THE RISE OF FASCISM AND THE NEGLECT OF THE POOR
The sinister exploitation of the killing of young children in Southport a week ago which has led to violence and chaos being spread across the country is unquestionably the responsibility of the far right. Whilst those responsible have since gone around obfuscating matters by trying to question what the term ‘far-right’ even means, they do not deny that they are in fact responsible for the destruction of mosques, businesses and the targeted persecution of minorities. Indeed, they are no doubt feeling quite proud of themselves.
It’s important for us to understand the reasons why the hateful ideology of fascism is gaining ground and also whether that ideology is actually shared by all the people – especially the very young – engaging in the apparently mindless violence and public disorder we’re witnessing.
WHY IS FASCISM BECOMING ATTRACTIVE?
The underlying reason for this does not require lengthy explanation. One of the biggest motivators for those of us who came together to set up the Social Justice Party, is the collapse in living standards for working class people, the deterioration of our sense of responsibility to each other and record-breaking levels of economic inequality. All of which are symptoms of the austerity of the last 14 years and the ideological commitment of all the major parties to neoliberalism.
We set up our party because of our shared concern that the Labour Party (still promoted by the mainstream media as ‘the left’), has completely abandoned any intention of materially improving the lives of working-class people. The Labour Party’s slogan of ‘Change’ at the most recent election was a cynical ploy. Their unwillingness to advance any argument contrary to the Tory economic principles of neo-liberal capitalism is leading inexorably – and perhaps even faster than we might have feared – to many who are suffering to look towards dangerous political alternatives like Reform UK, or indeed fascism.
Although Reform UK claim not to be a fascist party, the links between them and the recent bout of fascist thugs invading working class communities like Southport, Middlesborough and Rotherham are clear. Whilst the infamous criminal Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – who is regarded by many of these thugs as a martyr of sorts – relaxes lazily in a luxury Cypriot hotel, Reform’s leader Nigel Farage has taken shape as the ‘respectable’ front man of this movement. He warns us all to expect this violence to get worse and no doubt his followers will take the hint and join the violence.
It’s not just the Right which have been stoking recent events. We’ve also seen Labour MPs clumsily fuelling the fire with anti-immigrant rhetoric. Including the Starmerite MP Sarah Edwards who made a speech in Parliament in late July where she stated that “residents of Tamworth want their hotel back.”. Less than a week later, that very hotel had been set on fire by a fascist-incited mob.
It has therefore become the responsibility of people like ourselves to argue the case for socialism and remind working class people that although they have been forgotten by the establishment, our class interests are NEVER going to be met by fascists whose strength lies in dividing us and ultimately upholding the capitalist status-quo. We can only defeat fascism if we remove from power those politicians who are stoking far-right rhetoric – regardless of party – and by forming a left-wing, working-class political alternative that will genuinely work to improve people’s lives and take power from the super-rich and their friends in Government.
ARE ALL THE RIOTERS FASCISTS?
At least when it comes to most of the young people involved or those who have been filmed stealing bath bombs from trashed high-street shops – the answer to the above question is a resounding and fairly obvious NO. It’s not our intention to insult people by stating the obvious and no doubt most, if not all that are reading this, have come to the same conclusion. But naturally, a good deal of those on the left have expressed an understandable outrage that results in an all-encompassing use of the term far-right to label everyone involved. This of course is coming from our own anger towards the initiators of the disorder we are witnessing: the like of Farage and Yaxley-Lennon and their friends.
Unfortunately, when things are shouted in anger, context and analysis often disappear. It is important when we are having conversations with people who share our dismay – whether these conversations are on social media or in person – we point out that for the most part, many of these young people who are engaged in the rioting probably have no political convictions at all. And not only no convictions but no job, a poor education and limited prospects that will leave them feeling hopeless. For many, it has simply been an opportunity to engage in a mass activity that has seemed like ‘fun’. An activity they may well pay dearly for.
So, if they’re not all fascists, who are they? They are in the main part, the children of a disillusioned working class which has lost the strong cultural identity it once held and have become the forgotten people of Britain. An article in the Guardian on the 4th reported on the gathering at the Middlesbrough Cenotaph which predictably descended into violence. They spoke of a middle-aged woman who shouted, “We’re fucking angry! I know we’re only plebs from a poor town.”
In some respects, this sums it all up and provides the link between the two parts of this discussion – Why is the ideology of fascism becoming more attractive and are all the participants in the violence actually fascists?
There can be no excuse for the disturbing scenes that are unfolding before our eyes. There is however a difference between excusing bad behaviour and understanding the reasons for it. Will there be people amongst the mob who are fascists and racially-motivated thugs? Yes. But if we are to defeat fascism before it firmly takes hold in Britain, we must acknowledge the generational poverty and neglect that feeds these attitudes. We must not unwittingly set ourselves up as the enemies of a growing section of the working class but instead fulfil our fundamental responsibility of uniting the working class around a movement that genuinely serves its class interests.
