Labour’s win in New Zealand – could it happen here?
JVL Introduction
This article has been waiting to up on our website for a few weeks, constantly displaced by more pressing issues, such as the EHRC report, the US elections and more.
Mike Phipps reported on this seismic event at the time in Labour Hub. His analysis is reposted below.
New Zealand, remember, adopted a mixed member proportional electoral system (rather like the German system) back in 1996 after an extended national debate.
The Labour Party led by Jacinda Ardern won a stunning absolute majority with 64 seats out of 120. Key to its success was convincing voters that it was could be trusted when it talked about inclusivity and social solidarity.
The result highlights how a serious social-democratic politics involves serious commitments: on child poverty, reform of workplace relations, dealing sensibly and effectively with covid-19. And having a vision of a better future.
Strike action in the lead-up to the election by many groups of workers has led to better wages, reduced workloads, living wages and more. It almost certainly helped Labour to power, rather than weakening it which is the conviction on the Labour right in Britain.
NZ Labour isn’t the radical socialist party many of us would want, but there is much to learn from its way of doing politics.
And we could reflect on the possible value of an electoral system in which citizens believe that every vote matters.
This article was originally published by Labour Hub on Fri 23 Oct 2020. Read the original here.
Labour’s win in New Zealand – could it happen here?
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A very interesting article full of hope for the UK if lessons can be learnt. Having relatives in NZ and having visited several times we were always impressed by their inclusiveness and solidarity. I hope this continues under the pressure from new people arriving and returnees buying properties at inflated prices which is causing some resentment already.
The following is a clip from a World Socialist Website article:
It is precisely because of the pro-war and pro-business politics behind Ardern’s “empathetic” and “inclusive” persona that she is being held up as a model for British Labour Party leader Keir Stamer and US presidential contender Joe Biden.
Sean O’Grady’s article in the UK Independent, “What Keir Stamer can learn from Jacinda Ardern,” notes approvingly that in 2006, two years before entering the NZ parliament, Ardern worked in the office of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair….
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/10/21/nzel-o21.html
A lot of people were duped by Blair as well.
Allan Howard,
What a pathetic grope for swipes at Jacinda, let alone her new Cabinet and New Zealand’s historically distinctive sense of self-governance.
You quote a World Socialist website nonsense article, which is laughable and grotesque.
‘Pro-War politics? – that’s you, upon any electable Labour Party Leader like Jacinda, or Keir Starmer
Quoting out of context is another tired trick, which both you and the article labour away at.
Jaccobin’s specious invention is breathtaking.
Aotearoa is a small country of 5 million people. No major strikes no waves of unrest action, certainly no obeisance to the USA’s toxic orange – as alleged via your tired Trot tropes.
Empathy and inclusiveness are genuine aspects of Jacinda Ardern, as a person and as a politician.
Her strong sense of direction for NZ and NZers is informed by intelligence, steel and staying power. She did and does listen to science and experts – the opposite of what you falsely claim – and has capably dealt with antagonistic, rightwing media since 2016. The dog-whistle name-calling style you use and quote is a one-size fits all model, easily tweaked to smear any successful Leader you target.
You omit the 3rd major catastrophe she dealt with in her 1st term – the White Island explosion. The 10th anniversary of another, the Pike River mining disaster, is – under this government – at last being properly addressed and investigated, allowing victims’ families some closure.
A biased mindset may be your ticket onto minor propaganda sites.
It is certainly not truthful, real, or trustworthy journalism.