Populism left in the UK

04.26.2018  

Chantal Mouffe 
Page 12 




The crisis of European social democracy is confirmed. After the failures of Pasok in Greece, the PvdA in the Netherlands, the PSOE in Spain, the SPÖ in Austria, the SPD Germany and the PS in France, the PD is coming off the worst result in its history in Italy. The only exception to this disastrous panorama is in Britain, where the Labor Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, is growing. With nearly 600 thousand members, Labor is now the largest party of the left in Europe. 
How did Corbyn, who surprisingly was elected as party leader in 2015 to accomplish this feat?

After an attempt to move it by the right of the party in 2016, the decisive factor in consolidating its leadership moment was the strong growth of the Labor Party in the elections of June 2017. While polls the Conservatives gave them an advantage 20 points, the Labor Party won 32 seats, making the Tories lost the absolute majority. The strategy developed in these elections is the key to success of Corbyn. 

This is due to two main factors. First, a radical manifesto, in line with the rejection of austerity and neoliberal policies by major sectors of British society. Then the formidable mobilization organized by Momentum, the movement created in 2015 to support the candidacy of Corbyn.
Inspired by the methods of Bernie Sanders in the United States, as well as the new European radical groups, Momentum has used numerous digital resources to establish vast communications networks that have allowed the militants and many volunteers know what districts must go to contact voters door to door. It was this unexpected mobilization that led into error all odds.

But it was thanks to the enthusiasm aroused by the content of their program that all this was possible. Entitled For the many, not the few (for most, not just a few), used a motto that had been used by the party, but giving a new meaning to establish a political border between "us" and "they". Thus, it was re-politicize the debate and offer an alternative to neoliberalism introduced by Margaret Thatcher and continued by Tony Blair.

The main proposals of the program were the renationalisation of public services such as railways, energy, water or mail, curb the privatization of the National Health Service (NHS) and the school system, the abolition of tariffs enrollment in college and a significant increase in social benefits. Everything pointed to a clear break with the conception of the New Labor third way.

While the latter had replaced the struggle for equality with the freedom to "choose" the manifesto reaffirmed that Labor was the party of equality. The other highlight was the insistence on democratic control, so the emphasis was on the democratic nature of the proposed measures to create a more egalitarian society. State intervention was claimed, but with the role of creating the conditions that would allow citizens to take control of public services and manage them. Insisting on the need to deepen democracy is one of the central features of the draft Corbyn. This resonates very particularly in the spirit that inspires Momentum, which advocates establishing close ties with social movements.
It is the articulation of social struggles with those associated with other forms of domination that is at the heart of the strategy and Corbyn's why they can be classified as "leftist populism". The aim is to establish a synergy between the various democratic struggles spanning British society and transform the Labor Party into a large popular movement capable of building a new hegemony.
It is clear that the realization of such a project would mean for Britain such a radical change, albeit in the opposite direction, as performed with Margaret Thatcher. Certainly, the battle for the Labor reinvestir not yet won and infighting continues with supporters of Blair. Corbyn's opponents deploy multiple maneuvers to try to discredit him, the last is to accuse him of tolerating anti-Semitism within the party.

Tensions also exist between supporters of a more traditional conception of Labor and supporters of the "new politics". But these are being imposed and power relations play in their favor. Compared to other movements such as we or France insubordinate, Corbyn advantage is that it is at the head of a large party and has the support of unions.

Under his leadership, the Labor Party managed to return the taste for politics to those who had left with Blair and attract younger and younger. This proves that, contrary to what many political scientists say, political parties have not become obsolete forms and at the articulation with social movements, can be renewed. It is the conversion of social democracy to neoliberalism which is at the origin of the discontent of their constituents. 

When offered citizens the prospect of an alternative and have the opportunity to participate in a real agonistic discussion, they are eager to make their voices heard. But this requires abandoning the technocratic conception of politics, which reduced the management of technical problems, and recognize their partisan character.



Original source: https://www.pagina12.com.ar/110047-populismo-de-izquierda-en-el-reino-unido