Monthly Archives: October 2015

The alliance of the “unelected” and “unelectable”

David Cameron, Prime Minister, tried to bat away a question asked 6 times by the Leader of the Opposition beginning with reference to an alliance of “unelected” and “unelectable” during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons. It seems that once again the PM is in danger of being a hostage to fortune. His derision combined with his inbred Etonian cockiness have left him off his guard.

The “unelectable” asked his own question today instead of his earlier tactic of using questions from crowd sources, which had been effective in putting Cameron off guard and from comments made by The Independent it appeared his best performance to date in this hot seat.

Earlier this week it was the “unelected” who delivered the coup de grace to PM and Chancellor, who responded by brazening it out, but with a much softer subtext claiming that someone was listening – not the usual modus operandi for the Bullingdon Club chums.

In the last coalition government the Conservatives went out of their way to prevent an advance in reformation of the Lords, against the wishes of their Lib-Dem partners. As the Telegraph noted it was because there are no votes in doing this.

So now hopefully the second chamber will cease to be “unelected” and Jeremy Corbyn will continue to draw in more people who haven’t habitually voted because of their disenchantment with the established elite.

The attributes of a political leader

Nominally the UK is a “Christian” nation, although migration has changed the demography with respect to religion, language and culture. When it comes to declaring the attributes of a political leader there are many contradictions. Clearly things haven’t changed much at the top when it comes to ruling Britain. The monarchy is entrenched and established white upper class if anything but British itself, backed by an established Anglican Church. No one of another faith or even denomination need apply. Any potential political leader is expected to bow the knee before it. (My view is that the state should be, and stay, secular.)

The recent elevation of a questioner to the leadership of the Labour Party has brought out a nervousness, not least among the now old adherents of New Labour. Any potential leader of Britain has to be seen participating in singing the anthem, however meaningless, saluting the flag and kneeling in front of the Royal Highness. That’s not all. There is, it is claimed, awaiting the incumbent of no 10 Downing Street a red button to be pressed at any time of emergency whether that be real or imagined. Nuclear conflagration would ensue potentially wiping out life on the planet. One nation has pressed the nuclear button in war to date, the United States of America, letting loose two nuclear weapons of very small size to that now available, the unbalanced state of Israel being perhaps having a significantly sizable arsenal. Nevertheless it continues to formal denial of their existence with NATO members joining in the charade – again in utmost secrecy – by deploying these weapons in submarines donated to Israel by Germany.

The current Tory leadership avows that sharing such information with a doubter would threaten Britain’s security. In actuality what is being done in secrecy is arguably a tremendous risk to us all. It allows no accountability in a nation that claims democracy as an underpinning essential.

If any of the supposedly desirable attributes of the leader are missing then hysteria ensues as the massed forces of the press whip up patriotic fervour. This will once more be unleashed on on 11th November as those who have sent the young into unnecessary and counterproductive combat cry crocodile tears over those who once more didn’t come back. Red poppies in place anyone who says differently will be mercilessly tried by kangaroo court and sentenced to ridicule and mirth. A white poppy? Try it.

Cuban Futures Conference, London, October 2015

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Rafael Hernandez addressing the Cuban Futures Conference opening plenary “December 17th and beyond” Embassies have opened in Havana & Washington, the Miami 5 are free, Cuba is off the terrorist list and Obama and Raul Castro shook hands. What’s next?

Members of the Socialist Labour Party attended the Cuban Futures Conference held at Congress House, TUC HQ in central London last Saturday, October 3rd 2015. The original Socialist Labour Party was set up by James Connolly who was also at one time a member of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) alongside Keir Hardy. The name was revived in 1996 as a response to the removal of Clause 4 from the Labour Party’s constitution under Tony Blair. The leader of the SLP was, and still is, Arthur Scargill. This took Connolly’s Socialism on board and setting a distinctive tradition strongly opposing the social-democratic and neo-liberal trends in both the Labour Party and politics in general.

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Bhagwant Singh, John Tyrrell and John Mcleod at the Cuba Futures Conference organised by Cuba Solidarity Campaign  

The SLP has been involve in two delegations to Cuba in the last decade. The first in 2008 was to attend the Conference Marxism in the 21st Century in Havana. It was then I became very much aware of a different perspective at work which was not confined to Cuba, but was having a far reaching effect on South American and Caribbean countries determined to counter the effects of their dominating neighbour to the north, the USA. Four years later it was apparent that joint organisations being developed like ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America) were gaining momentum with Venezuela and Bolivia having elected Socialist governments and many others supporting the Cuban position, including Brazil and Argentina. Equador and Nicaragua also became prominent with their Ambassadors speaking at the London Conference giving testimony to Cuban achievement and leadership.

DSC00121SLP members in Cuba in May 2008 to attend the Conference Marxism in the 21st Century.        l to r Lily and John Mcleod, John Tyrrell, Shangara Singh and Sheera Johal

 

No one claims, least of all Cubans themselves, that they have found answers to issues confronting the world and humanity, but as speakers from a variety of backgrounds illustrated how Cuba was succeeding in many ways better than far wealthier states in health, in education, in food production and so on. This was against a backdrop of continuing sanctions in spite of the recent apparent thaw in diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US. Cuban speakers made it clear that they didn’t see a change in the United States intentions, rather a different approach characterised by “charm” rather than aggression. One told us the story of the frog and the scorpion when the latter, incapable of swimming to leave Cuba, asked the frog to carry him to the US. The frog replied that the scorpion would use its sting on him, to which the scorpion replied that he would drown if he did that. Half way across the scorpion did sting the frog who asked in surprise why he had done it. “That’s what scorpions do” came the reply.

Cubans are seeking five major outcomes from the rapprochement with the US, including the return of Guantanamo Bay. The release of the Cuban 5 from their long incarceration is seen as a major step forward, but on other other hand Cuban demands that the perpetrators of the terrorist act in bringing down a Cuban airliner, living in the United States, had not been brought to justice. The five Cubans were arrested after their attempts to do just that.

Cuba is characterised as a dictatorship and undemocratic by the standards of western governments with multi-party systems. However this needs to be countered by understanding how people are elected to govern at three levels: local, provincial and national. In practice it is far more democratic by being inclusive with a far higher level of voter participation normally found in the so-called western democracies.

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John Mcleod receiving gifts, including a portrait of Che Guevara, from a street committee in Santa Clara, Cuba, on behalf of the Socialist Labour Party in 2008.

The SLP delegations have been welcomed on each of their visits by local communities with festivities taking place in the streets or buildings where they live. Doctors, teachers, police and others involved in provision of services are involved as are members of the community of all ages. In Santa Clara and Havana we were treated to street theatre, dancing and delicious local products including food and wine.

Speakers at the London Conference this year demonstrated Cuba’s achievements in health, exporting doctors and nurses, while maintaining a high level of care at home. Indicators of child mortality at birth was 6 per 1000 compared to 8 per 1000 in the USA. (In the UK it is 5 per 1000. It was pointed out that Cuba used the NHS as a model for its care system. It was hastily qualified to the NHS as it once was!)

Schools and clinics we visited were not lavishly equipped but clearly they manage to carry out excellent work. Gifts of even basic commodities were received gratefully. As the Cubans we met pointed out “we have little, but what we have we share”. DSC00163

Visiting a school in Santa Clara, Cuba, 2008

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Visit to a centre for young people here seeing services demonstrating a rescue exercise. Fidel Castro used to visit regularly on his birthday.

The Conference was against a backdrop of events on and after 17th December, 2014 when there was an apparent thaw in relations between Cuba and its powerful neighbour to the north, the United States of America.

Later in April 2015 President Obama announced that Cuba is of the list of state sponsored terrorists.

So what of the future? How far have things changed? Cuban speakers were cautious believing that what they were seeing was a change in tactics by the US rather than a fundamental shift in their attitude to Cuba, aggressive posturing being replaced by a charm offensive. Cuba they still see as an undemocratic dictatorship as a one party state. The gains of the Revolution will have to continue to be defended, including “health, internationalism, educations, women’s rights”. Others, including the US can learn much from Cuba.

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Arleen Rodriguez with translator on Cuban Futures. The return of Guantanamo Bay remains unresolved as does the Blockade and compensation for 50 years of aggression.

It was felt that the support of many South American and Caribbean countries was instrumental in convincing the US that a new approach was necessary, as was world solidarity seen here today.  It was noted that Obama still talks about “trading with the enemy” while Kerry referred to the relationship as “neighbours” rather than “friends”.  A resolution to end the blockade will be taken to the UN. How will the Obama administration vote? Cuba will not be going cap in hand but proceed with a dignified conscience to maintain a dignified sovereignty based on a record of solid achievement.