Living In The Shadow Of The State : By Ken Curran

This is not about some central European State during the days of the Warsaw Pact and the Iron Curtain. Although the title may suggest that possibility. It is about the United Kingdom, its form of Government and its relationship with Local Government.

I have just re-read the Sheffield Labour Group's 2012 Manifesto. Its aims were modest and, I believe, honest when published. Almost six months later, the document measured against events has begun to show just how difficult it has become for Local Government to make any promises prior to an election. This is particularly the case in England.  Local Authorities in both Scotland and Wales under their own devolved Governments are more fortunate than their neighbours, in no longer having to deal with London. They have benefited by having their own Civil Servants who live either in Wales or Scotland, as do all those Members of the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies who form their administrations.

Since 1979, the scope of Local Government has changed almost out of all recognition. So has the way in which Councils make their decisions. The old Committee Systems have been scrapped, changing the roles of Councillors who are now unable to influence decision-making or to initiate new policy. The Cabinet System which is now used is where the main strategic policy decisions are first promoted and debated. Members of the public can attend Cabinet Meetings. There are also Interest Panels which the Council Leader attend, along with Chief Officers and key Councillors. From a political standpoint, the most important Panel is the one which includes Industrial and Commercial interests, which in Sheffield extends to the Universities and the NHS. Whilst these outside bodies can be involved in the considerations about Council Policies and the performance of Council Services, they can't dictate policy to the elected Council. They can, however, influence political decision-making in a way that is not available to the general public. So whilst the Panels widen debate, they also give undue influence to vested interests in the City. The changes over the years has forced Local Councils to behave like Private Businesses. This new system actually stifles debate rather than enhancing it. The nature of local politics now revolves around who runs services. Increasingly in Sheffield this is not the Council.

In the late 1970's Nicholas Ridley, who was the Local Government Minister in Margaret Thatcher's Government, advocated that Local Councillors should meet once a year to select who would run the Council Services for the next year. I hate to consider somebody like Nicholas Ridley to have been a visionary. He has gone to where he can no longer threaten people, but all those people who live in daily fear of their jobs have the likes of Nicholas Ridley to thank for their sleepless nights. We have almost arrived at where Ridley and Thatcher wanted Local Councils to be. The journey has been aided and abetted by New Labour masquerading as progressives. We now know today that we were actually deceived by these people. We have not improved the level of Local Government debate nor enhanced democratic decision making.  Conversely we are putting millions of pounds sterling into the private sector, so that profits can be made at public expense. Local people are losing out all the time. When services are either outsourced or formally contracted out, it always involves losses in both employment and the levels of earnings for those staff who are retained. Even those workers protected by TUPE* transfer agreements are only covered for a temporary period. Councils hide the full implications of privatisation. Yet however Councils try to camouflage their actions, the adverse consequences of their actions are always borne by those living at subsistence levels.

Labour Councils, rather than actually representing the views and aspirations of local people, become agents of the Westminster Government. Local Democracy is increasingly undermined by the state. No Labour Councillor joins the local council to sack local people, yet in effect up and down the country they find themselves increasingly doing the dirty work for the Westminster Government. The reason so many people don't vote is that they feel unrepresented under the present system. Local Councillors are spending a good deal of their time carrying out the instructions of Government Ministers and not representing those who voted for them. The people of Sheffield, Chesterfield and Rotherham played no part in creating the current economic crisis, yet they are paying a very heavy price for it. The case for radical constitutional reform is long overdue. Why can we not have our own Northern Parliament with the same sort of rights as the Welsh and Scottish people? I am sure that we are quite as capable of governing the North of England more honestly and sincerely than Whitehall has ever done.

KEN CURRAN.        

* =   TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations. These as supposed to protect people when their employer changes, such as when a company is taken over or a public service is contracted out.

Monday's May Day Meeting In Chesterfield

       
        PUBLIC MEETING OF THE HANNAH MITCHELL FOUNDATION


TOPIC :  HOW TO OVERCOME THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE

TIME :  1.30 pm

DATE :  MAY DAY, Monday 7th May

VENUE : Council Chamber of the North East Derbyshire District Council,
               Saltergate, Chesterfield

CHAIR : KEN CURRAN : Chair of the Sheffield Co-operative Party


SPEAKERS -

ROSIE SMITH : Youth Officer, North East Derbyshire Constituency Labour Party

GEOFFREY MITCHELL :  Editor of "The Hard Way Up", the autobiography of Hannah Mitchell

BARRY WINTER : Independent Labour Publications, Chair of the Hannah Mitchell Foundation

PAUL SALVESON : Author of "Socialism With A Northern Accent",
                               Secretary of the Hannah Mitchell Foundation


Entrance to the District Council Offices will be via the rear of the building.
On the Hannah Mitchell Foundation see - http://www.hannahmitchell.org.uk/

The two items below this give details of the full May Day Programme in Chesterfield.

"A Nation Deceived" by Ken Curran

The arteries of our parliamentary system have become sclerotic. They are unable to respond to the real heartbeat of a people who feel they have been well and truly misled. There is a growing disquiet about the whole of Britain's future, its role in the world, or what it really means to be British.

I perceive a growing decline in the unity of people in Britain today. This is reflected in the growing interest in the self determination of Scotland and Wales. Writing in a letter in the Guardian recently, Professor Paul Salverson of Huddersfield University argued for a reshaping of the United Kingdom based on regional governments (see his book on the issue here). He believes in an amalgamation of the Yorkshire Region, the North West, the North East and Cumbria. In effect a new region stretching form Berwick-upon-Tweed down to the Trent in the East Midlands; and in the west from Carlisle to the south of Merseyside.

This is a bold idea. It has become increasingly apparent in recent times that the Westminster governmental system does not command the respect of the electorate. In a democracy, reciprocal respect between the government and the governed is the prerequisite needed to build the confidence people require, if they are to feel that they are part of the national family.

Our governmental system is an an anachronism, stuck in the past and out of touch with almost everything around it. None of the political parties have a vision for the future. They offer no future for our young people and almost every part of our public services are in crisis! The services for the elderly in Britain are a national disgrace. The House of Commons is full of self seeking individuals; many lack an honest bone in their bodies. This is not just my opinion. On 5th March, Peter Kellner a national pollster revealed that nearly two-thirds of voters say that politicians lie "all the time" and less than a quarter think that parliament does a good job debating issues of concern to them. Kellner concluded that the figures show that Britain's democratic system is in danger.

It would be unwise to ignore the straws in the wind, yet this is what parliament continues to do. Before these people aspire to lead the nation, they should examine their real motives for wishing to represent them. I have been in the Labour Party for over sixty years and increasingly feel I have been deceived by not one, but by many who have sat in our parliament.

I am not alone in my concern. I feel that I am expressing the concerns of many. I, therefore, feel that if parliament can not reform itself, we must press for reforms which will ensure that we have structures which properly reflect the real needs and concerns of the people. I broadly support the call for a Northern Parliament. For over sixty years the North-South divide has grown and today is a chasm that is wider than ever. If the Westminster Government is not addressing the proper concerns of the North, then perhaps it is time for us to take matters into our own hands, away from a structure dominated by self-seeking individuals who have no real feeling of kinship or empathy with the people they purport to represent.

KEN CURRAN

"The Sequal - A Federal Solution" by Ken Curran

This is a follow-up to my earlier articles "Leap in the Dark" and "Seeking a Way Forward" in which I stated that radical and dynamic solutions are required to address the problem of the North-South divide. My friend Ken Turton (who is a former railwayman) responded to tell me that contrary to my proposal to build a new east-west tunnel to stimulate freight traffic beneath the Pennines, a less costly alternative was already available. He pointed out that the existing Woodhead Tunnel is capable of carrying high speed freight trains and there was already a large freight line depot available to the west of the Pennines which could be utilized to provided effective deliveries to a new Humber Port Terminal in around 90 minutes. I believe that Ken's Woodhead option should be considered. Nevertheless, bold decisions of one variety or the other will need to be made if we are to make the needed leap in the dark. For today we live in a world in which if you stand still for a moment, we find we have actually gone backwards.

What is needed is a high priority is the upgrading or renewal of east-west rail links. For the export of British made products, our northern ports are under-utilised since the decisions of Thatcher that Britain's future lay in Finance, based in London. British ports have been rundown and neglected. British manufacturing has been left to languish as a Cinderella.

We have to confront Westminster with serious demands. There is no doubt in my mind that Governments in Westminster have failed to produce plans that can and will allow our people to face with confidence the very serious issues facing mankind. Our Governments have over time become so corrupted by their association with the vested interests of business and high finance that they are unable to distinguish national, private and public interests apart. As a member of the Labour Party I hate admitting that in recent times I have been driven by learning of the private behaviour of many of our MPs, that self-interest is a major drive of their behaviour. Nye Bevan believed that Westminster had very corrupting influence upon those who entered our parliament. The present method of our Government and its environment actually inhibits local councils, often surrounding and smothering them with bureacracy. This creates a situation in which the local electorate judge councils as being just similar to Westminister. I believe that there is a genuine case for changing the nature and method of governing the United Kingdom.

The present system of Government is failing on a number of fronts. It fails the nation on the economy, having created the North-South divide which is now a perminent feature of the economic landscape which no political party has really tried to address. There is a failure in housing. Transport is in a mess. Youth employment is a serious social problem, with overall unemployment forecast to reach 3.5 million. Care for the elderly is in a state of collapse. There is an abject failure to tackle climate change.

We have seen how the Welsh and Scottish Parliament have been able to engage their people by taking key decisions closer to those who are the recipients of their programmes. Neither the Scots nor the Welsh people can be judged as overtly nationalistic, unlike the English Defence League which is clearly linked to racism. A move to introduce Regional Government is, I believe, long overdue in order to enable people to to be energised over the key policies of transport, housing, elderly care, economic development, planning, health and the environment. I would advocate that Westminister should be a Federal Government where each of the Federal Regions are represented by members of the Regional Government of their areas. I have yet to hear any MP advance any convincing argument why millions of potential electors fail to vote at elections. There may be a number of reasons. Personally I believe many do not vote because they believe it makes little difference because the system is corrupt and no longer fit for purpose.

Ken Curran, Chair of Sheffield Co-operative Party and Sheffield District Labour Party.

"A People Deceived - Without Malice !" by Ken Curran

The arteries of our parliamentary system have become so sclerotic. It cannot respond to hear the heartbeat of the people of these British Isles. So a growing decline in the unity of our people is being reflected in a rising interest in the self-determination of Scotland and Wales. As recently as last week Professor Salverson of Huddersfield University writing in the Guardian, argued for a step towards the reshaping of a new United Kingdom which would be based on Regional Government. He suggested an amalgamation of the Yorkshire Region, the North East and Cumbria. This is not as fanciful as some people may suggest. I don't believe that we should dismiss such proposals out of hand. I sense a growing feeling of uncertainty over the possible ending of the Union. The speculation stems not so much from an upsurge of nationalism in Wales and Scotland, but from a feeling that the Westminster Government increasingly fails to reflect the views of the people.

Rotten Apples In The Barrel

Much of our current political, social and economic debris (with its greed , mistrust and disillusionment) has its roots in Thatcherism. I am aware that she has not been around physically for a good number of years. However, in her role as the Ghost of Christmas Past she still walks the corridors of Westminster. The "Political Class" has not renounced her, nor has it cleansed itself of self-seeking individuals who almost daily bring our democracy into dispute. These people inhabit each of our major Political Parties. Few of our current MPs have really served their time to prove they are worthy, capable or trustworthy for their positions in Parliament. The state of our society and the decline of our country is all too apparent. Streets awash with litter from cans and plastic bottles. Unkempt parks and playgrounds. Boarded up shops. Rising unemployment. Young people thrown out on the scrap heap of a derelict, non-directional and valueless society. As with the collapse of Ancient Rome, Britain is no longer fit for purpose. The huge investment and suffering by those generations who fought the 1939-45 war to build the Welfare State, National Service and our Educational Provisions, has been squandered and destroyed by what is being turned into a greedy and philosophically aimless nation.

From KEN CURRAN

Ken Turton Replies To Ken Curran

The site of the former Sheffield Victoria Station in 1988.

The two Ken's are regulars at our discussion meetings. Below we present Ken Turton's response to this earlier item by Ken Curran.

Ken Curran's article contains some bright ideas as far as our railways are concerned, but he does not need to pursue the dream of building a massively expensive tunnel under the Pennines. There is a ready-made alternative, which just needs to be reactivated.

Ken is right in saying that continental rolling stock cannot negotiate the present Cross Pennine Railway Lines due to its infrastructure, in general, not being compatible with that of the Continent or America. These overseas' railways can and do move container-type traffic which is the traffic of the future. British Rail suffers from being the first railway in the world to be built. Later railways were able to make improvements, including alterations to their infrastructure.

However, there is hope for the region which Ken draws our attention to. This needs to be based on the now defunct rail link called the "Great Central Railway", known colloquially as the "GCR". This line began life in 1907 and traversed Liverpool Central, Manchester Central, Penistone, Sheffield Victoria, Nottingham, Leicester Central, Rugby, High Wycombe, Marylebone, then Banbury, Reading West and Dover. It divided at Sheffield to Retford, Lincoln, Skegness, Immingham via Gainsboro and Cleethorpes, taking in Grimsby. The main route took in all the North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire coalfields which travelled north-by-west to Liverpool and Manchester.

The GCR was despised by other railway companies of its time, because it was built with some thought when it adopted the Continental infrastructure and indeed it came to carry continental rolling stock after World War 2. In 1936 it was innovative in planning and in putting into operation modern signalling systems in the Sheffield area intended for a more efficient electrification. Indeed it ran trains by electric traction from Sheffield to Manchester , taking in one in 147 gradients with ease until 1986. That line had two double-line tunnels, built to run continental rolling stock, and for many years did so.

One tunnel, a small one, was at Thurgoland. The second at Woodhead-Dufford was 3 miles and 177 yards long, being concrete lined and lit by electricity throughout. It was laid just after World War 2 and is still in existence today, as is much of the line from Sheffield. But it is used
by walkers and cyclists today. So with some small restoration, the line can be used again. For the bridges and tunnels can easily be cleared for fast running trains.

I have made a recent unsuccessful attempt with South Yorkshire Transport Services (SYTS) to have these restorations undertaken. The fact is that the tunnels of the former GCR line do not need excavating, they are already in situ. The SYTS seemed to me to be unaware of the situation before I brought it to their attention. These bureaucracies seem to me to be rigid in their thinking and nothing can move them. Facts are not important to such thick skinned people. Unfortunately instead, they are relentless in pursuing the unpursuable.

Anyway Ken, the GCR was a railway line that paid its way. This is illustrated by the fact that the Chairman of the GCR was Sir Edgar Watkins who also chaired the first Channel Tunnel Railway Company. The GCR was straight, fast and futuristic and it does not need need much work on it, apart from its re-opening. It would provide a route which would open up Sheffield and its greater area to the North West of Britain, along with the east coast ports and and on to your transcontinental ambitions. Although it has to be said that the Orient Express of yesterday travelled from London to India and China. A route that would also be advantageous to British Industry, if we had one worth its salt.

Ken Curran is "Seeking A Way Forward" (Part 2).

Part 2 : Today's Lessons From The 1940s


(For Part 1 see here.)


Labour should use the present crisis to spell out the alternatives for the Democratic Left, as opposed to the laissez-faire and 1930's style so-called solutions of the coalition government. The current government are on a very dangerous road, they have scrapped any genuine commitment towards fulfilling previous promises on climate change policies. All experts in the field recognise time is of the essence if we are to avert the worst of the forecasted consequences. I cannot state strongly enough the urgency for Labour to make a comprehensive case for alternatives to the present mumbo-jumbo which is supposed to address the issues. Labour has a commitment to the pioneers of the Democratic Left. To ignore the need for a truly radical rethink would be tantamount to a betrayal of Democratic Socialism.

Returning to the past, I believe the present leadership has much to learn from the Cabinet and Parliamentary Labour Party of 1945-50. This was a group of well over 300 men and women, largely self made, many having endured the terrors of two world wars.. They had been forged in the crucible of hard times and shaped by the experiences of our industrial heritage. By and large, they were both ordinary and extraordinary people. They had seen all the horrors of war and long years of unemployment and poverty. They had spent years waiting for an opportunity to break with the nightmares and fears of the past. Fear of poverty, ill health, unemployment and wars.

In order to change all of that, they were both prepared and did keep the House of Commons in session, night after night in order to ensure that Labour fulfilled its manifesto promises. The Tories were furious and angry, complaining that they were lacking in sleep through all night sittings. Labour MPs reminded the Tories that millions of workers spent hours working long shifts doing harder work than sitting in a warm and comfortable House of Commons. I use this story to demonstrate the past determination and zeal of Labour to serve the people, although they were saddled with huge debts incurred during six years of war. These men and women were prepared to take big risks to deliver their promises. I believe the debts of the 1939-45 war were only finally settle whilst Tony Blair was Prime Minister.

The economic problems were not the only issues which the 1945 Government had to face. The winter of 1947 was absolutely awful. From late November, serious frosts and bitterly cold winds, followed by driving snow covered Britain several feet deep. Unknown in living memory, rivers and harbours closed. In quite a number of places, the sea froze. Where I lived the Tyne froze. This river was vital to Greater London as the Power Stations all depended on Colliers (coal boats) from the Tyne for supplies. With all the roads and railways under many feet of snow, it was vital for the Colliers to reach London by sea. With supreme effort, mobilisation and organisation, it was achieved. What I have described in terms of getting London supplied is from my personal experience. Yet my stories could be repeated by others of my generation, where their towns and villages were cut off for weeks. Thousands of volunteers were called upon to help troops and other servicemen to help get the country moving. The Government used the special powers available to it, to mobilise the nation. The people responded right across the land and whilst much snow was still on the ground in early May, Britain had got moving long before the snow melted. I only use these stories to demonstrate the sort of problems which the Labour Government of Clem Attlee had to face. Frankly I don't know how the people and government of today would perform in the environment of the 1940s.

In 1989 people celebrated the collapse of communism and the demolition of the Berlin Wall. The right wing press and politicians hailed the event as the triumph of capitalism over both communism and democratic socialism. That so called triumph is proving to be short lived, the events unfolding across the world suggest that capitalism is not really successful. As those of us who regard ourselves as democratic socialists know, our political recipe has not really been on offer, apart perhaps in Scandinavia where it seems more popular than the current Anglo-American model of capitalism.

The problem we are facing is the failure of capitalism. It is failing humanity on many fronts as poverty is spreading across the world. It is failing to tackle climate change. Crops are failing. Workers are thrown out of work. Health is breaking down, even in some of the richer countries. The financial system is both corrupt and out of democratic control or influence. Young people throughout the world are asking whether they have any future and if capitalism can solve these problems. I have no confidence that it can, beyond perhaps finding some short term respite from the chaos, only for it to return with even greater ferocity later. Under these circumstances life will become increasingly intolerable.

Labour has to respond and give people hope that there is a better life to be had under democratic socialism. All of what I write presents a huge challenge to the Labour Party and in particular to our leadership.

In conclusion, I return to the issue of the North-South divide which I covered in Part 1 of my analysis. My final suggestion, fits in with the West to East rail development I proposed, with their opening to European markets. I propose the building of a new Eco-City on the banks of the Humber. In my view, the Humber River Estuary has never been valued and used to its potential. A new Eco-City can produce much of its own power from a combination of water driven turbines, designed to automatically respond to the change in tidal flow. Every building would be insulated with green roofs, plus solar panels. The objective is to create a flagship Green City where new jobs would be created by new thinking and the use of new technology. This proposal linked to a new rail-ferry terminal should certainly begin to counter the trend to the South-East as being the only centre for wealth creation in Britain. My ideas on the West to East rail development and the establishment of a Humber based Eco-City have to be seen as a combined activity, one stimulating the other and building a momentum as it grows. I, therefore, ask that these ideas are seriously considered and used in creating a new Labour Manifesto.

Ken Curran is "Seeking A Way Forward" (Part 1).

The map on the left is Danny Dorling's interpretation of the North-South divide. For an explanation of his reasoning see here .

A LEAP IN THE DARK! by Ken Curran, Chair of the Sheffield Branch of the Co-op Party and member of the Sheffield District Labour Party.

Labour faces enormous challenges in the future. The current world financial crisis is paralysing most progressive political thought, not just in Britain but across the world. Here in Britain, apart from cuts being imposed by the Tory/Lib Dem coalition, we have a long standing problem which casts dark shadows across the land. The North-South divide which has developed over the years since the Second World War appears more pronounced than ever. What I am proposing is both progressive and visionary. For the idea to have any hope of success will require a future Labour Government not just to share the vision, but to take over its ownership in order to drive the project forward.

I take the view that only radical and dynamic proposals will overcome the current inertia in the British Economy. There is really no shortage of money available for investment, but finding somewhere secure to invest is the problem. My proposal would not create instant wealth. However, it would provide private and public investors with a long term security for their investments, which in time would grow with value.

Coming to the proposals themselves. If they were approved in principle by a future Labour Government and the projects used to stimulate debate, I feel such ideas would have the effect of creating a catalyst.

The political conference season of 2011 has come and gone, I regret to say there were no new exciting ideas. Not wanting to be disparaging about Ed Miliband's speech to Conference, it said more about the current state of the political thought on the democratic left than anything else. He reminded me of a very well intentioned person, groping around in the dark not wanting to tread on anyone's toes! Labour needs big ideas to set our pulses racing creating that sense of purpose that all good people will want to be part of. A NEW VISION FOR BRITAIN!

We have to break the influence of the Financial Institutions who have greatly contributed towards creating the present financial crisis and to deepening of the North-South divide.

The first step is to propose the building of an East-West tunnel under the Pennines (Peak District) perhaps from the east of Sheffield on to the lowland area of Greater Manchester, initially to carry high speed freight from the North West to a new Humber Port Terminal aimed to enabling goods from the towns of Preston, Burnley, Bury, Rochdale, Salford, Liverpool and Manchester to be transported to Moscow in and around 36 to 40 hours. I envisage a line across the North German plain into Eastern Europe and beyond, with Rail Terminals at strategic points to enable links to potential markets. I believe that the time saved in the transportation of goods from Northern and North Midland manufactures would be a huge leap forward in cutting the times of transportation.

At present much of our trade is with Europe, however over time I envisage extending the proposed high speed rail lines beyond the Urals in order to reach the countries of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, opening up a fast overland rail route into China and India. These routes would knock weeks off the current trade routes to the Far East by sea. That is, of course, for the future. Once the Tunnel is operational it would also transform the present travel times for goods in Europe generally.

The envisaged new Port on the River Humber with new rail and ferry terminals would increase the current capacity of trade. It would act as a stimulus for hard pressed areas like North Lincolnshire, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Immingham, Goole and Hull. The benefits would be shared by Derbyshire, Nottingham, West and South Yorkshire and beyond. In Yorkshire and the North Midlands the expertise to drive a deep tunnel under the Peak District already exists. It would in no way threaten the National Park . I am suggesting a new tunnel because of the need for space on the west of the Pennines to locate a large rail terminal. Although my knowledge of the west of the Pennines leads me to conclude that the current rail routes and tunnels are unsuitable for fast high speed travel.

These are only ideas at present, which I suggest are worthy of consideration. I am aware of no other ideas in the thought locker of the democratic left that would provide British businesses with the opportunities these proposals provide. As previously stated, there is really no shortage of money, only a reluctance to invest! Years ago Denis Healy accused the Tories of building a Candy Floss Economy. This they succeeded with under Mrs Thatcher. The need to restructure the economy is imperative. Giving support to this kind of initiative would boost a much needed confidence. Europe is floundering. Its current leaders lack vision. We could give that much needed leadership. The democratic left can and must provide answers to the problems of our age. Every crisis brings forth opportunities.

I have, however, so far only revealed half of my proposed package. Part two will appear on "Dronfield Blather" shortly.