This week is the fifth anniversary of the Thatcher government. There is no need to catalogue the price that the working class has had to pay for those years. Everyone has their own tale to tell of what Thatcher has done to them through unemployment, welfare health democracy, or cheap labour schemes for For five years the labour movement has faced the most determined onslaught against its rights and living standards that it has seen for fifty years. And Thatcher has got even more in he pipeline it she can deal with the miners This sustained attack has undoubtely led to confusion, disroientation, and for a time some abour movement. There have been some major defeats — like the NGA or GCHQ. Duffy's moves ballots in the unions compounds this.
But despite the set backs a real fight is starting to appear. Thatcherism, by its very brutalt ty, has accelerated the beginnings of a real force for progress inside the British labour movement — a socialist force with mass support inside the The Labour left in the post-war years concentrated on parliament and the constituencies. The fight for resolutions at the annual conalthough this was a caricature. Even in 1979-83 the fight inside the Labour Party was largely inBut what has come out of that struggle is elements of the type of mass politics which is Tony Benn, even in the 1970s, was the first Labour left leader since Bevan to inspire really overwhelming mass popular support - even if it is most definately a minority of 'the masses' who ingstone represent the same new forces.
Liverpool council has shown that a determinod at entire caty. And the local elections this entire city. And the local elections this week will show that it becomes increasingly impossible for Thatcher to win an election in any The mass movement against US missiles has contined to mobilise hundreds of thousands on to the streets against Thatcher's policies. But most importantly right now, Arthur whatever disagreements one has with him on Poland or women - has brought the miners into a tremendous struggle against Thatcher. This is a force with real power to change things, even stop Thatcher in her tracks, and Scargill wants All these forces remain a minority within society and within the labour movement. Thatcher still holds sway in much of the high ground of the class struggle. And even these leaders and But we need a sense of history. Fifteen years Labour's left could be ridiculed by Wilson slowly and unevenly, and because it is the only force confronting Thatcher, the left wing of the struggles and politics which it has not had for a Socialism is only insolated today when it chooses to be isolated. It is creating a political culture which goes far beyond those whom The Sun chooses to slander in its columns.
Thatcher in the short term has won tremendous victories for her class. But over the longer view she has stirred up forces that have not been seen in British politics for many years.
In another five years time British capitalism may prefer that these devils had never been cuts, attacks on Thatcher's offer to pay for secret
Socialist Action 4 May 1984