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Criticisms of Labour? Main criticisms of Labour party of today?

What are the main criticisms of the Labour party of today ('New Labour')?

Also what are the problems with their left-wing ideologies of old?

I ask because I'm interested in assessing all the parties views and ideals before choosing which to support.

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The Labour party at the present is not "new labour" which was affiliated with a stance closer to the right wing.
Reply 2
Avatar for The Patriot
The Patriot
OP
14
Original post by Low Profile
The Labour party at the present is not "new labour" which was affiliated with a stance closer to the right wing.


So under Gordon and Ed Miliband it has moved back to the left?
Original post by S129439
So under Gordon and Ed Miliband it has moved back to the left?


Hard to say-certainly Eds taking it in a more progressive direction (and more left wing on issues like civil liberties) but he hasn't headed towards old style socalism at all. I think that he is actually looking for the future direction of social democracy-much like Blair did with his acceptance of the market.
They support taxes purely based on envy (such as the 50% tax which reduced revenue)

They increased taxes to levels which make us less competitive and increased the size of the state to an unaffortable level - the public sector is now larger than the private sector, making up 53% of our GDP.

They are responsible for rolling out much of the surveillance state as we know it today, spending billions of borrowed money on databases.

They built up vast amounts of debt not only in government bonds, but off the balance sheet, through their "private finance initiatives" which have meant that some hospitals built during the labour government will end up costing billions of pounds and won't be paid for until after 2030.

They altered constituency boundaries to favour Labour (which is why in 2005 with a 3% lead labour had a majority of 66, whilst in 2010 with an 8% lead the Conservatives were unable to form a majority government) and they now oppose making constituencies a uniform size in terms of population, which isn't surprising really as it would remove some of the bias in the system.

They seem incapable of being honest with the electorate - Tony Blair's 45 minute scare and the 2005 labour election promise of a referendum on the lisbon treaty are shining examples of this.

They spent more than a decade funneling taxpayer funds into their own party to fight elections, by setting up the "trade union modernisation" fund, which gave money to the unions, which was then immediately given back to Labour in political support.

They oppose changes to the benefits system which makes sponging off the state a real life choice - For example they oppose capping the level of housing benefit paid, instead choosing to support housing those who are out of work in houses which would be unaffordable to anyone bereft of multi-millionaire status.

They have created an education system which gets easier every year, in order to make it seem as though their education policies were working. They now oppose changes which would make exams tougher.

Can't think of any other major points right now, but that should get you started.
Reply 5
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The Patriot
OP
14
Original post by WharfedaleTiger
Hard to say-certainly Eds taking it in a more progressive direction (and more left wing on issues like civil liberties) but he hasn't headed towards old style socalism at all. I think that he is actually looking for the future direction of social democracy-much like Blair did with his acceptance of the market.


Is this evidence of the so called 'shift to the centre' that most parties seem to be doing?

Civil liberties are our freedoms right? If you have no civil liberties then the state decides everything you do and limits your rights as an individual right? Making sure I understand lol :P
(edited 13 years ago)
It feels as if they are waiting to see what will happen over the next few months to decide what their strategy will be.

At the moment from what I observe in Parliament, their achillies heel is the argument made by Coalition MPs that the banking mess and the deficit happened on their watch. A case of "We wouldn't have to do all of this bad stuff if you hadn't screwed things up in the first place" which - given that ministers in particular have the final word on debates - puts any opposition party in an awkward position. Blair used this to similar effect in the late 90s - saying that Labour had to do what it was doing because the Conservatives had run down public services to such an extent.

The pendulum does seem to swing from pro-public services to pro-tax cuts. What we may see on the back of the protests is the polarisation of opinion between those against cuts to public services and the public sector and those who want more pro-business policies. One of the major fault lines I think will be over how big businesses come out of this - the banks and the multi-nationals. If the super-rich are seen to flaunt their wealth in the face of such huge cuts, it could make people suffering from the cuts more angry than they already are.
Original post by S129439
Is this evidence of the so called 'shift to the centre' that most parties seem to be doing?

Civil liberties are our freedoms right? If you have no civil liberties then the state decides everything you do and limits your rights as an individual right? Making sure I understand lol :P


Every party that wants to be electable needs to 'shift to the centre' as thats where most of the voters are. Just where the centre ground is is very debatable however-it shifts and parties also try to pull the centre this way and that. Some, like both Labour and the Tories in the 80's, ignore it totally (polerisation) and rely on their bases to get elected. Miliband is, I think, trying to construct a new, radical centre. How successful he'll be is hard to say-Blair did something very similar in 90's-he moved the party to the centre but also also pulled the centre his way. Just sitting on the centre isn't enough-look at the Lib Dems and their old policy of equidistance.

Essentally your right.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 8
Avatar for Aj12
Aj12
18
Might as well go with new Labour as Labour under Ed has not released any policies or much to go by. Biggest critism I have is the massive erosion of civil liberties and the unsustainable confusing complicated welfare state they created.

Other's may include: Public spending was way to high and unsustainable.

Some of the PC laws that came in and general rise of political correctness.

Bad immergretion policies

Giving way to much power to Brussels/

Thats all I have off the to off my head
Basically clueless people will moan that they spend too much, that's about it

The real morons might even throw in something about immigration or the EU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qba6Yj6BJY

Very very scary
Reply 11
Avatar for Ipso Facto
Ipso Facto
Original post by The_Great_One


That is a terrible video - it just nurtures the opinion that the Conservatives would spend nothing on the NHS, would eliminate crime completely and wouldn't use taxation etc, all complete horse ****.
That they don't have a credible or specific enough plan to cut the deficit. They avoid detail and are serving as reactionary opposition to the gov't.
Where to start?

The Brown Terror, The Grinning Idiot, anti-Englishness, anti Britishness, totally opposed to the moral opinions of the people of this country, total betrayl of this country and everything it was etc etc etc
Their old ideologies (1970s, 80s etc) was simply too radical for people to go for. Main criticism right now is that it doesn't really seem to have any message, I hope Ed gets his head sorted.
Reply 15
Avatar for Dededex
Dededex
10
Original post by The_Great_One


I can't believe people actually fall for that; what an unprofessional campaign from Cameron.
Original post by Time Tourist
Where to start?

The Brown Terror, The Grinning Idiot, anti-Englishness, anti Britishness, totally opposed to the moral opinions of the people of this country, total betrayl of this country and everything it was etc etc etc


You're a confused old man
Original post by Time Tourist
Where to start?

The Brown Terror, The Grinning Idiot, anti-Englishness, anti Britishness, totally opposed to the moral opinions of the people of this country, total betrayl of this country and everything it was etc etc etc


what was this country before then TT?
Original post by Master Roshi
You're a confused old man


Research student in my early 20's who happens to have different political beliefs from you.
Original post by Tha_Black_Shinobi
what was this country before then TT?


What answer are you expecting from me? My old man can tell you about London in the 50's and 60's or my grandad can tell you about the 30's and 40's (and he's staunch old Labour).

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