Archive for October 6th, 2008
6th October 2008
Golwg: Torri’n Glir O’r Gorffennol - Breaking Away From the Past
Am rhyw reswm mae pobl ym Mhrydain yn dueddol o droi tua’r Dde yn ystod amseroedd caled. Ffydd gobeithiol ydi gwleidyddiaeth blaengar (meddyliwch am 1945, 1964 a 1997) – mae cyni yn dod a greddfau mwy tywyll, ceidwadol i’r golwg. Gyda Llafur yn gwynebu’r fath chwalfa – gwaeth na 1983? - y cwestiwn sy’n codi nawr yw a fydd y Toriaid mewn grym am genhedlaeth? Eironi a rhwstredigaeth, wrth gwrs, yw gweld meibion a merched Thatcher yn elwa o ganlyniadau trychinebus ei phenderfyniadau – yn arbennig dad-reoleiddio’r Ddinas a chaniatau i gymdeithasau adeiladu droi yn fanciau-er-elw. Ond a oes yn unrhyw ddewis amgen?
Wel, yn y gwledydd Celtaidd, oes, fel y gwelwn cyn hir yn Glenrothes. Ond beth am y rhan llai soffistigedig hynny o’r Deyrnas, Lloegr? Yno, mae un o brosiectau anghofiedig Blair: sef ‘cynghrair blaengar’ gyda’r Dem-Rhyddiaid – wedi cael ei grybwyll gan y cylchgrawn radicalaidd Red Pepper a cholofnydd y Guardian Michael White nid yn unig yng nghyd-destun problemau gwleidyddol Brown ond hefyd yr argyfwng economaidd byd-eang – rhyw fath o lywodraeth o undod cenedlaethol (neu am wn i aml-genedlaethol o gynnwys y Blaid a’r SNP). Mae David Miliband hefyd wedi son am gau’r hollt rhwng llafuriaeth a rhyddfrydiaeth radicalaidd yn yr erthygl a gafodd ei dehongli fel rhyw fath o gais am yr arweinyddiaeth.
Ond pam ddylai y Dem-Rhyddiaid (a chenedlaetholwyr a’r Gwyrddion) gysylltu eu hunain a phlaid a llywodraeth sydd wedi methu. Byddai rhaid cynnig gweledigaeth cwbl newydd, a thoriad clir a’r gorffennol. Gellir dechrau trwy arbed £45 miliwn wrth ganslo’r cynllun cardiau adnabod a’r system Trident newydd. Er mwyn sbarduno’r economi, dylid ymrwymo i dorri cyfraddau llog yn sylweddol (gan roi cyfarwyddiad i Fanc Lloegr os oedd rhaid) a thorri trethi ar gyfer pobl ar incwm isel, fel cam cyntaf tuag at system trethiannol decach o lawer. Dylid cytuno ar system etholiadadol cynrychioladol (i’r Ty Cyffredin a Thy’r Arglwyddi 100% etholedig) fel na bod modd i’r Toriaid lywdoraethu ar sail lleiafrif fel gwnaethon nhw drwy gydol yr 80au. Ac yn olaf dylid cyflwyno system ffederal, gyda setliad ariannol teg a chydnabyddiaeth o sofraniaeth Cymru a’r Alban.
Y broblem gyda hyn oll ydi Brown ei hunan, llwyth-garwr Llafurol er gwaetha ei holl rethreg am y babell fawr. Yn y saithdegau roedd gan Lafur Michael Foot, mab i Ryddfrydwr o dras Cernywaidd, i drafod gyda’r pleidiau oedd Wilson yn casau. Yn lle gwahodd Thatcher i Chequers, efallai y dylai fe wahodd Foot, yr arweinydd Llafur mwyaf aflwyddiannus – tan nawr.
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For some reason, people in Britain tend to lean towars the Right during times of trouble. Progressive politics is for times of hope (think of 1945, 1964 and 1997) - whilst times of adversity bring far darker and more conservative instincts to the forefront. With Labour now facing collapse - possibly worse even than in 1983 - the question which arises now is will the Tories be in power for a generation? Its certainly ironic and frustrating to see the Thatcher’s children benefiting as a result of her disasterous decisions - in paricular, the de-regulation of the City and allowing building societies to become banks-for-profit. But is there any alternative option?
Well, in the Celtic countries, yes there is, as we’ll soon see in Glenrothes. But what about the less sophisticated part of the United Kindgom, England? There, one of Blair’s forgotten projects, the ‘progressive alliance’ with the Liberal Democrats - has been mentioned by the radical magazine Red Pepper and also the Guardin columnist, Michael White, not only in the context of Brown’s political problems but also in terms of the economic crisis glocally - some form of a unity nation government (or even multi-nation if Plaid and the SNP are included). Also, David Milliband has mentioned closing the gap between labourism and radical liberalism in an article which was interpreted as some sort of leadership bid.
But why should the Liberal-Democrats (and nationalists and the Greens) link themselves to a party and a government that has failed? A completely new vision needs to be presented, with a clear cut made with the past. This could begin by saving £45 million by cancelling the identity card scheme and also the new Trident system. In order to accelerate the economy, a commitment should be made to substantially cut interest rates (by giving guidance to the Bank of England if necessary) as well as cutting tax for people on low incomes, as a first step towards a much fairer taxation system. There should be agreement on a representative electoral system (for the House of Commons and also the House of Lords so that it becomes 100% elected) so that a Tory Government cannot govern on a minority basis as they did throughout the 80s. And lastly, a federal system should be introduced , with a fairer financial settlement and an acknowoledgment of the sovereignty of Wales and Scotland.
The problem with all of this is that Brown is himself a tribe-lover, despite all his rhetoric about the big tent. In the 70s, Labour had Michael Foot, the son of a Liberal of Cornish descent, to discuss with the parties that Wilson hated. Rather than inviting Thatcher to Chequers, maybe Brown should invite Foot, the least successful leaders of Labour - until now.