According to Mike Swadling from the Croydon constitutionalists, the current Labour leaders want an economy that’s controlled and planned from the centre.
Sputnik: Is Labour’s economic policy as bad as Sajid Javid claims?
Mike Swadling: The notion that Labour has an economic policy is, in my opinion, slightly farcical. The current leaders of the Labour Party, unlike previous Labour Parties who were left-leaning and socialist, the current leaders are really from their whole history straightforward Marxists, they want an economy that’s controlled and planned from the centre, they don’t believe in economic wealth.
Jeremy Corbyn was saying that young people shouldn’t have to pay for themselves yesterday. I mean, to me, and I think to most people in this country, that was part of growing up and something that we were proud to do, to break free from our families and support ourselves.
This isn’t planned about striving and having aspirations, the Labour Party policy is really just about cutting the cake that we have today and redistribution – that doesn’t generate wealth.
Sputnik: Who will come out on top at the UK’s next general election?
Mike Swadling: It’s incredibly risky to make predictions in the current climate, but all the polls are saying that Boris is on course for a victory and we’re seeing both Labour and the Conservative votes firm up, which I think is to be expected and happens in most election cycles, but there’s a significant gap there and one that I think will see Boris across the line with a reasonable majority.
Jeremy Corbyn isn’t a surprise package to people anymore; they know him, they’ve measured him and they’ve seen the numbers. What we’re seeing is that lots of people in the Labour Party have measured him, and they are saying not to vote for him and that’s got to get their vote suppressed this time.
Sputnik: What should Labour do to become electable once again?
Mike Swadling: In 1997, Labour became electable because Tony Blair put out a positive message, and he put out an aspirational message, going back to the 1960’s.That’s how Wilson got elected, he talked about technology and the future of Britain.
If a set of politicians were to come forward and present ideas that were about the future and growth, not about envy and the past, then Labour would become an electable party again, there’s lots of policies that would appeal to middle Britain, to the suburbs where elections are won and lost – but they are not there now, and the modern Labour Party just looks like an unhappy party. Why would anybody vote for that?
