Referendum rubbish
Submitted on 22 January, 2004 - 17:11
George Galloway and his "Respect" coalition are saying that the June Euro and local government elections should be made a referendum on Tony Blair.
So after June we should add up the Tory, Lib Dem, Scottish National Party, and other non-Labour votes, and crack open the champagne if the total is large enough?
The left should oust Blair. Not by hoping that the Tories' votes plus our little extra come to enough to dishearten him, but by mobilising the unions to reject both Blair and Brown and re-establish accountable working-class political representation.
»
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
Re: Referendum rubbish
I think there is another reason why talk of making local elections (in particular) into a 'referendum on Blair' is rubbish.
In your local elections, you elect your local council. If it is a 'referendum' on anything, it is on your local council: its cuts, privatisations, crap housing etc.
But actually, it's an election, and working-class people, not being thick, know that. Telling them that an election is in fact a referendum is patronising, and is a wilful refusal to engage with the actual process of the election.
It implies that the election of socialist councillors is irrelevant and that the grievances and struggles of local people a side issue. In short, it reduces the concept of working-class representation in a political forum to a superficial opinion poll.
It is no wonder that what passes for the left in Britain has such a weak base in wroking-class communities.
e-mail: janine.booth at btopenworld.com