Labour leader Keir Starmer recently called himself a socialist during the election campaign. But what does that really mean for the Labour party? Here are the key points:
- Socialists want policies to help workers and the poor, like strong public services
- Labour has roots in the socialist movement but hasn’t always followed pure socialist ideas
- Different Labour leaders have defined socialism in different ways over the years
- Some say Labour is moving away from its traditional socialist values
So is Labour still a truly socialist party today, or has it lost touch with those roots? Let’s explore further.
Labour’s Socialist Origins
Labour was founded in the early 1900s with ties to socialist and Marxist ideas that were popular at the time. The party’s original policies promoted:
- Public ownership of major industries and services
- Greater workers’ rights and union power
- Policies to reduce inequalities between the rich and poor
In 1947, Labour even republished the famous Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels, showing its connection to that ideology. However, Labour always stopped short of being a complete Marxist party.
Moving Away From Pure Socialism
Over time, Labour shifted away from its early socialist stance. A big change came in the 1990s when leader Tony Blair rewrote a key part of Labour’s constitution.
The new version removed Labour’s commitment to widespread public ownership. Blair and others defined socialist as more of a general belief in equality and workers’ rights, rather than state control of industries.
More recently under Keir Starmer, Labour has tried to appeal to businesses and the centre too. This has led some to question if Labour is still a socialist party at all.
What Starmer And Labour Mean By Socialist
When asked if he’s a socialist, Starmer said yes, but then defined it as putting the country first and being progressive. Not exactly a classic socialist definition!
His shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, took a different tone, calling herself a social democrat. She said this means:
- Equal opportunities for all children, regardless of background
- Strong public services to support people from the cradle to the grave
- A belief that working should pay and provide security
So for today’s Labour, the term socialist seems to have a very broad meaning around equality, public services and workers’ rights – not state control of industries.
Labour’s Future Direction
Some, like the founder of Momentum, John Lansman, hope Labour will embrace more overtly socialist policies in the future. He points to the party’s left-wing roots and thinks increased devolution to cities and regions could open the door to more examples of socialist practice.
However, others like political expert John Rentoul argue that Labour under Starmer will likely pursue a more moderate egalitarian liberal and social democratic path rather than a strictly socialist one.
Only time will tell which direction Labour ultimately takes. But one thing is clear – the definition of socialism is still up for debate within the party after over 100 years. What do you think Labour’s socialist values should look like in the 21st century?
Photo Credit – Flickr
