I was just watching North West Tonight on BBC One. Its political editor Arif Ansari presented the first of a three-part series on the history of the Militant Tendency, especially its role in Liverpool. There was an intriguing moment, however, when Arif said,
"the Labour Party, which was pretty right-wing in the 60s and 70s."
Right-wing compared to Militant maybe - and that's certainly how Militant themselves saw it - but actually "right-wing"? Really? When Labour had an 83% top rate tax and the commanding heights of the economy were in state hands?
Shouldn't Arif have said, "the Labour Party, which Militant considered pretty right-wing in the 60s and 70s?"
Compare Labour in the 60s and 70s to Labour under Tony Blair, and surely it might be fairer to say that the Labour Party was pretty left-wing in the 60s and 70s?
Pretty much sums up the BBC view that Labour is better than Conservatives but would be even better if more left-wing. This view is one they happily try and instill into the general public.
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