Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsey has branded the
decision by the Labour Party to abandon its support for bringing public
services back into public ownership as “depressing”
He went on to say that it shows “just how far Keir Starmer
is prepared to drag the party away from representing the best interests of
people and planet in order to gain power at any cost [1].
In his campaign to become leader of the Labour Party in
2020 Starmer pledged to nationalize the railways, along with energy and water
companies and the Royal Mail. He has now rejected doing so in favour of what he
describes as a ‘pragmatic’ approach.
In a major statement on Labour’s policies for the economy
shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said renationalizing the railways was not ‘compatible’
with the rules she would introduce to control public spending [2].
Labour, Starmer said would fight the next election on “economic
growth”, this will see policies built around a five-point economic plan, to be
financially responsible, work in partnership with business, boost productivity,
re-energise communities by spreading economic power, and somewhat strangely do
all this in a way that is distinctively British.
There would, he said, be no more “magic money tree
economics”, instead there would be “sound finances and careful spending”,
leading to “strong, secure and fair growth”.
Adrian Ramsey said it was “depressing to see Labour
abandoning their traditional support for public ownership of essential services”,
adding that their “attempt to compete with the Tories will see ordinary people
and the planet pay the cost as a result”.
The abandonment of a policy that has such deep roots in the
ideology of the Labour Party is thought likely to further widen the gulf
between supporters of Starmer and those of former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Ahead of the announcement of the abandonment of plans to
nationalize essential services Rebecca Long-Bailey, who stood for election as
Labour leader in the 2020 race won by Kier Starmer said the party needed to
drop its “cautious” approach on the economy.
Long-Bailey was a shadow business secretary under Corbyn
and has been suggested as a left-wing challenger to Starmer in a future leadership
race.
She called for Labour to adopt a ‘radical manifesto’ that
includes state ownership of essential services and a living standards contract
between government and the public.
Speaking to the Guardian she said it was “naïve” of the
Labour leadership to think that a lead in the polls can be maintained without “policies
that are radical and transformational” [3].
Adrian Ramsey said the Green Party position it that it is “essential”
that public services to be publicly owned in order to “guarantee the level of
service required to meet society’s needs and help tackle the climate crisis”.
It is also the best way of ensuring good pay and conditions
for people working to deliver those services.
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