The UK is More Corrupt Than Ever Before
JVL Introduction
Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough was glowingly received last year when it won the Daily Mirror Best Non-Fiction Book of the year award.
The new paperback edition, with a highly topical Introduction focusing on Britain’s relationship with Ukraine, is reviewed by Mike Phipps on Labour Hub.
Important trackers of civil liberties like Civicus Monitor now classify Britain’s democracy as “obstructed”; Britain has slipped significantly down the Transparency League Table.
But, as Bullough shows, a narrow view of corruption still lets countries like Britain off the hook.
It is the system that is corrupt: as Bullough points out, “the Corruption Perceptions Index ‘calls poor countries looted by kleptocrats corrupt, and rates highly the rich countries that host the kleptocrats’ money’.”
Britain is foremost among these, its political system corrupt, its banking system profiting from the laundering of hundreds of billions of pounds every year…
Does Labour under Starmer even notice or care?
This article was originally published by Labour Hub on Wed 22 Mar 2023. Read the original here.
The UK is More Corrupt Than Ever Before
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You ask “Does Labour under Starmer even notice or care?” IMO Starmer’s Labour is now a deeply corrupted support for the system, even if there are many decent members who resist. In other words, of course the leadership know all that, but they will not challenge any of it because they know which side their bread is buttered on and they know what happens to a leader or party who proposes modest social democratic policies. This is one reason why Starmer’s criticism of the Tories is so muted. Not only does he calculate that the less he says the better his electoral chances, but he doesn’t want to voice generic criticisms of practices that he will be happy to adopt in power. The way the party suspensions and expulsions, which you know a great deal about, has been managed is very far from justice, fairness or democracy.
I find this an excellent review of Bullough’s book, which I read last year, and that Phipps completes the picture with other relevant information. I can’t see any political party having the will to correct the situation.
A few years ago, BBC Radio 4 ran a series celebrating where the UK was a world leader. Alan Bennett was asked to offer his opinion; as a designated “National Treasure” and voice of Winnie the Pooh, he was doubtless trusted to gild the self-image of the natives in his comfortingly non-RP Yorkshire accent.
He chose as his topic “Hypocrisy” and in five minutes or so gave examples, like the one covered here, showing what a duplicitous place we inhabit.
“Motes and Beams?”
“… this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war…” Surely we all believe this?
Commenting recently on an accusation that he has become “more left-wing” in his old age, Bennett replied that he has stayed the same; it’s just that the rest of the political firmament has moved to the right.
I agree with Paul Seligman.
Starmer is the Establishment’s Plant, he was set tasks, ie working with the Rightwing PLP MPs to stop The Socialists (Left), Led by Jeremy Corbyn from getting into Power. I believe he is being coached and advised on every action he takes, it’s there for all to see, those on Social Media that are seriously political, ridicule everyone of Starmer’s Tweets, reminding him of his political crimes against the Left, his Lying, being a Dictator and more.
It’s what happens next that’s really important for Socialism, the Elites will switch to fully supporting Starmer and his Labour Party, if the Tories even look like losing the next election. Which I think will happen and if it does, the only way we, the Working Class can win Our Party back is for Starmer to lose the next election badly.