Before Starmer’s Imperial Delusions: Welfare & Warfare, a Social Democratic View. The 1970 Labour Manifesto
Keir Starmer has made what will hopefully be his last major speech before departing Downing St. A summary of it comes down to paying more for defence while cutting things that make Britain worth defending. It is arguably a traditional Tory view and perhaps that of a section of the old Labour right. It is not social democratic let alone socialist.
While defending the UK from attack, as likely from the US as Russia in the current moment it might be thought, is appropriate, expenditure on global warmongering is not. Surely Britian was meant to have learnt that lesson in the 1960s. The pressure for more defence spending and less welfare comes from the political hard right and from defence industry lobbyists (often former senior armed forces figures).
Starmer who is most definitely not a (labour) history man says that Labour Government’s have always prioritised defence spending and security. That is 50% right. When those Government’s have also been social democratic they have balanced that with welfare spending, understanding that the two go together.
The extracts below are from the June 1970 Labour Election Manifesto. Labour lost to the Tories but the two extracts strike what might be considered a social democratic balance between welfare and warfare.
Certainly from the formation of NATO Labour was (and still is) committed to warfare- that is defence spending. During the Cold War defence was seen by the Labour right as a key issue but there was a quid pro quo. What was being defended and why? It was a country that looked after the sick and aged in a ‘compassionate’ welfare system.
The 1970 Manifesto arguably leaned a little to the left and the left position of welfare not warfare can be seen. It didn’t mean ignoring defence spending, but it was focused on decent public services and welfare provision.
The Starmer Government wanted to try and diverge from both the classic positions of the Labour right and left. Considerable increases on defence spending are proposed at the same time as considerable cuts in public investments.
The result may over a period of time (perhaps not immediately in each case) leave considerable numbers in poverty and economic infrastructure crumbling even more than it is now. It’s not a recognisable social-democratic position based in the historical context of Labour policy
1970 Labour Manifesto
We must make a rising standard of provision for those who, on account of age, sickness or other circumstances, are unable to provide for themselves. A compassionate society is one that does not grudge help for those in need
in the world as it is today, Britain must maintain her defences and her firm commitment to NATO. It is true – and it is a truly Socialist shift in priorities – that we now spend more on education than on defence, and that in the near future the health and welfare service expenditure will also exceed defence spending. Yet, because of our shrewd and sensible reduction in commitments, with Labour, the armed forces are better paid, better equipped and more effective in NATO than ever before. More than that, in contrast to the hundreds of millions of pounds wasted on costly prestige projects under the Tories, Labour’s defence planning gives the taxpayer value for money.
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