A WIN discussion July 2024. Listen to the recording HERE.
On Thursday 4th July Britain held a general election. The ruling Conservative Party was likely to be swept out of office after fourteen years of harsh cuts in living standards. During this period the Labour Party (the main opposition party) had undergone violent swings: a left surge during the period of Corbyn’s leadership, when hundreds of thousands joined the party, followed by a brutal mass purge of the membership under the establishment stooge Sir Keir Starmer. Labour’s election manifesto is now almost indistinguishable from the policies of the Tory government.
This Sunday WIN hosted an open forum discussion in which all were invited to offer their opinions on all the issues aroused by the election campaign. How durable will any new Labour government be? Has Labour gained its likely majority largely due to a split in the Tory party and the emergence of a rival far-right Reform Party? Has Labour managed to match Labour’s election vote in 2017 or even 2019? Can a Starmer government relieve poverty, homelessness, and the cost-of-living crisis? Can it ease the pressures on working-class living standards, or revive public services? Can it offer any hope to the youth of worthwhile education, employment, or housing? Does a Labour election victory in Britain buck the trend towards the election of far-right xenophobic parties throughout Europe and beyond? How long can a Starmer government last, and what might replace it?
These are not just matters of interest to people in Britain: they are questions of worldwide relevance.