Jonathan Rutherford Articles

The future is likely to be conservative – but Labour has the chance to fashion its own version of the future, one that is decent and valuing of equality rather than a brutal, reactionary Tory variety

In Scotland, Alex Salmond has linked together culture, society and the economy in a story of Scottish hope. Labour is placed firmly on the side of reaction and backwardness. In Wales Labour holds its own but in a context of decline. In England, Labour increased its council seats in the May elections.

In his Times article on New and Blue Labour Phil Collins writes that ‘the lead partner has to come from the new Labour’ . As Graeme Cooke says in his Progress essay, the ‘new’ and ‘blue’ are the best critics of one another. So with this in mind I’d like to offer Phil a counter proposal.

The recent article by Jon Cruddas and myself has attracted both criticism and agreement, here and on other websites. As Anthony Painter argues, there is an important debate taking shape. So I’d like to expand on the original argument which is that Labour has to build its own conception of the ‘Good Society’ and the best way of achieving this is to recognise that the future is conservative.