Kmflett's Blog

Labour Election victories October 1964 & 1974: A Change Is Gonna Come?

It is the anniversary of the Labour Election on 15^th October 1964 and also the anniversary of the victory on 10^th October 1974. In both cases Harold Wilson became Labour Prime Minister.

Both Election victories and the context they took place in are fast moving from living memory into labour history.

In both cases the Labour majority was slim-an overall majority in single figures in both 1964 and in October 1974. Indeed so small was the margin in 1974 that Labour spent some of the time up to the 1979 Election in a Lib-Lab Pact which itself may seem rather odd to those more familiar with the events from 2010-15.

In 1964 Labour was expected to win well.

After their 1959 Election victory the Tories had suffered a number of crisis not least the Profumo sex scandal that in effect saw Tory Premier Macmillan bow out of politics. His replacement, Alec Douglas Home, an old Etonian who looked and sounded as if he was from a by-gone age, and very probably was, was widely satirised.

Labour stood on the need to ‘modernise’ Britain and move firmly into the 1960s based on scientific and technological advance. Part of that was aimed at restrictive practices in industry but there was also criticism of trade union protections.

That is worth remembering as in recent times there has been a trend to see ‘Old Labour’ as fundamentally different from what came afterwards.

The narrowness of the Election victory was a surprise, not least to some of the left.

New Left Review urged Wilson to push on with change as the only way to keep Labour in Office. Whether that was his record can be debated by historians- left activists from that period would certainly say not I think- but in 1966, when an early Election was called Labour was returned with a 100 seat majority.

NLR also pondered why Labour’s margin of victory in 1964 was so small. It reflected that a mood for change which was to be found in the media and in public discourse was not yet fully in tune with the feelings at the grassroots of society.

Indeed as David Renton’s review of Ford and Goodwin on UKIP reminds us historically sections of the working class voted Tory and did not automatically and sometimes at all support Labour. In 1964 seats in cities like Sunderland and Liverpool were won by the Tories.

This was after all the period of the long post-1945 boom and whatever the specific economic problems of the moment, many in work were feeling better off. The crisis was more one of politics and the future of Britain rather than the economy.

October 1974 was very different. Britain faced an energy crisis and Labour had been returned to Office in February 1974 on the back of a miners strike. Tory Premier Heath had called a ‘Who Governs Britain’ Election and the voters had determined it wasn’t him.

It was a period of significant class struggle in the UK which was at best only partially reflected within the Labour Party itself. Moreover 1974 was also the year of the Portugese Revolution and much of the left was taken up, quite rightly, with events in that country.

Tony Benn’s Diary records the October 1974 Election as one where ‘red scare’ tactics were used against the left. Harold Wilson on the advice of the Security Services determined not to appoint the left-winger Judith Hart as a Minister because she had Communist connections. She did indeed. She had telephoned a meeting organiser to say she could not speak at a meeting because a Communist was on the platform. Wilson backed down.

Perhaps the wider historical point to ponder here is that while Labour was in Office for 11 of the 15 years from 1964 to 1979 and again for 13 years from 1997 to 2010, and while some changes for the better were made, the chance to re-shape the system in the way that Thatcher did, let alone to bring about any fundamental change was passed by.

In that sense the New Left Review comment of November 1964 that Labour needed to push on with change to secure support was both correct and over optimistic in thinking it would.

It all seems a long time ago now but there is context for Starmerism here.

Beard Liberation Front

15th October

Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

Ninth Dr Who Voted Beard of Autumn on 60^th Anniversary

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers has said that actor Christopher Eccleston has been voted Beard of Autumn 2023 narrowly shaving Spurs Manager Ange Postecoglou for the seasonal honour.

Eccleston was the ninth Dr Who between 2004-5 and the BLF says that his victory is an appropriate way to mark the 60^th anniversary of Dr Who, although Eccleston was a clean shaven Dr Who.

Beard of Autumn is the last of four quarterly awards before the annual Beard of the Year in December.

There were two preliminary rounds of voting with a final Beard Off starting in mid-October

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, As usual competition bristled for the coveted title of Beard of Autumn, but Christopher Eccleston shaved his opponents, perhaps reflecting a residual Dr Who type powers…

Beard of Autumn 2023 shortlist

Andy Parker, brewer

Ange Postecoglou, football manager

Christopher Eccleston, actor

Gary Lineker, MOTD

Tom Allen, comedian

Paul Hollywood, GBBO

Andrew Boff, politician

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Michael Shanks, politician

Protest on Palestine. Why size & scale matters

Saturday saw protests across the UK about current events in Palestine. The BBC reports that the UN says Gaza faces the abyss, due to Israeli Government military action

The protests were not only in the UK- there was a sizeable protest in Barcelona which is twinned with Gaza. In the UK 100,000 plus marched in London but there were also marches in Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow and elsewhere

Who however was impressed? It seems unlikely that either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer noticed that their bellicose statements on the matter don’t fit a wider move of concern, focused on the impact on civilians

The world contains large numbers of conspiracy theorists who often claim the media ignored the protests. They didn’t. You can find the BBC report on the news website https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67110119.amp

The argument is not a lack of reports but how much prominence they have or don’t have given the seriousness of the matter and the global scale of protest.

Some papers, the Mail inevitably, searched for Hamas sympathisers on the London protest. They may have found a couple but failed to grasp that this is about solidarity with the Palestinian people and resistance to a brutal military operation.

You had to look to social media to find that numbers of Jewish people were on the London protest, horrified on what is taking place in Israel as well as Palestinian but understanding that the renewed cycle of violence stems from actions taken over time by the hard to far right Israeli Government. The leading Israeli paper Haaretz has been saying this for several weeks now.

But if UK politicians mostly weren’t listening what was the point?

Several speakers at the London protest made the thing clear. It is an act of solidarity that will be seen and heard across the world Physical proof that many stand with them against the aggression of the IDF and the Israeli Government.

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October 15th

Alan the Vicar is being ostracised because Titchener has publicised his forthcoming ‘baptism’ to the entire village via what might reasonably be understood as poison pen letters.

A Friday might meeting at St Stephens on refugees- full marks to Alan for organising it- found only Neil present and some form of note pinned to the Church door.

We must presume given how much it has been discussed that most residents of Ambridge have read Lark Rise to Candleford to the end and will have noted several references to Rough Music. The practice of those who were viewed as moral transgressors for one reason or another being called out, usually by a late night and very noisy gathering outside their house. Rough Music was not always progressive but in the case of Titchener it would be. All to Penny Hassett!!

Grey Gables: Contractors & Ardil walk out. Wetherspoons option back on the agenda

After Ian was rude about the kitchen at Grey Gables contractors have walked off the job. The Ambridge Socialist backs them. Ardil has also cleared off, quite possibly for a while. The option for Grey Gables to become a Wetherspoons is back on the agenda

Guinea Pigs

The Ambridge Socialist prefers hedgehogs

Tandems

The various falling off experiences of Neil and Susan seem a bit ageist, but perhaps an electric bike would work better…

Engels to Hermann Engels 13th October 1877

….there has infact been a bit of a frost here too, but the geraniums are still flowering a little outside.In Scotland however the entire harvest is done for,on 20th September, near Edinburgh, I noticed that the corn was still quite green

Engels had been on a fortnight’s holiday in Scotland in September. The letter is dated London but he may have been referring to a frost in Ramsgate where he had been staying

Beard Liberation Front

14^th October

Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

2023 Cricket World Cup may be the most hirsute ever

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the 2023 Cricket World Cup currently underway in India, may be the most hirsute so far.

Players like Ben Stokes and Virat Kohli challenged for the honour of the Cricket World Cup in 2019 but the campaigners say that in the intervening period the understanding that beard power can help a team’s performance has grown.

Either with bat or ball correctly positioned follicles can interact with air currents and make a small but crucial difference to the flight and direction of the ball.

The key India v Pakistan game on 14^th October features 21 out of 22 players with beards but elsewhere New Zealand have deployed Kane Williamson’s beard power again after a break.

The campaigners say that because beards can come and go it is too early to call the 2023 World Cup as the most hirsute ever but BLF Researchers are keeping a careful watch on the beard power on display in each game.

Socialist Historians say the struggle for political rights from Peterloo to Palestine is a key part of a people’s history

The London Socialist Historians Group is supporting the London demonstration in support of political rights for Palestine on 28th October.

The struggle for political rights is perennial feature of a people’s history.

At Peterloo in 1819 the problem the Government had was that although Britain was nominally a democracy, in reality it was not, and the only way they could deal with protests was through official violence. It took many years starting with the 1832 Reform Act for the Government to come terms with the need to deal with matters by democratic dialogue. The point has to be continually renewed.

When the Manchester Yeomanry cut down and killed and injured protesters for the vote at Peterloo in central Manchester on 16th August 1819, the authorities did blame this on fleeing protesters.

Frustrated that peaceful protest achieved no movement to political rights for the many, 1820 saw attempts at armed risings and at Cato St a plot to murder the Cabinet.

The historical pattern repeats itself. Peaceful methods to gain political rights were preferred. However if the authorities frustrated this, from Peterloo to Palestine now, resolute that no political rights would be conceded, other methods to try and achieve change get support.

LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett, there is a duty of solidarity to those fighting for their political rights. Progress in history depends on it. The attack on Gaza, much,much larger in scale than Peterloo, with far more dead and injured, has the same root. A refusal to countenance democratic rights and a violent response to those who protest for them

The State & Protests

Britain has been at least until recently a liberal democracy.

A lesson was learnt after a rally for the vote at Peterloo in Manchester in August 1819 was banned. The resulting dispersal of the crowd by troops on horseback was known as the Peterloo Massacre.

There has been a tension ever since between protest and the dislike of protest by the Government. 27^th October for example is the 55^th anniversary of the Grosvenor Square protest against the Vietnam War. That led to the formation of the Special Demonstration Squad (aka Spy Cops)

The current Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been attempting to ban all protest for a while. The slow walking of Just Stop Oil has mostly been made illegal. All kinds of other restrictions on protest now exist- such as making too much noise.

In some cases, protests against the Monarchy, arrests take place but prosecutions rarely follow. The aim is to disrupt and deter.

Macron this week has banned protests on Palestine. France has been a more authoritarian State than Britain, hence also the reaction in terms of more riots and ad hoc protests. Britain under Braverman is heading the same way.

William Cobbett’s Free Born Englishman in the 1820s who prized civil liberties and hated authoritarian intrusion by the State was sometimes sympathetic to the Tories. Not one suspects in the 2020s

I’ll be 67 this month and I agree that going up and down stairs is a good way of maintaining mobility, even with creaky knees (Letters, 11 October). Another way is to go on demonstrations. In times like these there is plenty to march about.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London

Guardian 13th October 2023