OVER THE PAST WEEK things have been happening in British politics which would have seemed inconceivable even five years ago. The Social Democratic Party has been holding its 'rolling conference' in Perth, Bradford and London, SDP are almost a daily occurrence.
ship is under fierce attack from within its own ranks - something virtually unprecedented a Tory government in office.
Add to this the turmoil inside the Labour Party, and the argument that the "mould of British politics is breaking' seems balsble. How did the parties come to be lo unus stale. and what will the P come? Will une establish itself the 'natural party of government' as its leaders claim?
Boom To grasp the meaning of what has happened in politics, we must look first at the pattern established after the second world war, and the forces which inevitably undermined the apparent SADILY political system.
After 1945 Britain participated the unprecedented boom of the world capitalist economy.
Andrew Gamble has pointed out in Britain in Decline this boom created Decause while Britain grew richer at relative decline against the OuIe powers was greater than at any time in its history. At the same time, the Conservative leaderGaitskell but defeated by the Labour left.
The result of the boom was the dominance of the centre, the convergence of LIC Labour and Tory parties. The Tories under leaders like Eden and MacMillan became convinced that the integration of the labour bureaucracy, and hence the working class, through limited reforms and concessions was by far the best strategy.
Lack The 1964 general election was the turning point of post-war British politics in which all these old cerlallilics began to disappear. Britain's decline was evident. as was its lack of clout against major Harold Wilson's Labour government came to power after 13 years of Tory government on the basis of a programme modernisation, class pontics the so-called 'white heat of technological revolution'.
slogan summed it well 'Let's go wịth Labour and we'll get things done'. THE NEXT
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Loss while defections by Labour MPs to the