We Are All Progressives Now

Two expressions that have been much used recently, indeed they have probably been overused, are the “re-alignment of the Left, or centre-Left” and “Progressive Alliance”.

The first, an idea that I can remember as long ago as 1970 when I was briefly the Chairman of WYLO, the Welsh Young Liberal Organisation. At that time the leadership of Young Liberals was dominated by the Putney Set, people like Louis Eaks and a certain Peter Hain (whatever happened to him?). They liked to regard themselves as “Libertarian Socialists”, a term I never fully understood, but took to imply a kind of Fabian socialism firmly wedded notions of individual liberty rather than authoritarianism. Heady days, and a time characterised by talk of the re-alignment of the Left, and that is the point, it was just talk, no-one ever did anything. This Utopian dream where sensible people with notions of social justice and mixed economies would join together to defeat the forces of unbridled capitalism. This notion frequently surfaces after Labour has lost office, burns brightly but briefly, flickers and is eventually expunged. The ideal remains but the will to make it happen dissipates.

Now we have talk of a progressive alliance, but one founded on the negative principle of keeping the Conservatives out of government. The notion of Labour and the Liberal Democrats coming together with various other “progressives” motivated by a deep-rooted antagonism to Conservatives in general, and the Conservative Right in particular. Even Charles Kennedy in his letter to the Observer today talks about a progressive coalition:

Like many others I was keen to explore the possibilities of a so-called "progressive coalition", despite all the obvious difficulties and drawbacks. It remains a matter of profound disappointment that there was insufficient reciprocal will within the Labour party – and they should not be allowed to pose in opposition purity as a result.

Unfortunately, this idea was never a runner, not only because the numbers didn’t stack up, but more importantly because it is based on the “anybody but them” principle, common among soccer fans envious of the undoubted successes of Manchester United over recent years. If we can’t win it, whatever “it” is, then anybody but United. It is notion founded upon envy, and not a basis for good governance.

On the Andrew Marr Show this morning I thought I heard David Cameron claim to have formed a “progressive alliance” with the Liberal Democrats by joining them in coalition, but perhaps my ears were deceiving me. However, I am sure I heard Cameron clearly describe himself as a Liberal Conservative, that is Liberal with a big “L”, and thus seeming to emphasise the profound change that has overcome British politics in the last week or so. How this will go down in the nether regions of the Conservative Party remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, we are all progressives now, but whether this turns out to be anything more than a vacuous label is very doubtful. The really progressive change that we must all work for has to be securing a positive outcome to the promised referendum on voting reform. If we achieve that, then we will have made genuine progress and can justify the claim to be progressive.