Sunday, December 8, 2024

Why Socialists oppose the Labour Party (1962)

From the December 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Socialist Party of Great Britain and its companion parties abroad form an International Movement with nothing less than Socialism as its only object. This movement is revolutionary because it seeks political power for a completely new system of production and distribution for use without money, buying or selling, wages and classes, or privileges of domination by any class of owners of the means of living. This World International Socialist Movement opposes the Labour Party because they waste energy and time trying to do the impossible, attempting to make capitalism function more smoothly in the interest of the working class. The Labour Government of 1945-51, with its overwhelming majority, falsely convinced the working class that Nationalisation was Socialism and was in the interests of the working class, yet they continued the wages system which is in the interests only of the capitalist class.

The Socialist Party oppose the Labour Party because they lead the working class to believe their housing conditions can be greatly improved yet know the working class can only obtain poor housing, because that is all they can pay for from their wages.

The Socialist Party oppose the Labour Party's idea of so-called intellectuals’ leadership because this encourages mental laziness on the part of the working class and discourages them from organising together to examine their own problems and find the only solution; Socialism. The Socialist Party oppose the Labour Party which supported armament production, and therefore war, from which the working class can have nothing but suffering and losses. Trade Union action for higher wages or better conditions for workers is always opposed when the Labour Party becomes the Government. Only by Political power for Socialism can the working class end Capitalism and solve their social ills for a life of peace and plenty.
David Lamond

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