The “loony left” are here to stay. Socialism is the cure for ending austerity
When I am discussing, or mostly debating, the former centrist Labour party, I cannot help but label it a political mockery. It is clear that New Labour, formed by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, was not the beacon of hope the left first thought. The catastrophic failures of Blairism exposes centrism as a stain rather than a pillar on the political landscape. Jeremy Corbyn has transformed the Labour party back to its original stance of socialism to end the systemic austerity measures perpetrated by the neoliberals.
The United Nations are currently conducting a report on the extreme poverty issues facing the U.K under a Conservative government. Similar to the investigation in the U.S, the report plans to open up a can of worms which should push Theresa May and her cronies to deliver and end bouts of poverty. Although it is so easy to shift the blame on the Tory/Lib Dem coalition government usurping to political dominance in 2010, poverty and the disenchanted under classes have suffered for decades.
In 2016, homelessness rose by 16% whilst an estimated 1–3 million people rely on food banks to feed their families. Around 4 million children across the country live under the poverty line, with a sheer decrease in local government funding meaning councils are unable to help the issue. Furthermore, in the privately rented sector, 2 million tenants have no choice but live in homes untenable as its the only affordable route, but the promise of a long term stay is not guaranteed by their landlords.
These are just examples in an index of others that make the government’s austerity programme seem more dismal than successful. The whole idea of the austerity plan was to reduce public expenditure and alleviate the strains from the 2008 financial crash. The crash that left the nation perplexed was under New Labour’s watch. After ten years of governance, Blair’s outlandish approach to U.K politics crashed and burned. Not only has the proletariat suffered detrimentally since then, they now have to witness the one-nation right crush the public services they rely on so heavily .
Now, lets bring the hard left into the equation. Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel is possible. We have the Leader of the Opposition promising to abolish austerity by indirectly redistributing the wealth from the upper classes. The socialist far-left Labour leadership deem capitalism as toxic and just another excuse to exploit the poor. Jeremy Corbyn, to someone like me who believes in dismantling the bourgeoisie, is like Jesus.
He has come a time we most desperately need him. His policies are positioned with the average worker and working-class Briton. His influx of support in last years snap election is proof that voters yearn for an alternative to this wrecking ball. His leadership has been undermined with allegations of antisemitism, but its taking the attention away of his values and beliefs for ALL British voters from all walks of life.
The Conservative government with Theresa May at the helm is collateral damage to the party’s internal factions. The warring cabinet, the weakened leader and the notorious Brexit negotiations has seen May’s ministry at the point of total despair. It would have been heartening to see Labour win last year, but the media’s consistent repudiation of a bumbling Labour shadow cabinet just saw voters lose trust in the opposition.
I ask everyone, across the electorate, to recoil from the dirty reputation that socialism once had. Fair taxation, equality for all minority groups, better transport and a humanised social housing scheme could prosper. The “loony left”, once vilified under centrism and neoliberal elitism, has gained the upper hand with Corbyn’s leadership. With the far right a plausible threat both in Europe and North America, a hard left who speaks for the frustrations of the working-class is the only option in providing a fairer society.
