Changing Weather?

Strangely enough the British election stands in stark contrast to recent gains by the far right across Europe. ‘There is a strong sense that this was a vote against Conservatives more than a vote for Labour’. Labour’s victory comes days after Marine Le Pen’s far right National Rally (RN) party scored historic success to win the first round of parliamentary election in France. But the far-right finally lost the election to the Left-wing coalition of France. Right-wing parties made similar advances elsewhere. In European Parliament elections German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats recorded their worst result ever. True, not all European countries are shifting to the right. Economic mismanagement and ignoring real issues can be costly as the British election shows. Whether Indian Prime Minister Modi is learning anything from the Conservative Party’s defeat is anybody’s guess. Long-term rule, rather misrule is no guarantee for permanent settlement. But this left-right or for that matter centre-left-right divide does hardly affect their foreign policy orientation. In most cases, their domestic policies too remain the same barring some cosmetic changes here and there. Not that Labour is going to dissociate itself from NATO’s expansionist program while arming Ukraine against Russia. Britain is due to give Ukraine 3 billion pounds ($ 3.8 billion) worth of military aid this year and the country is expected to continue to need support in the years to come. Labour is not going to antagonise the military-industrial complex. In its party manifesto, Labour said: “With Labour, the UK’s military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine will remain steadfast”.

 Britain being a trusted partner of America’s crimes against humanity across the world is in no position to take any independent decision in international affairs. It doesn’t matter whether Tories lose or Labour wins with a landslide majority. After assuming office British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will “deal with whoever is the president”, saying the relationship between Britain and the US is “above individuals”. In other words, Labour is unlikely to oppose Israel’s genocide in Gaza, albeit Britain of late, is talking about recognising Palestine state with a rider that such a move would need to become at the right time in a peace process. This ’right time’ will come when America will recognise Palestine! In essence Labour Prime Minister, the ‘self-styled socialist’, is echoing what Biden is saying in respect of the two-state solution.

It remains to be seen how the new government resolves the thorny issue of junior doctors. They have held strikes in England over the last 18 months, with the most recent ending on July 2. Doctors want a 35 percent pay rise because of inflationary pressure and erosion in real incomes, having been offered a package worth 10 percent on average.

Much in the Thatcherite tradition, the Conservative government was about to privatise the postal service. Royal Mail, which has delivered letters for 500 years, has agreed to be bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Knetinsky in a 3.57 billion pound deal at the end of May. Labour has not said anything about it. In other words, they are going to pursue the same policy scripted by the Conservative Party.

Surprisingly, communists are virtually non-existent in European electoral politics. Euro-communism is dead. People are asked to choose between the right and far right. The collapse of the Soviet Union started their decline and it seems irreversible.

Nearer home Modi’s far-right Hindutva party- Bharatiya Janata Party—has somehow managed to survive with the reduced majority but the factor that worked strongly in favour of change remains. It is joblessness among educated youth. Jobless growth over the years has created a desperate situation. India will not have enough jobs even with the official claim of 7 percent growth according to a recent Citi report. More than half of the 582 million workers in India are self-employed while fewer people are employed in the formal sector now than before Covid. The Modi government during its 14-year rule has failed to fill up about 1 million government vacancies. Mere rhetoric and hate speech won’t work.

08-07-2024

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 4, Jul 21 - 27, 2024