The Conflict in the British Labor Party

Abstract

The Labor Party has been running six percent ahead of the government in current Gallup polls, and superficially all seems well. The leadership anticipates winning the next general election and, barring unforeseen contingencies, becoming Her Majesty's Government instead of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. For this reason, among others, it strongly deprecates any tendency to sharpen intra-party controversies or to shift from the conventional and time-honored attacks on the Tories to raising fundamental policy issues. It prefers the easy way to office, even if this way is open only so long as there is relative economic stability and the world situation is not darkened by major crises. But we are living in a period of profound economic instability and of acute international strains, and history does not readily adapt itself to the short-run calculations of professional politicians and party machines.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.