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Is the Labour Party right wing?

Well they deregulated the banks, which isn't the usual left-wing motto.

Tony Blair didn't reverse any of the right-wing Thatcherite policies.

He also introduced university fees for students.

How much was that a realisation that the country couldn't afford it any more.

Ken Clarke was asked what Thatchers Legacy was. His response was 'it forced Labour to change it's politics.'

Reply 41

anarchism101

17

Original post by MatureStudent36

How much was that a realisation that the country couldn't afford it any more.

And why would switching to fees necessarily help in that regard? A fee-paying system simply means less tax revenue down the line because people are using their money to pay off their student debts rather than on consumption or investment.

Reply 42

MatureStudent36

5

Original post by anarchism101

And why would switching to fees necessarily help in that regard? A fee-paying system simply means less tax revenue down the line because people are using their money to pay off their student debts rather than on consumption or investment.

Not really. Those numbers just don't add up. You're making a huge assumption that student fees dramatically reduce the earning or entail of a graduate and there's no evidence to support that.

Reply 43

DaveSmith99

14

Centre left, but not true left wing no.

Reply 44

username207685

1

Original post by MatureStudent36

Not really. Those numbers just don't add up. You're making a huge assumption that student fees dramatically reduce the earning or entail of a graduate and there's no evidence to support that.

The government's own projections had the rise in tuition fees losing the country money in the the short-to-medium term and only potentially breaking even in the long-term. Not to do with reduced tax revenue from graduates, but from increases in student loan payments with a lower rate of repayment and loan completion.

Reply 45

MatureStudent36

5

Original post by betaglucowhat

The government's own projections had the rise in tuition fees losing the country money in the the short-to-medium term and only potentially breaking even in the long-term. Not to do with reduced tax revenue from graduates, but from increases in student loan payments with a lower rate of repayment and loan completion.

It's no different a business starting up. They'll loose money in the short term, with the aim to make money long term.It's called strategic planning. Something that the UK government in general has been quite poor out going for short term wins because all they are about is the next election.

But I'd be interested to see the projections.

What we do know is that free univrsty education just costs money with the numbers we have going to university these days.

Reply 46

username207685

1

Original post by MatureStudent36

It's no different a business starting up. They'll loose money in the short term, with the aim to make money long term.It's called strategic planning. Something that the UK government in general has been quite poor out going for short term wins because all they are about is the next election.

Congratulations, you now understand why austerity is stupid!

Reply 47

SciFiRory

16

Original post by SHallowvale

I've been told frequently that the Labour Party are right wing (or, at least, not left wing), yet i've been unable to find out how.

Does anyone know of anything which they currently advocate which is ''right wing''?

their policies are that of a centre right party, they support anti-terror legislation, interventionist military policy and capitalist economics (business centric/anti union/anti regulation/anti nationalisation, etc)

they used to be Centre Left but they have moved further to the Right since the 70's, culminating in Tony Blair who famously described them as a "Thatcherite Party" (essentially meaning that he and the party from that point on followed the general economic model put forward by the Conservatives under Thatcher)

Reply 48

itsallgreek

Around 1970 the student body in the UK became resolutely rightwing. Business studies and management courses proliferated. The UK universities became an international business itself dependent on overseas fee paying students. Students started turning up in suits or smart casual wear for lectures and seminars. Go to the LSE now and it is just a corporation like any other. The main focus is property development and money. Of course, the first right wing wave are now in their 50s and 60s running the show. That's why these individuals, mostly with a comfortable middle class background, often private school educated, never having come into contact with economic or social deprivation, such as the figures in Old Labour, are quite open to privatising the NHS and even the erosion of the principle of free at the point of access (the current discussion on charging for doctors appointments and A&E being worked up by right wing fascist troublemakers in the media such as the insidious press and radio such as LBC). Goodbye to 1968! Goodbye to all that! But my friends - in the long run there is no alternative to state controlled market economy with strong healthy public services, equitability, redistributive taxation, left of centre government with policies resolving current issues such as the environment and renewables not covered by capitalism and the firm. These are thoughts from an ex student of the LSE (BSc (Econ) 1976) who has never ceased to be amazed about the gleichschaltung like process thst has occurred in the UK which is really a rather odd off shore island dominated by a pro-American clique in London and the South East England ruling the rest of the country in a style thst has not progressed very much since the Norman invasion and conquest of 1066.

Reply 49

attiqa1

I think labour more of a centre-left party

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Reply 50

Monkey.Man

we have three social democrat parties in parliament today; the liberal democrats are most social democrat, whereas the labour and conservative party are sort of the same thing but one is slightly more left wing. if you try to cut the cons from the labs, then you'll realise they only disagree in terms of very specific and small areas of policy. one wants to have slightly more taxes, one wants slightly less taxes. that's the only difference I find.

Reply 51

LaPregunta

16

Original post by SHallowvale

I've been told frequently that the Labour Party are right wing (or, at least, not left wing), yet i've been unable to find out how.

Does anyone know of anything which they currently advocate which is ''right wing''?