Common, London. struggles for land, housing and (where Iran and its hezbollah manipulate end-user certificates on human rights day. Sadly this century, as peace treaties to settle By the 19th Century the com - the commons. C allies support President Assad – and secure meaningless assur - appeal received virtually no press civil war. Finally both charters mons in the cities took on a differ - who is himself from the Alawite ances that the arms would not be coverage. C 20 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 21 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 22

PALESTINE

‘New-anti-semitism' - an opportunity for Palestinian advocacy? Salma Karmi-Ayyoub argues that the current debate has opened up space to restate the case for a secular single state solution

he anti-Semitism row it hopes to silence widespread Israel as a solely Jewish state. within the Labour international condemnation of its Moreover, and partly because Party is part of a broad - policies, particularly over illegal the oslo peace process failed to er Israeli campaign settlements in the occupied West end the Israeli occupation, which asserts that Bank and assaults on Gaza. Palestinian civil society activism, opposition to Zionism or the however, Israel’s deeper objective with the BDS movement at the T“right of Israel to exist” – which is also to block questions about fore, has increased. BDS indirect - Former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban who first suggested anti-Zionism is a form of anti-semitism in an article for the American Jewish really means the right of Israel to Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish ly calls Israel’s claim to be a Congress in 1973 be a Jewish state – is in itself state. Jewish state into question by anti-Semitic. Mark Regev, Israel’s By asserting that anti-zionism placing the Palestinian right of sus that BDS is anti-Semitic” and allowed to oppose, for example, limited their objectives to achiev - recently-appointed ambassador to is a form of anti-semitism Israel return and equality for the need to “reassert the legiti - Israel’s discriminatory nationali - ing better treatment for Britain, told the BBC’s Andrew aims to prevent discussion about Palestinian citizens of Israel macy of Israel’s founding as a ty laws that allow Jews anywhere Palestinians under military occu - Marr on 1 May, a few days after the nature and consequences of among its key demands; these state for the Jewish people.” in the world the right to obtain pation, ignoring wider aspects of the row erupted, that, “Today, Zionism by silencing debate about demands explicitly challenge the Israel has taken other mea - Israeli citizenship — a central the Palestinian cause, particular - modern anti-Semites target the the political ideology that governs state’s self-proclaimed Jewish sures to entrench its Jewish char - plank of Zionism — whilst deny - ly the rights of refugees and collective Jew, the Jewish state.” Israel’s constitution and is there - character. acter. For instance, in 2011 ing Palestinians parallel rights, Palestinian Israelis. Israel claims that pro-Palestinian fore at the heart of its perceived In addition, Palestinian Israeli Knesset members proposed a bill for to do so would be to oppose By contrast, the current row activists, particularly the Boycott, legitimacy. It is an idea that has citizens have, since at least 2000 that would have confirmed Israel Zionism and be deemed anti- has renewed, for the first time in Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) only been promoted intensely in – the start of the second as the nation-state of Jews alone, Semitic. many years, public debate on movement, are engaged in the recent years in direct relation to Palestinian intifada – become thus disenfranchising its Palestinian advocacy would issues at the heart of Israel’s “delegitimisation of Israel… deny - developments that threaten more demonstrative in support of Palestinian citizens, although it then be limited to challenging legitimacy, such as Zionism and ing the Jewish people the right to Israel’s legitimacy or viability as Palestinians in the West Bank has yet to be voted into law. In only those Israeli practices that Israel’s constitution as a Jewish self-determination in their home - a Jewish state. and Gaza and more assertive in addition, since around 2009, are not an inevitable consequence state, and, by extension, issues land — Israel.” In fact the suggestion that anti- demanding their right to full Israel has insisted that any of Zionism; the Israeli army’s that are central to the Yet, is anti-Zionism, or opposi - Zionism is a form of anti- equality in Israel. In part, this future peace treaty with the treatment of Palestinian children Palestinian cause. These include tion to the existence of Israel as a Semitism dates back at least to has been a response to the Israeli Palestinians will require their in the West Bank, for example. the dispossession and ethnic Jewish state, anti-Semitic per se? 1973, when it was aired in an government’s discrimination and recognition of Israel “as a Jewish Although this may be an impor - cleansing of Palestinians in 1948 hostility or hatred towards Jews article written by Israel’s then increasingly hostile rhetoric state”. tant issue, it is hardly at the by Zionist forces, the denial of the because they are Jews – truly Foreign Minister Abba Eban, in towards them. For example, If Israel’s campaign is intended heart of the Palestinian cause. Palestinian right of return, and unacceptable — is surely distin - an article for the American Israeli politicians, including to label all anti-Zionist activism Palestinians, in short, could com - Israel’s imposition of a regime of guishable from opposition to a Jewish Congress . however, it only Defence Minister Avigdor and questions about Israel’s legit - plain about Israeli behaviour but racial discrimination on political movement that estab - emerged prominently in Israel’s Lieberman, have advocated their imacy as anti-Semitic hate not oppose the ideology behind Palestinians in Israel and the lished a Jewish state in Palestine, political discourse in 2001 in transfer out of Israel altogether. speech, what will be the implica - the laws and institutions that occupied Palestinian Territories, even if many Jews support it. response to the un’s Durban con - Their demands for full equality in tions for Palestinian advocacy of drive its oppressive practices. The to ensure privileging of Jewish Furthermore, Israel itself is a ference on racism in which the Israel also compromise its ability such positions if the campaign anti-Semitism campaign will, in Israelis that Zionism demands. political construct and thus sepa - idea that Zionism is a form of to be a state that privileges Jews. succeeds? effect, inhibit Palestinian ability Israel’s anti-Semitism campaign rate from the people it claims to racism was discussed. Israel then In short, these recent develop - Firstly, Palestinian advocacy of to seek basic rights. has thus brought into focus issues represent, so opposition to it as a established the “Coordination ments have rendered Israel rights that challenge Israel as a Yet, ironically, the campaign fundamental to both Israel’s legit - state does not constitute a form of Forum for Countering Anti- increasingly insecure about its Jewish state would be considered might have inadvertently created imacy and the Palestinian cause. racism against the Jewish people. Semitism” to monitor anti- legitimacy. to be a form of anti-Semitism. an opportunity for a broader, This allows Palestinian cam - The real question is this: why Semitism worldwide, defining Thus, and especially in Thus, Palestinians could not rights-based advocacy for paigners to engage with these is Israel so intent on promoting anti-Zionism as a form of “new response to the BDS movement, demand the right of return to Palestinians than that pursued in issues and, in so doing, to advo - the idea that opposition to anti-Semitism”. Israel’s anti-Semitism campaign Israel, or full equality for recent years. Since the start of cate for the full scope of Zionism is specifically and neces - The most recent developments has become far more robust. For Palestinian citizens of Israel the oslo process, the Palestinian Palestinian rights in ways that sarily a form of anti-Semitism? that have renewed the issue example, in 2012 the national because these rights would make leadership has focused on an have been neglected in recent This assertion has only come to include the breakdown of negotia - union of Israeli Students it impossible, or at least more dif - independent Palestinian state in years. the fore of Israeli propaganda rel - tions for a two-state solution — Salma Karmi- launched an initiative to spread ficult, for Israel to maintain its the West Bank and Gaza and, in Palestinians and their support - atively recently and is distinct itself rendered virtually impossi - Ayyoub is a propaganda on the internet to Jewish character. hence, to advo - consequence, has marginalised ers have a choice: they can act from the more general assertion ble by Israel’s illegal settlement British counter the “delegitimisation of cate for them would be deemed to the Palestinian right of return to defensively in the face of allega - that criticism of Israel indicates enterprise in the West Bank — Palestinian the State of Israel”. In 2014, be anti-Semitic. Indeed, the what is now Israel. Indeed the tions of anti-Semitism and avoid an underlying anti-Semitism which has led Palestinians and lawyer Prime Minister Benjamin Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Palestine Papers, leaked in 2009, a discussion of the fundamental because it singles Israel out for their supporters to discuss alter - netanyahu also complained of website discusses the Palestinian indicated that the PA had been issues, or they can respond to the special treatment or is especially natives. These include proposals Israel’s “delegitimisation” in his right of return on its anti- willing to give up this right in campaign by raising matters cen - vociferous. And what will be the for a single democratic state in speech to the un General Semitism webpage. return for an independent state. tral to the Palestinian cause. If effect of the anti-Semitism cam - Israel-Palestine, or for Assembly, while Israel’s 5th Secondly, because all opposi - Furthermore, the rights of their objective is to engage in paign on Palestinian rights, if it Palestinians in the West Bank Global Forum for Combating tion to Zionism would be anti- Palestinian Israelis have been advocacy that truly serves the succeeds in silencing all opposi - and Gaza to pursue a civil rights- Anti-Semitism, held in Jerusalem Semitic, all opposition to policies absent from the political agenda. Palestinians and seeks the full tion to Zionism? style movement for voting rights in 2015, developed an action plan central to the Zionist project Similarly, many Palestinian range of Palestinian rights, the Israel’s motivation for the anti- in Israel. Both ideas, if imple - to tackle anti-Semitism. It would also be classed as such. human rights organisations in choice is clear. C Semitism campaign is clearly that mented, would see the end of emphasised “the Jewish consen - Thus, Palestinians would not be the West Bank and Gaza have 22 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 23 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 24

2016 FILM REVIEW

The legacy of 2016 Learning swerve Trevor Fisher Patrick he World order is changing. one country reflect his puritan state. he refuses the advances of on the year the centre collapsed can work within the united nations a girl and acquires a disciple, Grigoriy (Aleksandr Mulcahy Security Council and paralyse it. In so Gorchilin), a fellow student with a disability. rump was the big story in London for the doing, that country can support its Eventually he builds his own man-size crucifix. of 2016, which will go first time since 1909, on an strategic ally to oversee the killing of The power of the film comes from a recognisable down in history as the and in Sleaford the thousands of civilians and the displacement of mil - failure to deal with his fanaticism. It isn’t a manifes - year the centre col - party fell from 2nd insight into Tlions more. tation of sexual frustration common in puberty, nor lapsed in liberal democ - to 4th behind uKIP That country is Russia, whose representatives is it exactly a desire to replace the missing father. It racies. The challenge of fascist and the Lib Dems, the Russian employ a winning strategy of ‘engage and frus - is a drug, a set of quotations used as bullets to Tcandidates across Europe came a the latter having trate’. Yes, they will take part in talks but show no counter any criticism of his actions. For veniamin, close second. Left advances have something of a mentality desire to abate their actions. Russia can survive knowledge of the Bible is power. been marginal at best. Clinton's revival. The results sanctions. International censure does not hurt it. It It is veniamin’s immersion in dogmatism that failure in the uS was also the reinforce poll find - distorts the lan - gives us pause for failure of the old Democrat- ings that voters guage of a per - thought. he has an Republican post new Deal poli - identify with their plexed media, answer to everything tics, and we will have to address Brexit choices. not with independent - well, almost. When that to make any progress at all. good for Labour, as reports of the he cannot defeat But for Britain, the major story is it continues to sit on civilian casualties Elena intellectually the continuing decline of the the fence of its poor of Russian he assumes the role of Labour Party. This has generated Referendum cam - airstrikes dis - the abused child. the call for a Progressive Alliance paign. It can now missed as ‘fake The film explicitly to stop the Tories, but the chances fall between the two news’. asks us to consider are limited as I suggested in stools of Lib Dem An unlikely answer to Labour’s electoral woes : former leader Tony Blair how do you the language and Chartist 283 . and uKIP. The respond to such a apparatus we use to As 2017 opens, the core issues choice is between In or out the Scottish position can be replicated country? defend our order. It are the imperatives of Labour's Eu, and cannot be fudged. owen in middle class pro Eu seats understand it shows how the school problems at the ballot box and Smith was right. A second refer - where the Lib Dems are the oppo - first. Who are utterly fails to sup - understanding its crisis of strate - endum call is the only way to stop sition, and in working class anti these people who port Elena, a response gy. It is ominous that a Blair pro-Eu Labour voters turning Lib Eu seats where uKIP can become check their that has fatal conse - revival looks on the cards with Dem. Stopping the anti-Eu voters the opposition. In Wales, Plaid humanity at the quences. the New Statesman at end of going for uKIP is the second diffi - can take over the pro Eu position door and cover up veniamin is a terri - november interviewing the old culty Labour has to face. of the Lib Dems and uKIP the mass murder? fying figure, a school fraud under the heading 'Back anti Eu vote, if Labour continues An insight into bully with no friends. from Exile”. The first essential is Clear policy differences to fail to become the pro Eu this mentality can his peer group to remember that great victories party. be gleaned in the ignores him rather of 1997 and 2001 were followed by The Compass answer to the Russian film, The than takes him on. decline to when in 2005 only 37% clear fact that Labour will not Wider internal problems Student directed When he has a meet - of the vote gave a majority – with win the next election on its own is by Kirill ing with the school disasters in 2010 and 2015. There the Progressive Alliance. The Meanwhile Momentum mirrors Serebrennikov cleric, he refuses to is no new Labour route to recov - attractions are obvious, but it will Labour's wider internal problems, and adapted from put his phenomenal ery. not happen save at by-elections. suffering from its own entryist the German play Bible learning to The SnP have wiped out Labour crisis with the microscopic ‘Martyr ’ by Church use. The Reverse these figures and have no reason to hand back Alliance For Workers Liberty Marius von Cleric refuses to see seats while the other minor par - playing the part that Militant did Mayenberg. It him as a threat, a dis - But secondly, the Corbyn ties in the uK mainland do not in the 80s, but within a left explores the tortion of religion. record has not even begun to have any votes worth speaking organisation. Corbyn's own politi - fanaticism of a Equally, he gives show the green shoots of recovery. about. There are clear policy dif - cal base is likely to be affected by young student, veniamin latitude to Since Corbyn won his second ferences between the parties. The this internal battle but more veniamin (Pyotr continue. leadership victory and Labour Lib Dem victory in Richmond importantly, unless the AWL Skvortsov) who The long scenes, reluctantly fell in behind him, depended on Tory voters in favour challenge is defeated then refuses to go swimming owing to religious views established from the get-go, belie the film’s theatri - polls show the Tories well ahead. of the Eu rejecting an anti Eu Momentum will be a potent and uses the Bible as a means of rebellion. his cal origins. Serebrennikov fills some of the screen Since 14th September, when the Conservative. source of anti Labour stories in increasingly intransigent behaviour stokes a con - space with the source (chapter and verse) of lead was only 6% and owen In Scotland the SnP was the right wing press. flict with a young teacher, Elena (viktoriya veniamin’s quotations. This is dynamic cinema, Smith might have won the leader - reported by the Times of 3rd It is ominous that Blair is Isakova), the only adult willing to stand up to him, forcing us to spend almost two hours in the company ship, 18 polls were published in December to be raising money for choosing to throw his hat into the who is in turn at odds with the school board (most - of an odious, self-justified individual. At the end of the period up to 20th november. another independence referen - ring. There is objectively no new ly portrayed for comic effect). The film asks: how the film we are blasted by heavy metal. no poll showed the Tories less dum, and the fight there is Tory v Labour way forward, but a con - far can you take dogmatic behaviour, using a text The Student isn’t a film to take to your heart. It than 8% ahead, and 13 gave them SnP, Labour being down to 14% siderable potential for more to justify anti-Semitism and violence? The answer troubles you. It asks you, why is this the best we double digit leads. If the Corbyn in the polls at the start of Labour splits. The progressive is: quite far. have to face such dogmatic fanaticism? The argu - camp is to claim their man can December. The Federalist movement has to face up to the veniamin, brought up by his single mother ment is extreme but real. Don’t go to see it wanting become Prime Minister, they have Commission advocated by Labour fact that contrary to what the (Yuliya Aug) creates his own universe, literally feel good cinema. See it to remind you of the chal - to reverse these figures. is of little relevance. As the Labour Party officially believes, tearing down the wallpaper in his room to better lenge ahead. The Richmond Park and national voting pattern frag - all the cards are in the hands of Sleaford by elections emphasise ments, there are clearly dangers other parties. Developing a win - that polls are if anything over in 2017 of a dominant Tory party ning strategy must now be the The Student opens in UK cinemas on 28 February 2017 estimating Labour's support. In being challenged by four parties, priority topic for debate. C Richmond Labour lost its deposit none of which is Labour. The 24 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 25 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 26

BOOK REVIEWS

Radical rebirth Chaos and redemption

Harry CORBYN: THE STRANGE REBIRTH OF Writing a chapter on the histo - Certainly, Corbyn's policies are Duncan THE MAYOR OF MOGADISHU the man rather than his achieve - isations, though generally clan RADICAL POLITICS ry of Labour, Seymour says likely to meet with popular oppo - Andrew Harding (Hurst, £20) ments so there is not much infor - based, with one clan living in one Bentham Richard Seymour (Verso, £12.99) Corbyn's democratic socialism is sition on some issues, even among Bowie mation about the attempts to part of London – another clan in in fact unusual in the party's his - poor people he intends to stand on ost recent writing on reconstruct the city and to bring another – nur was north London ichard Seymour's book is a tory. Corbyn may be against the for. State intervention in the Somalia Somalia focuses on Al- in Western consultants to mod - based with little links to the East on Corbyn realist assessment of the party's history as the "rearguard economy and the perceived Shabab, the fundamen - ernise its governance – perhaps London Somalis. I remember hopes represented by of reaction", wishing to instead excesses of the welfare state meet Mtalist Islamic group which con - somewhat ambitious given the twenty years ago interviewing a RLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as recreate it as a radical socialist with opposition from most of the trols most of the country. lack of interest western states of group of Somalis in London who he repurposes the party to oppose party. In a somewhat pessimistic British political audience, harding’s book has both a nar - investing in the city, despite the were seeking to register their the neoliberal state. Writing the account, the author believes the Seymour writes. rower and a wider focus. The occasional heroic attempt to rein - housing association for govern - book in sympathy with him, party will eventually return to Despite popular distrust of book focuses on a single individu - vigorate a tourist industry – ment funding, where I had to Seymour nevertheless warns centrist roots. some of his ideas, most of al, Mohammud nur, known as though war-zone tourism has assess whether they had suffi - against Corbyn being ‘encircled’ Seymour writes of the ‘degener - Corbyn's ‘radical’ ideas do res - ‘Tarzan’ who returned from exile become something of a cult activi - cient experience to run a publicly and ‘chewed up’ by entrenched ation of the union link’. Blairite onate with voters. opposition to in London in 2010 to become ty for some– a bit like extreme funded organisation, to discover governing elites even if he reforms shifted the party to uS military aggression and rejec - mayor of Mogadishu, Somalia’s sports. Attempts to set up restau - that in the room I had a former achieves state power. depending on ‘passive supporters tion of unethical arms deals, capital city. The book however rants for an international market brigadier in the Somali army and The book claims the success of paying a small fee’ rather than nuclear weapons, spending cuts, has a wider focus because it seeks or beach based boutique hotels a former chief justice. Corbyn over the political cadavers receiving union funding. This has privatisation of vital services, and to examine Somali history and have met with limited success harding follows such exiles of the Blairites was largely a backfired on the Blairites, driving bailouts for banks seem quite sen - politics and the Somali diaspora Much of the book focuses on the back to Somalia, where the tran - response to British politics unions that normally preferred sible to most Britons. Taxing the over a longer period, back sitional government was becoming ‘less and less rich and making homes and to the authoritarian mainly comprised of democratic’. Labour had suf - rents affordable to young administration of Siad returning diasporans, fered from this decay, as people is also likely to win Barre of 1969-1971, which led to tensions workers were simply ignor - over many voters. arguably the last time the with those who had ing them. Many Labour Corbyn shares most of our country had a country- never left the country members also perceived a views that ‘British banks wide stable government, throughout the years of ‘crisis of legitimacy’ in and British tanks do not well before the emergence civil war. Somali British parliamentary appear to be doing most of Al-Shabaab. remains divided. democracy, Seymour British people any favours’ In 2010, much of Western commitment to believes, and they gave up and this makes him a popu - Mogadishu was in ruins the transitional govern - on their own party. lar and effective leader, at and in fact the transition - ment is still limited. It is Labour had become ‘sym - least in the opposition. If al government which perhaps ironic that the biotically dependent’ on applied in power, Corbyn appointed ‘Tarzan’ to the government was suspect banks, business, media, and and his Shadow Chancellor job controlled only a small because of its basis in the rightist wings of state John McDonnell's ideas part of Somalia, and in the Islamic Courts move - under the Blair government. would be unprecedented in fact Al-Shabaab, actually ment, which had pro - The author dismisses that ‘reversing neoliberalism’, controlled part of voked the intervention of Labour government as ‘flim - Seymour writes. Mogadishu. Tarzan was the Christian led sy’ for the left and "inessen - The book's introduction to spend much of his term Ethiopian government in tial" to the labour move - stating ‘the problem for the of office on the front line, a dispute over the ment, because the Blairites establishment is not neces - escorted everywhere by ogaden region – populat - became rightist ideologues of sarily Corbyn's agenda’ but cohorts of security guards ed mainly by Somalis but privatisation and uS-led ‘the type of politician that he and liable to be bombed within Ethiopia, and wars. is’ offers the most compelling out of his own office. incidently where nur Seymour seemed to antici - of its arguments. Corbyn's nur became something was born despite his pate the so-called Labour real advantage may be his of a hero in Mogadishu, or claim to have been born coup of 2016, questioning the kind demeanour and person - at least for some Somalis, in the main Mogadishu legitimacy of the Parliamentary ‘moderate leadership’ into back - ality, while voters have lost trust not of course including Al- hospital. Labour Party in the minds of ing Corbyn's openly socialist lead - in other politicians, seen as dis - Shabaab, but also a hero for the clan and sub-clan networks which The Government is now seen as members. The book is sceptical of ership. honest. A lot of people do not like western powers who saw nur as a continue to dominate Somali poli - moderate compared with Al- the idea of deselecting Blairite The Labour leader should not Labour, but they do like Corbyn. symbol that some restoration of tics. nur might argue that clans Shabaab. As harding notes, west - MPs, however, saying the politi - limit his attacks to ‘the Tories’, An alienated and volatile public, governance in the failed state should work together but still ern powers are more concerned cally ‘underdeveloped’ students Seymour writes. Bernie Sanders filled with the belief politicians might be possible. The book’s sub - relied on his own clan network. about the pirates operating out of who rally behind Corbyn are no had spoken directly to America's are dishonest, could be persuaded title is: ‘A story of chaos and he was sacked from the Mayoral the Puntland towns such as Eyl, match for the ‘immense, lordly poorest with terms like ‘billion - to vote for this man where they redemption in the ruins of post in 2014 and apparently now and tend to leave the Kenyans to dominion’ of the PLP. Corbyn is aire class’, ‘one percent’, and would not have voted for his Somalia’ There is much chaos but wants to stand for president. deal with Al-Shabaab. Meanwhile going to have to work within the other language of the occupy party. not much redemption. nur organ - What I found most interesting is Somaliland (the formerly British tolerance of his critics in the PLP movement. With party loyalties If Corbyn should lead a future ised street cleaning parties and what is in effect a study of the colonial territory) in the north at all costs, Seymour suggests. unimportant to the wave of anti- government, Seymour believes it festivals (which tended to attract Somali diaspora, of the networks has been autonomous for decades Contrary to much of the press, establishment sentiment in will only open up a new front Al-Shabaab suicide bombers) but nur developed in London and the though not recognised by the un Seymour points out that it is not Britain, Corbyn could go beyond against him. The unkind state still need armed escorts as did extensive connections he had with despite it having a more stable Corbyn but his critics within the the language of the party and will push back against Corbyn's harding when travelling to meet exiles in other countries. Leading government that southern and party who are undermining speak directly to the lowest earn - kinder politics. neoliberal govern - him. There is little evidence that Somali figures in exile struggled mid Somalia centred on Labour and making it less ers with the same language. ing elites will remain in key posi - he governed much – he had few to find employment to support Mogadishu. Perhaps the picture electable at present. As Seymour There are, of course, significant tions of power, insisting on keep - resources, not least because the their families and lived in council on the book cover of the majestic wrote, they believe ‘it would be questions to be asked concerning ing the old policies of war and Governments itself had few flats or privately rented rooms, ruins of central Mogadishu will better to crash Labour than to let electoral feasibility and making austerity. resources. but still managed to set up a net - attract western investment as it win under a left-wing leader - policies practicable to ensure harding is however focusing on work of Somali community organ - well as tourists, but I doubt it. ship’. Corbyn's path to power. 26 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 27 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 28

BOOK REVIEWS

Turbulent times The global propaganda war Paul DEFIANCE: GREECE AND EUROPE population brought their down - is what was possible for a far left Dot Lewis SELLING APARTHEID far right involvement in support tion after Roger Silverman (Zero Books, £15.99) fall. Greek government, in such a cri - Ron Nixon (University of Chicago, $24) of apartheid is no surprise – but the 1988 Mackney The restoration of democracy sis-ridden country with 3% of nixon, himself an African- 'Free oger Silverman has done us and, in particular, the rise of the Europe’s population, generating on South elling Apartheid shows American, also shows some Mandela' on Greek a great service with what new social democratic party only around 2% of Europe’s GDP? Africa South African public rela - African-Americans 'taking the concert in he calls a “single straight - PASoK from 1980 led to a degree Silverman is not unsympathet - tions abroad moving from shilling' – including religious Wembley dilemmas Rforward account Greece’s story; to of political stability and some - ic to Syriza’s dilemma. he recog - Sdiplomats presenting apartheid groups arguing that ‘communism stadium draw people’s attention to the rich thing approaching a European nises that the rise of Syriza as a bulwark against communism is worse than apartheid’. As the claiming historical background to today’s standard of living for many citi - helped spark a frisson of hope, in the Cold War, to a much winds of change seemed to blow that the news”. zens, which is associated with similar to Podemos, the expanded government depart - over Africa, Pretoria increased its money he tells us, in a plain, passion - preparation for and entry into the Portuguese coalition government, ment and agencies bought in to efforts to win over African- raised ate and often humorous way, the European union. Bernie Sanders in the uSA, the argue the case against sanctions Americans, for example by paying would be struggles of the Greek since the Then in 2010, the international election of Jeremy Corbyn. It and divestment as the campaigns William Keyes nearly $400,000 a used to successful uprising against the financial crisis found its weakest could be catalytic but was unable developed after the Sharpeville year to organise African- finance ottoman Empire led to the estab - link in Greece, where debt bail- to transform the situation on its massacre in 1960. Information Americans in university exchange ‘terrorism’. Desmond Tutu's lishment of modern Greece in the outs from the Troika (of the Eu, own. Minister Connie Mulder programmes and study tours. Truth and Reconciliation 1820s. IMF and European Central Bank) In 2015, after four months of announced that the regime must Keyes argued: ‘It is important Commission subsequently found It is a complicated tale. “In the and failure by all established gov - trying to face down the powerful “buy, bribe or bluff its way into that we recognise in the uS the that the IFF was one of Pretoria's 193 years since its foundation, ernment parties to find a solution, and vindictive forces of Eu the hearts and minds of the reality of the AnC as a terrorist costliest 'front' organisations. Greece has had no fewer than 186 caused a catastrophic collapse in finance ministers and interna - world” and nixon estimates that outlaw organization, which has Selling Apartheid rightly pro - governments – some of them con - the standard of living affecting all tional finance, Tsipras called a Pretoria spent over $100 million perpetrated violence primarily vides some of the context of the currently”. There is therefore but the richest. referendum and the Greek people pa doing just that. uS public against innocent black people’. In propaganda war: events in South plenty of room for differences delivered a massive 62% (oxi) relations firms were hired, politi - the uK, Strategy network Africa, the civil rights movement of interpretation and rejection of the terms on offer cians and journalists lobbied, International was just one of a in the uSA and campaigns out - Silverman is, in his own from the European institu - entertained and hosted on trips to number of lobbying firms funded side South Africa against words, “frankly partisan”, lac - tions. experience the 'real' South Africa. by South Africa. operating in the apartheid. nixon concludes by ing his description with Then, to almost everyone’s Capital was not idle either – for 1980s it supported SA policies on suggesting that the effect of the delightful side comment apho - surprise, Tsipras did a somer - example, some 200 representa - Angola and namibia and sent propaganda onslaught was to risms – e.g. describing the sault and went back to the tives of South African and multi- conservative politicians to enjoy delay the inevitable. When monarchy as “that symbol of ‘institutions’ and ended up national companies joined the the South African sun. neil Pretoria withdrew funding from national humiliation”. signing a new memorandum South African Foundation set up hamilton and David Cameron its front organisations in 1993 The first chapter covers the of cuts in return for a bail-out by the giant Anglo-American were among the beneficiaries. most or all of these agencies fold - turbulent first century with which was every bit as harsh Corporation (gold, diamonds, SIn was set up by a South ed. Many of the named individu - recurrent debt crises, upris - as the previous two. platinum, uranium) in 1960 to African diplomat and included als who participated are however ings, wars, territorial expan - Was this forced on Tsipras oppose sanctions and divestment. British military characters. still around.. sion, hunger, emigration, having assessed the prospects While the book claims to cover As changes in South Africa The production of this book depressions, military coups, for Greece of holding out, or the 'global' propaganda war', its began to look probable, attacks on seems to have got into difficul - foreign meddling, an imposed was it an unnecessary loss of focus is largely on the SA/uSA the AnC built up; any political ties: each chapter has a list of monarchy, popular resistance, nerve and betrayal of the networks. Some of this draws on change must be gradual - and sources, but no footnotes, and no battles for democracy and Greek people? previously published material, partial. The International booklist. The index is very short, class struggle. In passing, Silverman assesses the real but nixon also calls extensively Freedom Foundation, based in and – more importantly – very Silverman still manages to let possibilities for the Syriza on archives. The republican and Washington, circulated 'informa - inaccurate. us know that the new young Government and notes that King Alexander died in 1916 “the Greek misfortune is that after being bitten by a garden - they launched their struggles Intersectionality and social reproduction er’s pet monkey. a little ahead of the rest of us With an influx of 1.4 million and found themselves facing Patricia WOMEN AND SOCIALISM: CLASS RACE contributed to the oppression of work, but also look at related top - Greeks expelled from Asia the enemy alone.” AND CAPITAL black women since the time of ics such as Modern Women's Minor in the 1920s; a neo-fas - nevertheless his main anal - d'Ardenne Sharon Smith (Haymarket Books, $16) slavery in the uS. movements, and Women and the cist dictatorship in 1936 headed From 2010 a popular resistance ysis is close to that of the Popular family. There is an historical by General Metaxas, ironically far surpassing anything seen any - unity MPs who split from Syriza on his is a fully revised and chapter on Revolutionary Russia best known for saying ‘oxi’ (no) where else in Europe in over fifty after what they saw as ‘capitula - updated version of Women which I think sits rather oddly Paul Mackney is to Mussolini’s request to send his years grew up in Greece with tion’, but failed to reach the 3% women’s and Socialism; Essays in near the end of the book before Co-chair Greece army into Greece in 1940; repul - mass assemblies in the squares, threshold for winning MP seats in TWomen's Liberation, first pub - the conclusions, and would have Solidarity sion of the consequent Italian over thirty general strikes and the September 2015 election, liberation lished in 2004, and represents the been better placed nearer the Campaign invasion; brutal occupation by the the development of a network of which Syriza won with 35.5% of author's personal development beginning of Smith's account. But nazis generating one of the solidarity support in the form of the votes. and study of race and class, as this is a minor quibble. biggest mass resistance move - social pharmacies and people’s This story is far from over. well as gender, within a Marxist In this darker age of protection - ments, which was denied the markets. International solidarity is still perspective. The book aims to pro - ist, white supremacist, misogynis - spoils of victory by occupying on this rising tide, Syriza, a vital. As I write, it is reported vide readers with a far reaching tic, racist Trump, we shall need British and uS forces, a period of relatively unknown left wing that Golden Dawn has organised and historical framework to The second theoretical base is more texts of this quality to pro - state McCarthyism with many coalition of parties, led by Alexis attacks on refugee camps in the understand the oppression and Social Reproduction Theory, vide a clear light on the history of left-wingers interned or in exile, a Tsipras – was swept to power Aegean Islands. Greek families liberation of women- especially in which tries to locate the economic women's oppression, how it has resurgence of the left in the mid- with its share of the vote increas - are struggling to make ends meet the uS, and to provide strength root of women's domestic labour been fought to date, and how 1960s, cruelly crushed by a group ing from 4.6% in october 2009 to on wages and pensions which for future women's liberation. as a crucial aspect in maintaining working class women of colour of Colonels whose incompetent a triumphant 36.3% in January have been cut by 30-50%, with of note is the development of the capitalist system, as con - will take centre stage in the Junta held power from 1967 to 2015. unemployment around 25%, and the concept of Intersectionality, in ceived by Marx. future. This will be a critical bat - 1974, when an ill-planned inter - The question which dominates 300,000 Greeks in economic exile. the 1970s which posits that race, The ten chapters are divided tle in the uS, but one to be antici - vention in Cyprus plus the risen the last half of Silverman’s book class and gender which have all within this theoretical frame - pated in the new world order. 28 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 29 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 30

BOOK REVIEWS

Burying the evidence of imperialism Resisting Lenin Mike Davis THE HISTORY THIEVES accounts of torture that colonial lar story of skullduggery, deceit Duncan TWO YEARS OF WANDERING significant support in the trade Ian Cobain (Portabello, £20) officials were writing and passing and destruction. Bowie Fedor Dan (Lawrence and Wishart, union movement, were at times on to their superiors throughout The chapter focussing on on £15) tolerated by the Leninists, who on industrial here’s a popular myth that the eight years of the insurgency’. northern Ireland contains further respected them as former col - the post war decolonisation horrendous details follow. Also revelations of torture, brutality, the socialist an was the most important leagues, but who were also seen scale period was a speedy and rel - buried within the 1,500 files at killings and cover-up largely per - leader of the Mensheviks as a threat and imprisoned. Dan subversion Tatively peaceful process with hanslope Park was a letter from petrated against Catholic nation - opposition after Martov. he remained led a double life – as an official Macmillan’s late 1950s ‘winds of one ex Kenyan police commission - alists. The cold-blooded murder of Din Russia until 1922. This memoir within the Soviet apparatus, as a change’ curtain call. not so. And er, Colonel Arthur Young, who solicitor Pat Finucane and a was published in Russian in medical administrator, but also as the winds were fanning tropical had reported to superiors that in litany of other British state Berlin and has been translated an opposition leader, both partici - flames throughout the empire. the prison camps holding thou - orchestrated murders is clinically into English by Francis King, a pating in Soviet meetings, but at Subtitled ’Secrets, Lies and the sands of Mau Mau suspects documented with the key players lecturer in Russian history who times hiding from arrest and at Menshevik leaders in exile and shaping of a modern nation’ urgent investigation was required identified. is editor of Socialist history and other times in prison. active participant in the social Cobain’s forensic examination of into ‘the ever-increasing allega - The purging of the records hap - treasurer of the Socialist history A prisoner of the Tsarist democratic Socialist the process of British de-colonisa - tions of inhumanity and disregard pened across the world, in British Society. King has also written a regime before the revolution, he is International. Dan was to write a tion is a revelation. for the rights of African citizens.’ Guiana, Malta, Malaya, north substantive introduction which imprisoned in the Peter and Paul classic work on the Origins of Many readers will Borneo, Belize, the West outlines the role of the Fortress by Soviet leadership. Bolshevism . This memoir is a rare know that the British Indies, uganda as well as Mensheviks in the first years of The Soviet leadership finally socialist perspective on Leninist empire was not the unal - Aden, Kenya and northern the Soviet state. chooses repression, associating rule and King has done an excel - loyed blessing, bringing Ireland…in fact wherever Dan’s memoir presents a fasci - the Menshevik leadership with lent job in translating and intro - civilisation, prosperity Britain ruled. It was subver - nating narrative of the role of the the Kronstadt revolt, without pro - ducing the memoir. There are and British values to sub - sion of the Public Records Menshevik opposition to Leninist ducing any evidence of Menshevik other Menshevik memoirs in need ject peoples across the Act on an industrial scale rule, with the Mensheviks seek - involvement. Menshevik leaders of translation, notably Ivan globe, of orthodox history. involving thousands of colo - ing to operate legally (in contrast had the choice of exile in Siberia Maisky’s memoir of his involve - The process of conquest nial officials, MI5 and with the Social Revolutionaries or northern Russia, or exile ment in the Democratic Counter- was often bloody and bru - Special Branch officers and who at times sought to overturn abroad. Dan, with his wife Lydia, revolution – the KoMuCh gov - tal. Protest and resistance military personnel. the Soviet leadership). Dan and who was Martov’s sister, chose ernment in Samara. was suppressed. Cobain Cobain calculates 15 miles his fellow Mensheviks, who had the latter, and became one of the looks at the other end of of floor-to-ceiling shelving at the imperial arc, when hanslope Park was packed Britain under sustained with files dating from the pressure from the 17th Century to the Cold Infidel colonised and severe eco - War and ‘troubles’ in nomic dislocation as a northern Ireland. Duncan ‘EAT THE HEART OF THE INFIDEL’ his travelogue of northern nigeria southern states. The defeat of the result of world war was For Cobain ‘operation Bowie Andrew Walker (Hurst, £14.99) in the 1850’s. southerner Christian Goodluck being forced to pull out. Legacy’ was not just about on The book explains the nigerian Jonathan by the northern Muslim The many examples the British state wanting to erhaps not the most uplift - political system and the conflict opposition leader Muhammudu covered here tell a very protect individuals from Boko ing title for a book but an between Islamic leaders in the Buhari (who was as a major gen - different story from the embarrassment and prosecu - important one to read. north and Christians in the south eral, head of state in the 1983-5 benign myth. Cobain has tion or to secure loyalty from Haram PBoko haram hit the headlines and the theoretical system of military regime as well as three uncovered the way the successor regimes during the two years ago when the capture of alternating power within the fed - times failed presidential candi - Foreign office and MI5 commercial, military and 276 schoolgirls in Chibok in eral state. he examines the inter- date between 2003 and 2011), is systematically went about political competition of the northeastern nigeria led to an religious conflicts, making it clear not in itself any guarantee of destroying the evidence of Cold war. It was also intend - international ‘Bring Back our that the extreme violence was good government or suppression brutality and repression. The Many documents record the ed to promote a rose-tinted mem - Girls campaign’. This has rather perpetrated by both sides. he of the Boko haram insurgency. chapter on Kenya—‘Sinning requirement that officers ‘facing ory of both imperial retreat and faded from Western attention, examines the long history of fun - Despite all those celebrities wear - Quietly- operation Legacy and accusations of murders, beatings the empire’s hey day. Why else given the focus on Syria and so- damental Islamicism, mainly ing T-shirts, not only has ‘the the theft of Colonial history’ and shootings should not be pros - ask officials to destroy or return called Islamic State. Salafist, with preceded the evolu - west’ lost interest but it has no reveals that through a secret ecuted’. All received an amnesty. any papers that “might be inter - Walker is a journalist, who has tion of Boko haram, tracing the confidence in any political leader - coordination centre at hanslope Among the most damning preted as showing religious intol - lived in nigeria for a nigerian origins of the group to links of the ship in nigeria to find either a Park near Milton Keynes, an papers were a number of letters erance on the part of hMG” as newspaper as well as reporting original leader Mohammed political or military solution. operation was piloted to both and memoranda written by the well as “all papers which might be for the BBC. his book takes a Yussuf with Saudi Arabian wah - burn, dump at sea or ship back to colony’s Attorney General Eric interpreted as showing racial dis - somewhat different approach, as habism. he focuses on the core England vast quantities of Griffith-Jones. At one point, crimination against Africans (or it is based on his own experience beliefs of Boko haram - the rejec - incriminating documents on the Cobain reports, ’Griffith Jones negros [sic] in the uSA)”. and interviews with politicians tion of western education. Walker nature of British rule. describes the mistreatment of Cobain reminds us that and fellow- journalists in a num - also notes to the links between Much of this would not have detained Mau Mau suspects as Britain’s rulers love secrecy. he ber of cities in northern nigeria. Boko haram and leading been known but for the tireless ‘distressingly reminiscent of con - recounts an 800 year old habit, The first section of his book exam - nigerian politicians and the cor - work of Kenyan Mau Mau veter - ditions in nazi Germany or sustained by the 1911 official ines the historical and cultural ruption in the nigerian political ans and their legal team that suc - Communist Russia’. It turns out Secrets Act, exemplified in the background, returning to the and military system which goes cessfully fought a long battle for Griffith-Jones’s concern was not burning and burying of imperial British colonisation in the 1890’s some way to explain the failure of justice finally won in 2013 in the so much with the victims but papers. While northern Ireland and Lord Lugard’s operation of the Government to organise a British high courts. More than rather with protecting the perpe - remains Britain’s last colony, indirect rule, empowering the coherent political and military 5000 claimants won damages of trators. there are likely to be many more local chieftains but also studying response. For the government in 19.9m. They were also able to Aden, in the Yemen, where secrets of that conflict to be the earlier rise and fall of the Abuja, Boko haram was seen as a draw on research by uS historian Britain continues to play a role in opened up. Cobain’s book is a Sokoto caliphate, using material northern problem, as while Boko Caroline Elkins. Cobain reports the brutal bombing by the Saudi- chilling reminder of what has from the earliest European haram stared operating within ‘The documents contained led coalition today, we find a simi - gone before. explorers such as the German, Cameroon and Chad, they never heinrich Barth, who published threatened either Abuja or the 30 CHARTIST January/February 2017 January/February 2017 CHARTIST 31 Chartist 284 Mon 0800.qxp_01 cover 19/12/2016 08:03 Page 32

WESTMINSTER VIEW No help for the left behind

ast november Phillip Studies stating that real wages despite there now being over one hammond delivered his will be lower in 2021 than in million vulnerable elderly people Rebecca first Autumn 2008. This lost decade is left without care. There was no u- Statement; an opportu - unprecedented in modern British turn on harsh ESA and universal Long- nity to signal a change history. But the Chancellor knew Credit cuts. A single parent, in of direction and to repair some of this was coming. work, is still set to lose over Bailey Lthe damage caused by six years Leaked Treasury documents £2,000 a year and the MP of Conservative failure. now, the recently made clear that the fail - Employment Support Allowance says people where I live in Salford are ure of Conservative policy was cuts mean £30 a week will be of good heart. They will always known in Whitehall for some taken from 500,000 disabled peo - the Tories pull together when times are time, with the government’s old ple. And all they could offer to an tough and that’s what many targets on debt and the deficit education system facing the first only plan is thought they were doing when missed, even before Brexit had real-terms cuts since the 1970s they were subjected to a vicious become an issue. Following the was £60m for the Prime to protect and economically illiterate aus - Autumn Statement the Tories’ Minister’s throwback vanity pro - terity agenda. “Lets fix the roof spin machine went into overdrive ject of grammar schools. the rich whilst the sun is shining!” we in the attempt to make us believe hammond attempted to were told, but little did we realise that the whole financial down - announce some new government that this ‘nasty medicine’ we turn was as a direct result of investment as Labour have were being forced to take was in Brexit. demanded. But the amounts fact making us worse off and sti - In reality however, the figures offered are feeble, even with re- fling our economy’s ability to provided by the office for Budget announcements like the £1.1bn flourish in the future. We earmarked for roads. have seen six wasted We are the second low - years where the deficit est country in the G7 in has spiralled, debt has terms of investment so spiralled and productivity, we are far from compet - which drives our economy, ing with other industrial is at rock bottom. Six countries across the years where taxes were world. Even the oECD cut for the wealthiest and has stated that any coun - the most vulnerable saw try serious about being a their incomes savagely global economic player Rebecca Long- cut. Six years of perni - must invest at last 3% of Bailey is MP for cious cuts and schemes Gross Domestic Product Salford and aimed at dismantling and each year. The Eccles, and marketising our public Chancellor’s investment shadow chief services so that now they proposals come in at a secretary to the are teetering on the edge Labour’s pledge : no one will be left behind paltry 1.9%. nor has Treasury of a cliff. there been any sight of a So was it worth it? In short, Responsibility were staggeringly real industrial strategy – essen - no. The economic plan the Tories clear: of the 122bn cumulative tial to support the industries of ‘supposedly’ followed has failed deficit due by 2021, the Tories’ the future. on a spectacular level. mishandling of Brexit is forecast Labour’s economic vision will We are now looking at a cumu - at £58.7bn, the rest of the deficit not prioritise the few over the lative rise in the deficit of £122 is as a result of the Tories’ mis - many. We will reverse these tax S billion by 2021, and this from a handling of the domestic econo - giveaways, channelling the bil - u Government who told us if we my. Yet despite this gloomy news, lions of pounds lost into our pub - b slashed public spending, slashed the Chancellor steadfastly lic services. We will deliver real s support for the most vulnerable, refused to change tack. he aban - substantial investment in infras - w c whilst also slashing taxes for the doned his predecessor’s plans to tructure and research with a pro - w ri most wealthy, we would have deliver a surplus (of course he gramme to mobilise £500bn w b eliminated the deficit by did, there wasn’t the slightest through direct Government . e 2015. Even more concern - chance he or his predecessor expenditure and a national c t ing is the damage this would achieve this on the basis of Investment Bank. We will tackle h o failed plan has their economic plan) but there low paid work and the disgraceful a C caused in the was nothing in the Autumn level of in-work poverty it creates rt H longer term, Statement to help those “just by introducing a Real Living is A with the about managing” people he was Wage, expected to be £10 an hour t R Institute supposed to watch out for. There in 2020. And we will deliver an . T for Fiscal was no new money for our industrial strategy to create high- o I national health Service, despite skilled, well-paid secure jobs right rg S the worst deficits in the nhS his - across Britain. . T tory and the longest waiting lists Labour will rebuild and trans - u a for decades. There was no money form our economy so no-one and k t to end the crisis in social care, no community is left behind. C