A Hippocratic Oath To The Working Class

As the Britain entered the 21st century, our country bought into a model of politics and economics that took deindustrialisation, London-centric policy making and credentialisation as the obvious and only choice for the future that any political party could offer.

The naive belief that social class had been all but abolished led to a collapse in working class votes, a collapse in the prestige of working class occupations and a culture of sneering at what were labelled ‘traditional working class’ communities. The same communities forced to forfeit their industry to enable the coming of the neoliberal era and have never recovered. Working class people’s trust in the Labour Party has collapsed. Labour has become weakest in some of the least prosperous parts of Britain, and strongest in the most prosperous.

To rebuild a Labour Party that matches its founding purpose will need a change that is outside of the sensibilities of the bureaucratic class that makes up most of Labour’s internal politics. It needs to place faith in the ordinary people who transformed Britain in their own moral image when Labour became a major party, rather than being suspicious toward them. Labour 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. 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.

We believe in a right to not be left behind or ignored by the nation that you call 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 should 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 is 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. That any democratic system that disempowers that vote, ignores it, and undermines its sovereignty is defective.

We believe that a 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. One that comes from the act of building a trusting and well-integrated nation 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 us harm.

We believe in a right to a working life that fulfills the deep need for purpose, variety and achievement that exists in every person. We believe in the dignity and prestige 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.