Socialism erupts

An eruption of pent-up socialism is shaking parliament. Last night the ‘Red Flag’ was sung in the Strangers’ bar. At dinner time today, 136 Labour MPs, including  Peter Hain, voted against the party’s whip.

It’s thrilling and invigorating. Labour MPs are the happiest they have been for a decade. This week, we  nationalised a bank and struck a blow for low paid exploited workers. These are the core Labour party policies the like of which we have rarely seen in recent years. Having been long deprived of traditional Labour policies, we have had two fixes in one week.

When I was about ten years old I avidly read the booklets produced by the Left Book Club. They cost about 7 pence each and were devoted to single issues. One of them was ‘Nationalising the Banks’ by, I think, John Strachey. Another was on "Nationalising the land.' The churches were against that. George Orwell said you know when a Labour Government is serious when they nationalise the banks.

While all the smiling classic Labour MPs know the motives were expediency not ideology, the decision still quickens the pulse. The revolt today of the 136 will be more significant in the long run. The last major rebellion on this scale was the 139 votes against the Iraq War.

It’s a giant warning to the government that MPs are no pushover. I hope they think hard before pressing on with the provocative, divisive '42 days' extension.

It’s an invitation to certain defeat.

Pensioner power
A Newport local historian and pensioner may have spurred a worthwhile Government move.

Hansard records on Thursday's Commons Debate:

“A constituent of mine, Mr. Cliff Knight, who is a doughty campaigner for pensioners and a local historian, is finding that the ageing process comes with
many unwelcome companions. He now needs many services that he never previously required. He was refused a grant to buy a stair lift. The means test for disabled facilities grants is based on the housing benefit rules. Although the weekly needs of a disabled pensioner are assessed at £186.55 for housing benefit purposes, increasing to £194 this April, the figure for calculating entitlement for a disabled facilities grant is £171.40, which was the housing benefit rate for 2005-06. Surprisingly, that makes a huge difference. The failure to increase the sum since 2005-06 makes a difference of up to £8,812 in the amount of grant payable.

That is staggering. It means that many people, who are entirely deserving of the grants, are floated off them by the failure to uprate the amount in line with inflation. We must examine that—a large cohort of pensioners has been badly dealt with because of this.”

Minister Mike O’Brien: - “ My hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) raised several issues. He is right to say that the disability facilities grant has not been uprated since December 2005, when we implemented the proposal to exclude children’s cases from means-testing. We are expecting to update the regulations shortly and we will also consider a packet of changes. The Government regard the DFG programme as an important means of helping more than 35,000 older and disabled people each year to continue to live independently. We have substantially increased funding for the programme from £57 million in 1997 to £146 million in 2008-09. Further steps will be announced shortly.”

There seems to be a strong hint there of more money. If it happens, it will be thanks to Cliff Knight and my researcher Tony Lynes.

Comments

[paulflynn]

Thanks Kieron. That's fascinating. I have fond memories of the original. But I am not certain whether I am accurate on believing who the authors and subjects were. I found very little on Google.

Good luck with your venture.

[Kieron]

You might be interested to know we're trying to create a new Left Book Club and create a new interest in the political pamphlet - details at LeftBookClub.com

All the best, Kieron