Labour’s two faces as protesters march on Downing St

Published: 21 October, 2010
EDITOR'S COMMENT

IN Camden public anger against the Osborne cuts reached levels yesterday (Wednesday) that may fuel expectations that France today could be Britain tomorrow.

But can one judge reactions from the size of the street protests in Holborn and Whitehall? Were there special factors at work such as the influence of the Town Hall unions and the wide feeling of support from Camden’s Labour councillors and party membership? Would this be replicated elsewhere?

All the signs so far suggest there is an undercurrent of fatalism among the public that can be read from recent polls.

Blame is not being levelled against the government. Some blame the collapse of global banking. But a growing number blame the last Labour government.

Are the Conservatives winning the propaganda war?

In speech after speech, Cameron and Osborne drum home that Gordon Brown, as well as his adviser at the time, Ed Miliband, dug the hole we are in – by bloating the public sector and taking their eye off the banks.

When Labour point to the global causes, they are pushed aside as “deficit deniers” and a party, as Cameron described them in the Commons yesterday, “without a plan”.

Here is a dose of nasty medicine that must be taken for two or three years before life gets better, say the Conservatives.

Tactically, to get through the next year, Osborne and Cameron no doubt hope that those whose jobs or income may be threatened will be more afraid of the axe that may fall than whether it is possible to protect themselves through public protest.

Labour have placed them­selves at a grave disadvantage. They skated over the causes of the crisis before the general election and have failed so far to produce an alternative policy in detail.

The Labour leadership is also distancing itself from any form of protest. Their dual game can only succeed if public protest simmers.

Meanwhile, faced with Whitehall’s draconian 20 per cent cut in funding, the Council, too, may have to face both ways.

While setting out to cut services it will no doubt blame the Coalition as it cuts them. It will move new tenants into council properties on fixed tenure and higher market rents – and, again, it will protest, saying, no doubt, the law is the law.

If public protest reaches the heights opponents of the cuts would hope, Camden councillors – and not only Labour – would find themselves facing the same dilemma as Labour in parliament.

But in all of this there are many ifs!