>From the Red Action website. http://www.redaction.org/ NEW LABOUR : 'ENDGAME IN SIGHT' ============================== 23rd May '01 Yesterday as the Tories stepped up their attack on Labour's tax plans, William Hague announced that Gordon Brown's refusal 'to rule out scrapping the national insurance ceiling altogether, meant four million people are now faced with the prospect of effectively paying income tax at 50%'. In real terms what Hague means is that those on an income of over �30,000 would be invited to pay more in tax. The Tory estimate was that 4 million people would be directly affected by any such move by Labour. Pressing home the advantage Michael Portillo, when interviewed on Newsnight described Labour 'plans' as an attack on 'the middle income, middle Britain, the middle class'. What is interesting about Tory calculations is that not only do they believe anyone earning over �30,000 is middle class, but that in a country of over 60 million only 4 million,less than 10% fall into such a category. Of course not everyone is earning, so allowing for spouses and offspring this puts the total membership of the middle class somewhere in the region of 20% to 25% of the population. Take off 5% for the super rich and this leaves an overwhelming 70% as working class, even in Tory eyes. It is particularly remarkable since, not so long ago, New Labour were busy informing us that 'we are all middle class now'. In reality of course what makes 'Middle Britain' so attractive and important to politicians is that it is this strata of society, even though a minority, which more than any other is likely to vote. The paradox is, that even as increasing number of the working class stop voting, because of this orientation by the two major parties, the political choice narrows rather than increases. Some estimates suggest that the voter turn-out may this fall below 60%. Of the 40% not taking part the vast majority will be working class. This 60-40 split is funnily enough, precisely the economic reform needed to stabilise society that was recomended to Pinochet after the coup in Chile in 1973. The basic idea was that the regime would bribe an additional 30% of the population with money not taken from the rich, but from the bottom 40%. This bribing of the upper working and lower middle class would, it was felt, deliver both economic stability and majority democratic support for the regime. In Britain it was called Thatcherism. It is the same ideology New Labour subscribe to. However the onus is all on Gordon Brown to raise revenue. Mainly because after a quarter of a century of Thatcherism the basic infrastructure - roads, railways, schools, pensions, health service is collapsing. While the working class have been 'squeezed until you can hear the pips squeak'. Of course for New Labour any taxing of the really rich is out of the question. And while Brown might dare trifle with middle classes National Insurance contributions,the revenue raised as estimated at �1 billion a year, would only buy time. Unable to penalise the working classes for economic reasons and the middle classes for political ones, New Labour will in reality be forced to privatise practically everything. Post office, Fire Brigade, even air traffic control. The big question is once that's been spunked on maintaining majority support for the Chile experiment what then? The constant attack on civil liberties, the right to jury trial,the right to assembly,along with the steady militarisation of the police may offer some indications on how a pragmatic establishment really see the endgame. One way or the other the endgame is in sight. _________________________________________________________________________
