Here in Great Britain, about twenty-seven years ago. there was a sharp difference of opinion. There were those who held that there was but one cause of working-class poverty, and one only, and but one way to end it. These formed the Socialist Party of Great Britain, with the aim and object of capturing political power and achieving Socialism. There were others who denounced this as a dream, too far removed from present needs to be practicable. What was wanted, they said, was something now, something tangible, something realisable, something which we could see in our time. These supported immediate reforms, palliatives, and the Labour Party. They have been wonderfully fortunate. In a mere twenty-five years they have achieved their practical object and seated a Labour Government in Parliament. The Government has been there nearly two years, and we think we may be doing posterity a service by setting down a rough diary of what life for the workers means under a Labour Government.
On January 1st. 1931, two and a half millions of working men were unable to find a master. On this day, also, 161,300 miners were locked out in South Wales.
On January 2nd the railways of the country announced they contemplated spending £30,000,000 on improvements. Meanwhile, they were negotiating with their employees to slice £11,000,000 off their wages.
On January 13th the papers announced that 27,000 tinplate workers were to be thrown out of work. Labour was still in power.
January 19th.—The official attack on the railwaymen opened. Official figures of unemployed, 2,608,406. Labour still in power.
January 20th.—Ramsay MacDonald (re Princess Royal) "moved a humble address to assure His Majesty that this House will ever participate with the most affectionate and dutiful attachment in whatever may concern the feelings and interests of His Majesty."
"Something now” is a curious policy, isn't it ! Why not try the other way? Socialism, next year, if we can't get it before, but—nothing less !
W. T. H.
(From the March 1931 issue of the Socialist Standard.)
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