My thanks to young Strowger of Hebden Bridge for sending me to my bookshelves in search of the 1979 Labour Manifesto. Title as above. At the time, I can recall many of us thought the slogan a tad bland ( which it was) and in any case "Sunny Jim" Callaghan was well to the right of where most of us young trouble-makers were. You know what?
The sad thing is that Labour's middle-of-the-road, moderate 1979 Manifesto would now cause apoplexy in the ranks of New Labour. Public sector pay to be in line with the private sector, increased public ownership, backing for the nationalised Girobank and National Savings, increased investment in public sector railways, more money for council housing, long-term unemployed (12 months) to be offered a job or re-training - NOT benefit cuts.No new generation of nuclear weapons. These days, the LRC puts forward a similar programme and gets accused of being loony left. THIS was the policy programme agreed by Callaghan, Hattersley, Jenkins and Benn. The broad church we used to be proud of .
I quote the opening Manifesto paragraph:"The Labour Party is a democratic socialist Party and proud of it. We seek to build a stromger and more prosperous Britain - and we are determined to see that all our people share fully in that prosperity.We want a Britain which is open and democratic and which puts fair earnings for working people and the needs of the under-privileged before the demands of private profit." Wouldn't change a word. Would you?
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