Socialism is democracy

By Joe Cox / @compassoffice

I was interested to read last Thursdays article entitled ‘The AV referendum is doomed‘. The article went on to argue that because the most likely outcome of the AV referendum is a ‘no’ then any Labour leader would be well advised not to support the ‘yes’ campaign. I disagree. The main reason being that the fundamental mission of the left is greater equality and meaningful electoral reform is a stepping stone to greater equality.

Electoral reform, far from being an issue for the chattering classes is of central importance for any people or organisations that want to see a more equal society. The latest Compass pamphlet argues that “Democracy is the means by which the powerful are kept in check to stop them becoming more powerful. It transfers power from the wallet to the ballot box.” It is therefore easy to see why the Conservative Party is against electoral reform – they are happy for an elitist society to prevail.

Last week Compass published a major essay entitled ‘Socialism is Democracy‘. The essay outlines why Labour should back the Alternative Vote referendum and push for a more meaningful proportional voting system.

The Labour movement has been living off the vapors of the ‘1945 moment’ and the myth it created. The myth says that as long as you elect enough Labour governments then socialism will eventually be ushered in. The last 13 years were not entirely wasted but they did not put in place the building blocks of a socialist dawn. But winning such majorities could in the future be unlikely anyway.

Is AV is enough? No, but the perfect should never be the enemy of the good. AV would increase the number of marginal seats. A good thing because if MPs require more voters to back them then they are likely to be more responsive and accountable. AV would also change the abrasive nature of our politics – forcing parties to cooperate. Finally a switch to AV shows we can change the electoral system without the roof falling in – which it won’t. Perhaps most importantly though, if the vote is lost, the cause of reform will be set back a generation. In Socialism is Democracy Neal Lawson argues that any renewal of Labour as a party of real power must be predicated on the alignment of socialism and democracy. Socialism, which all five leadership candidates have confessed an adherence to, can only be the collective capacity to change our world. For that we need a set of moral and practical rules; this is what democracy is, and should be applied, not just to Westminster but the state, our communities and workplaces. More democracy means more socialism.

What Labour does on AV will be a test of whether it can win real power and whether it deserves to.