Gordon Brown at the Labour Party Conference

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Gordon Brown at the Labour Party Conference

Gordon Brown is to speak to Labour Party conference today, after whipping up speculation about a forthcoming election, which seems to be a way of diverting from the main issues facing the British people at this time. In his speech he will set out his so-called "vision" for Britain. This so-called "vision" is at complete odds with the interests and aims of the working class. In his speech he will talk about public aspirations; globalisation; an aging society; climate change; the battle against hearts and minds over extremism; and pressure on parents. Inherent in all of these points of contention is the "universal values" that Brown wants to push to take us further down the road of reaction. Brown will talk of "change" and that the workers and people must follow his "change". Brown will make the fascistic statement about the priority of Britain being that of "hard working families who play by the rules". This means that all must conform to the Brown steps to further pay the rich or we are not playing by the rules, which is similar to Blair’s statement that "the rules of the game have changed". Whose rules? and what game?

So it can be said that Brown talking about climate change and an aging society and pressure on parents is not showing genuine concern but attempting to present a social conscience aiming to steal the banner of justice and render it meaningless. In speaking under the banner of justice he is attempting to create illusions that justice in Britain will come by following the path of globalisation and big business which is the banner he truly represents. One can see that the Brown government is as it was under Tony Blair, there to manipulate the issues and confuse the public by presenting their ideals as the best of humanity, when in actuality they represent everything that is anti-human.

This underhand manipulation of the reality is evident in Brown’s concept of "the battle of hearts and minds over extremism". He is presenting the current Anglo-American wars and torture on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan as that of being just in the face of so-called "terrorism". Brown talks of a "moral compass" with which he can excuse every crime and every reactionary action. The same manipulation and outright lies of the Brown government are of the same character as Goebbels’ lies, taken directly from his techniques used by the Nazis to keep the German people fixated on their own safety while the Nazis waged war on sovereign nations. The working class and people should pose the question of sovereignty and who are the real terrorists? It must be acknowledged that respecting the sovereignty of a country is paramount to gaining world peace, and it is clear that the Bush and Brown led Anglo-American governments are the ones violating the sovereignty of Iraq and Afghanistan carrying out terrorism in an unjust war.

Brown will talk of globalisation, and Britain’s involvement in it. Brown wants Britain to continue down the road of a free market economy where there is no recognition of the sovereign rights of nations to have self-determination, and instead Brown and big business are trying to expand this economic system over the rest of the globe. Globalisation is responsible for the exploitation of workers all over the world who work for as little as 13p per hour. In Britain, jobs such as those in call centres are being shipped overseas leaving both British workers and the workers in other nations exploited. The working class and people must see that globalisation is another way to merge monopoly dictate over the whole world leaving the world’s people in poverty, hunger and deprivation. The workers must organise to be the ones to decide the direction of the economy.

Brown’s so-called concerns about climate change do not prompt him and his government to look at the culprits causing global warming, but to continue attacking the people by saying they are responsible and are the ones who need to change their ways. Meanwhile big business gets off scot free without challenge from the Brown government. Monopolies such as Ferrovial the new owners of BAA are not held to account for their role in carbon emissions. Meanwhile there is talk of green taxes on people who produce more waste and so on. So it can be said that Brown and his agenda will not solve the problem of global warming. These problems can only be resolved when power is in the hands of the workers.

Brown will talk of change in the NHS, education, affordable housing and trust in the government. While his rhetoric will be that of providing better services, etc., he will advocate that these better services can only transpire through the public private partnership. With huge chunks of the health and education systems already being sold off to the private sector the people should not be fooled by Brown’s promises of affordable housing. Healthcare, education, and housing are all basic human rights and only by fighting on the basis of the rights of all can the working and people guarantee these fundamental rights.

So it is clear that under the banner of justice and the moral high ground Brown will attempt to win the public over to his neo-liberal agenda of imperialist war, privatisation and globalisation, wanting the workers and people to follow his steps towards reaction and retrogression which if left unattacked would lead us back to medievalism. The workers will not be fooled by this or give up their own interests to appear to be "playing by the rules". The working class and people must unite against the Brown agenda, which is the agenda of the monopolies, and put forward their own programme that is a programme for an anti-war government, and to increase investments in social programmes and the recognition of the rights of all. The workers must do this by becoming conscious participants in the movement for a real socialist Britain where they are the decision makers. With anti-war demonstrations, strikes and worker politicians standing in elections the working class and people are taking up their own agenda. They must continue the march towards bringing about democratic renewal, with the knowledge that the workers can and must intervene in the polity and organise on their terms on their road to revolution.

WDIE condemns Brown and his attempts to cover his sordid monopoly capitalism with the cloak of justice and prosperity. WDIE supports the workers’ and people’s movements which are standing in opposition to the Brown dictate and who are fighting for the alternative.