The socialist ideas of the British left's Alternative Economic Strategy : 1973-1983

This book provides the first book-length study of the political and economic ideas of the British left's Alternative Economic Strategy in the 1970s and early 1980s. Discussing the AES's approaches to capitalism, the nation state and the working class, it argues that existing academic accounts have significantly overstated the radicalism of the strategy. Perhaps more notable, especially in the light of its stated 'revolutionary' aims, was the extent of its moderation - its continuities with post-war Labour revisionism, its marked reluctance to look beyond the market economy, the degree of its preoccupation with Britain's global-economic status, and its inability to break with Labourist politics of class co-operation in the national interest. While the book argues that the AES was the last 'class politics' socialist initiative in mainstream British politics, it also explores the ways in which its ideas perhaps prepared the way for New Labour in the 1990s, and its relationship with 'Corbynism' since 2015. Baris Tufekci completed his doctoral research on the Labour left at Queen Mary University of London, UK. He currently works for House of Commons Select Committees at the UK Parliament Acknowledgements 6 Contents 7 List of Figures 8 1 Introduction: A New ‘Marketplace for Ideas’ 9 Prominent Academic Views on the AES 11 A New ‘Marketplace for Ideas’ in the 1970s 14 Outline and Arguments 16 2 Class and Party: The Historical Context of the Rise of the AES 19 Introduction 19 Labour Revisionism 21 Early Challenges to Revisionism 24 The Erosion of Labour’s Working-Class Base 26 Labour’s Loss of Members 26 The Decline of ‘Class Voting’ 28 Workplace Militancy and Labour’s Union Alliance 31 The AES in Power 34 The Rise of Left-Wing Union Leadership 36 Conclusion: The Role of the AES Left? 40 3 Reform or Revolution: The AES as Socialist Strategy 46 Introduction 46 A Strategy for Socialist Transformation 48 The Problem of Socialist Transition 55 The Labour Party 62 Conclusion 66 4 Planning the Market: The AES and Capitalism 72 Introduction 72 Keynes and the Labour Party 73 Disillusion with Keynesianism 76 Holland’s Socialist Challenge 77 Holland’s Anti-capitalism 80 Holland’s Planned Market 82 Entrepreneurial State 84 Revisionist Parallels 88 Holland’s Socialism 90 ‘Compulsory’ Planning? 94 Holland’s Radical Allies 96 Geoffrey Hodgson 96 Bob Rowthorn and the Communist Party 98 Conclusion 100 5 A Britain Oppressed: The AES and the Nation 107 Introduction 107 Protecting the British Economy 108 Britain’s Long Decline 109 Britain’s Relative Decline and the AES 112 European Integration 113 Import Controls 118 Britain as an Oppressed Nation 124 The Right-Wing Nature of Anti-protectionism? 129 Conclusion 131 6 Class Conflict and Class Collaboration: The AES and the Working Class 137 Introduction 137 The Background: Management, Unions and Unruly Workers 140 The Bullock Inquiry 142 The Options: (I) Collaboration 145 Tony Benn’s Constitutional Settlement Between Labour and Capital 148 Holland’s Theory for Ending the ‘“Them Versus Us” Syndrome’ 150 The Social Contract and Incomes Policy 152 The Options: (II) Conflict 155 IWC and Trade-Unionism 158 Strategic Ambiguity: Crisis or Stability? 159 Yugoslavia 162 The Labour Party and Its Social Contract 163 The Limitations of Labour-Left Criticisms of Workers’ Control 165 The UCS Work-In 167 The Lucas Plan 168 The 1984–1985 Miners’ Strike 169 The Miners’ Next Step 171 Conclusion 173 7 Conclusion: The AES, New Times and the Death of British Socialism 180 Introduction 180 A New Political Climate 180 The ‘New Revisionism’ Versus ‘Class Politics’ 183 New Times/New Labour 190 Economic Policy 192 The Nation-State 193 The Working Class 194 The AES Versus the New-Times Left 196 Conclusion: The AES and the Death of British Socialism 201 Afterword: Corbyn—A Socialist Rebirth? 211 AES Parallels 211 The Continued Absence of Class Politics 214 Bibliography 223 Index 248 "This book provides the first book-length study of the political and economic ideas of the British left's Alternative Economic Strategy in the 1970s and early 1980s. Discussing the AES's approaches to capitalism, the nation state and the working class, it argues that existing academic accounts have significantly overstated the radicalism of the strategy. Perhaps more notable, especially in light of its stated 'revolutionary' aims, was the extent of its moderation - its continuities with post-war Labour revisionism, its marked reluctance to look beyond the market economy, the degree of its preoccupation with Britain's global-economic status, and its inability to break with Labourist politics of class co-operation in the national interest. While the book argues that the AES was the last 'class politics' socialist initiative in mainstream British politics, it also explores the ways in which its ideas perhaps prepared the way for New Labour in the 1990s, and its relationship with 'Corbynism' since 2015"--Back cover Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Introduction: A New ‘Marketplace for Ideas’ (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 1-10 Class and Party: The Historical Context of the Rise of the AES (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 11-37 Reform or Revolution: The AES as Socialist Strategy (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 39-64 Planning the Market: The AES and Capitalism (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 65-99 A Britain Oppressed: The AES and the Nation (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 101-130 Class Conflict and Class Collaboration: The AES and the Working Class (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 131-173 Conclusion: The AES, New Times and the Death of British Socialism (Baris Tufekci)....Pages 175-205 Back Matter ....Pages 207-250