Labour's First Year : 1945-46
1946 1946 1940s 27 pages with "difficult" industries such as the coal-mines, there is a good chance that Labour's modest plan may fail and thus bring the whole idea of common ownership into disrepute. Common Wealth asserts that a mere transfer of ownership from private ent...
| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
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| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
London : Common Wealth Publications Committee
1946
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/004CB6F7-FC4B-4D28-B6B2-7921AD422C8A http://hdl.handle.net/10796/A3B2DF23-04D1-4F43-A128-8AFFF4D944AA |
| Summary: | 1946
1946
1940s
27 pages
with "difficult" industries such as the coal-mines, there is a good chance that Labour's modest plan may fail and thus bring the whole idea of common ownership into disrepute. Common Wealth asserts that a mere transfer of ownership from private enterprise to the State is not socialism. Is the miner expected to cheer at the announcement of a change of owners, when he still works under the same bosses and when his share in the running of the industry is not manifestly enlarged? Better wages and better conditions are welcomed, but socialisation is a moral and educational revolution as well as an economic one. It is Labour's disregard of this vital point which constitutes the Government's most serious blunder on the Home Front. Where there is no industrial democracy the workers' negative "fear" motive under capitalism is not replaced by the positive motives of socialism. The result is a falling off in individual and collective production. The great Tory slogan against Socialism is that it means a swollen bureaucracy, with remote control of industrial and private life by Whitehall. There is only one answer to this : decentralisation of administration, in other words, Vital Democracy at all levels. Ersatz Socialism will not work, because Socialism is a way of living. It is the duty of a socialist administration to present to as many people as possible every opportunity of seeing socialism at work and of working at socialist tasks. To preach Socialism and to practise reformism is not only to court disaster, but also to breed frustration. Let the common people see socialist economics at work, so that their vision of the ideal may be strengthened by their participation in the reality. A year ago Labour was returned to power. The votes which made all the difference were not the votes of the unshakeable Socialists. The vital votes were cast by those whose politics were not as clearly defined as their desire to be rid of the old gang and to see a living ideal at work in our ancient democracy. The continued and inevitable irritations of rationing and other restrictions, the tragic fact that rumour of wars are rife before official peace is declared, these and other disintegrating factors will be seized upon by the enemies of Socialism to alienate the slender loyalties of uncertain and therefore impressionable people. A clear vision of a better world and a better Britain, clearly demonstrated in action and in word, will strengthen the loyalty of these people even in the midst of the most trying situations. What they would do willingly for the sake of a victorious war they will do more than willingly for a victorious peace. Labour has four more years of opportunity. It cannot afford to waste one day of these years. It would be a tragedy if socialism were to be discredited by men calling themselves socialists. 3
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |