The ‘Forward March’ of Labour Halted?

Abstract

Eric Hobsbawm's article and Ken Gill's reply afford the left the possibility to begin an overdue debate, both on the period 1968-74 and on the whole question of the relationship between wages and trade union struggles and a strategy for socialist advance in a highly developed capitalist democracy. It is also important because beneath the question is the problem of why the movement subsided so quickly after Labour came to power, and why it has not recovered since. The need to clarify problems relating to this period gain further urgency from the fact that we may now be standing on the edge of a new surge in wages and trade union struggle, renewed inflation, and a possibly worsened economy. I think Hobsbawm's article begins to highlight a major problem confronting the labour movement. I found it fascinating reading and could relate its essence to the day-to-day struggles. [ often sit and ponder about the last 20 years of struggle. It is true that during this period there have been some enormous class battles, some major confrontations, and actions, which repeatedly confirm the power and strength vested in the working class and its organisations. But whilst on the one hand we have witnessed this enormous activity, one must ask the question why are we no further forward in winning political advances. There can be no doubt that people in the material sense are better off today (though one must not ignore the abundant poverty still around) but where has it got us? What is good about Hobsbawm's contribution is that it helps situate today's struggles in an historical perspective, and in so doing highlights some of the poverty of these struggles. The ruling class in Britain have been able to manipulate history in a way that perpetuates their own existence. This has been at the expense of a developing consciousness of the working class movement and to a large extent restricts its ability to both come to terms and to understand the complex problems of current day politics. Wat Tyler, John Ball, Jack Cade and the men of Kent, Cromwell, the Levellers and Diggers, the Chartist movement, the experiments of Robert Owen, the beautiful contribution of William Morris, Tom Mann and the early campaigns on industrial unions, Hobsbawm's major work on Captain Swing, the formation of the Labour and Communist parties are just to mention a few of the battles of yesteryear that point to a richness in our forefathers that carry many lessons for us today. Not to draw from the sum total of struggles denies today's and future generations the ability to understand the class changes that are taking place, the ever growing dangers of sectionalism within the working class and the reasons for instinctive rather than a developed class consciousness. For me Hobsbawm widens the area for trade union intervention in the revolutionary process and Ken Gill's response 1 find rather inadequate, narrow, certainly not helpful in the situation which we are now in.