Only two British newspapers regularly criticise the new British government. But an overwhelming majority of the international media, including the Scottish and Irish papers, share a less starry-eyed view. Most of the British media are still hanging on hard to the Prime Minister's tails. Trying here to blame the PM's top advisor (especially now he and his mate have been sacked) - claiming there that 'world beating' Covid management has inevitably prevented other proper government initiatives, except that the UK has the worst health results in the West, behind only those of the US. So Boris is still presented in most of the English media as a potential knight in shining armour. Nowhere else.
The reality of the British Tory leadership is the inevitable, hopeless extension of the previous 11 years of Tory austerity government. Boris is saying that they are different from the previous Tory governments; 'we are not going for austerity' he bellows. The rest of the world looks at Britain's mess. They pick up the hints from the Government's Treasury; they turn to the history of Britain's post war economy from 1945 to 1960, consider, and then say - oh yes?
The political alternative to Boris? The second Keir, in his own second-rate way, has already collapsed. 20 Labour MPs have called for Corbyn's re-establishment as a Labour MP. 13 members of the National Executive have walked out. The leadership of Labour is now involved in the narrow business, primarily designed to kill off Corbyn - an expected conclusion of the ruling class's relentless attacks on Corbyn after he nearly won the 2018 General Election. Social Democracy always seeks contracts with the powers that-be. The political death of Corbyn and his supporters was and remains paramount to them. Sadly for Keir mark 2, even if he dumps Corbyn's 20 MPs and his National Exec., supporters, he will have no base outside the Labour Party from which he could push the ruling classes for any sort of contract, because he is trying to dismantle the 10 million who voted for Corbyn. Most of that base do not want and will not support, another, adenoidal version of Blair.
The two main parties demonstrate the spectacular failure of British politics in the 21st century. Here is what the failing parties will do and what they will not do. Starting with the government; it is the most personally corrupt since the 19th century. (See blog on corruption; 13 November; now covered across many media.) It is going to fail spectacularly in its fight with Scottish national independence. It is going to set up a new austerity of desperate proportions. Mass action will turn to revolt - by students, the unemployed and workers who are going to have their wages cut yet again. All this will redouble the Tory Party factionalism that previously ripped across Brexit, in the government efforts that will be used, by state borrowing, in order to keep Boris's connection with the working class split that he fought for in 2020.
The government's main opponents in Parliament will also fail - and carry on Blair's destruction of the UK's social democratic party. It will reject the most radical part of the working class action and its demands - despite the context of direct and desperate struggle against the government's program. It will seek a Wilsonian offer, to 'calm things down', that will be unacceptable for most people and which would offer the opposite in the Scottish and Northern Irish radical developments. 'We are not as bad as them' already failed with Miliband in 2012.
What neither of the two main parties will not do is approach the key crises that are expanding fast in British life. They will trip away; denying the driving significance of poverty and the untouchable wealth of the rich, the British nations requirements and their bubbling future, the direct responses (except via the police) to direct action, the breakdowns and the new, critical decisions of the people. Why? Because the main Parties are rotten. Because British democracy has less and less of a role in Britain's current politics.
Here's at least one version of what could be done.
First, Corbyn, with his 20 MPs and his 13 National Executive members, should take the step of founding a Socialist faction in Parliament. The new faction would stand for all of the 2019 manifesto; a minimum wage as direct support for all unemployed after Corona; increased wages for all, based genuinely on reversing austerity; opening up and supporting critical referendums required by all sections of the UK and organising social conferences across Britain to deeply reform the basis for a new type of democracy.
Of course various well meaning but narrow ideologues will shiver at the thought of 'undermining the unity of Labour.' But this particular and ancient notion has run its course - if it ever had one. The single Green MP carries more political weight in society than lorries full of the two main parties of MPs. There is no foreseeable future for any decisive development towards socialism unless a core of millions, already utterly disgusted people, who reject the status quo, can associate themselves with the ideas and policies that they can really fight for. Corbyn and his current supporters can begin to help building that movement: Inside and outside the current but decrepit British Parliament.
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