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Year 2005 No. 48, April 14, 2005 ARCHIVE HOME JBBOOKS SUBSCRIBE

The Threat of Back to Fascism, Not the Promise of Forward to A New Britain

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New Labour’s Election Manifesto:
The Threat of Back to Fascism, Not the Promise of Forward to A New Britain

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New Labour’s Election Manifesto:

The Threat of Back to Fascism, Not the Promise of Forward to A New Britain

Tony Blair and the entire Cabinet launched the New Labour Party election manifesto in London on April 13. Tony Blair ominously urged the electors to make Labour’s changes “last for all time”.

            The 112-page booklet entitled “Britain: Forward Not Back” included a preface by the Prime Minister promising  “opportunity and security for all in a changing world” and “building communities strong and safe for those who play by the rules”. In total the manifesto demanded another term of office for what the Prime Minister referred to as the “modern progressive New Labour party” in order to “embed a new progressive consensus,” to “forge an ever stronger bond between the goals of economic progress and social justice”, and to establish a Britain of “self-interest and national interest together”.

            New Labour promised a third term in which the changes that have been made domestically since 1997 – the entire anti-social offensive in the NHS, the education system, pensions and elsewhere – is made “irreversible, while internationally New Labour plans to continue with its warmongering aim of making Britain again “a great country”.

            For New Labour, government requires seizing what are referred to as “the opportunities of globalisation” – creating all the social, economic and political conditions for the big monopolies and financial institutions to remain competitive and make maximum profits at home and in the global market. The manifesto makes it clear that education, health and all the social programmes are organised to fulfil this aim rather than placing the needs of the people in first place.

            The Manifesto also promises new repressive measures in regard to visitors and migrants to Britain, including fingerprinting and the introduction of ID cards that will shortly be compulsory for all. Even more “anti-terrorist” laws are also announced, including laws that will target those who “glorify or condone acts of terror”.

            In the area of foreign policy the manifesto committed Britain to what it called the “spread of liberty and justice oversees”, continued intervention in Africa and elsewhere, membership of the warmongering NATO and EU, and the continued bullying of Iran and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, and promised to secure Britain’s place “at the heart of international decision-making”. It referred to the criminal war in Iraq as simply one of several “tough choices”, boasted that “the British armed forces are the best in the world”, while at the same time pledging that New Labour “will always uphold the rule of international law”. In short New Labour committed itself continued warmongering in the pursuit of the goal of “international leadership”.

            New Labour’s Manifesto promises no respite from the dangerous course embarked upon in 1997 and intensified following the last election. Even in the face of growing opposition to its anti-social offensive and repression at home and intervention and warmongering abroad, there is no wavering from that course. Indeed New Labour makes no apology for it and seeks to go even further down the road towards fascism and war.

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