Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 12:31:45 +1000
From: rws-AT-comserver.canberra.edu.au (Rob Schaap)
Subject: M-I: Re: The Welfare State


Nick wrote:  
'In Australia, I guess, you have to do the sums. Is the Australian Labour
Party organically linked in any meaningful way to the working class (not
'do the workers' run it?', but 'is there a link')? If there is, then I 
think you should stay in there and fight for your perspective amongst the
membership. If there ain't, then you get out and fight to build a mass
working class party.'

[Yep - many unions, and the majority of the big ones, are affiliated with
the ALP.  The ALP offers union execs cozy career paths in our corporatised
milieu, and the execs offered the ALP govt (1983-96) seven consecutive
'accords' which kept wages below inflation and profits.  You're quite
right, I think, if we can't get some union interest, our aims and functions
will have to be fatally modest.  I don't know how bad the control by head
office over branches is in your Labour Party - here it is complete. 
Branches can't pick their candidates and have no hand in policy
development.  I actually like my local ALP branch - it's just that there's
nought it can do while the New South Wales Right (Blair's mentors in all
things but his sickly smile) stays in charge - and it seems you just can't
get rid of these bastards - even after the landslide humiliation they
effectively authored.  I do what I do because I can't think of anything
else just now - I hope, nay suspect, there are quite a few like me 'round
these parts.]

Nick goes on:  'I'm not sure that the nature of the electoral system makes
a massive difference until you get to the grey areas ... In the UK, at
least as is, you would still have to stay in the Labour Party and fight to
transform the movement, although you might be more flexible about electoral
sorties, and not necessarily say, "Vote Labour everywhere." If Blair wins
the election and begins dismantling the Labour Party's links to the unions,
then fairly soon it will be time to leave (or force a split or drive Blair
out (best option!)) even if we still have first past the post.

[I sincerely wish you luck, comrade!

Rob]





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