A Hippocratic Oath
To The Working Class

As Britain entered the 21st century a model of politics and economics took hold of the left. This model presumed deindustrialisation, London-centric policy making and credentialisation were the only choice available for our country.

The naive belief that social class had been all but abolished led to a collapse in working class votes and to a collapse in the prestige of working class occupations. It was replaced with a culture of sneering at what were dismissively labelled ‘traditional working class’ communities.

These communities were forced to forfeit their industry to enable the coming of the neoliberal era .They have never recovered, and instead suffered the humiliation of being recast as a drag on the national progress of a country their families had built with generations of physical toil.

Working class people’s trust in the Labour Party has collapsed. Since 2019, lower income voters do not see Labour as their natural choice. Labour has become weakest in some of the least prosperous parts of Britain, and strongest in the most prosperous. The membership and elected politicians of the left are overwhelmingly drawn from the professional middle class.

We want to rebuild a left that matches its founding purpose. This will require a change that is outside of the sensibilities of the professional bureaucrats that are now synonymous with left wing politics.

A restored left must place its faith in the ordinary people who transformed Britain in their own moral image when Labour became a major party. It must stop being suspicious toward the communities the party was founded for and by.

For too long the social culture of left wing politics has been like an inquisition, desperate to find the evil in others. Instead, the left needs to see its commitment to working class people the way a doctor submits to their Hippocratic Oath.

We want to find ways to sweep aside the elitism and classism that dominates modern politics.

We mean to make Labour a home for working class people again, as voters, members and parliamentarians. Labour must be an instinctive rallying point for all those who make their way in life through their work and by doing so, find the common stake this gives us in our country.

These are the beliefs that make up that oath:

We believe in a right to not be left behind or ignored by the nation that a citizen of our union calls their home. After decades of mismanagement Britain has become the most regionally unequal country in the developed world. Where a baby is born must no longer decide more about their life than their gifts, effort and character.

We believe in earned merit. To work must be a route to prosperity more reliable than to own or to inherit.

We believe that the economy’s success is defined by its relationship to real social relationships rather than GDP figures. A strong economy must be one that allows a family of four to get by on one full time income.

We believe in pluralism over exclusivity and utilitarianism over culture war. The left should be as welcoming as possible to the broadest range of people - to emphasise core agreements and the common challenges found in the lives of the great majority.

We believe that the voice of those without power or means is found in the vote. Any democratic system that disempowers that vote, ignores it, or undermines its meaning is defective.

We believe that a House of Parliament and House Of Lords made up of those equipped only with the life experience of a narrow group of elite professionals is backwards and archaic.

We believe in the ideal of a hopeful, patriotic national bond. That bond comes from the act of building a trusting and well-integrated nation together - with strong social ties and a clear sense of common purpose between people.

We believe in celebrating Britain's noble and distinct record of integrating newcomers, but also in the right of our communities to ask for a pace of change that maintains their sense of security, prosperity and permission without shame or scorn.

We believe that the barrier of social class holds greater influence in a life than all other things.That this is best addressed by emphasis on our shared characteristics and natures and a national common wealth. Placing emphasis on our differences, especially those that exist without relation to a person's character, degrades our solidarity with one another and causes harm to the ideals of unity that form the bedrock of social democracy.

We believe in a right to a working life that fulfils the deep need for purpose, variety and achievement that exists in every person. We believe in the dignity, prestige and value of professions that draw upon the skills of hand and heart as much as those based on abstract thought. 

We believe in a right to beauty in every life. That people of all means should be able to create and be part of the cultural and artistic life of Britain and to live among beautiful homes, streets and greenery.

We believe Britain's future is to be found in industry; in a country that builds and makes things, rather than one that speculates and makes its wealth through financialisation.

These are the principles we want to see restored within the left and the labour movement.