Socialism - Types of Socialism

Types of Socialism 

Primitive and Utopian Socialists 

Predates capitalism with Thomas Moore's "Utopia" in the 15th Century and his vision for a simple rural lifestyle with greater consideration of others.

• Gerard Winstanley (the Diggers) and the Levellers (17th Century) before they were destroyed by Cromwell believed in greater equality and the leveling of society
• Both ideas looking for equality no private property and no greed but were out of fashion with the contemporary beliefs of the day
• Followed by Utopian Socialism laid out by Charles Fourier, Robert Owen and William Morris
• Fourier created communism before Marx with his ideas on cooperation and his phalanxes, which were groups of society put together for the greatest good
• Morris felt that workers were just machines and ordered that mass production be stopped and the value of a product be according the amount of skilled work put in. 

Fabianism and Evolutionary Socialism 

Fabianism so called after Roman general Fabius and his theory of warfare, which was constructed around the theory of inevitability of gradualism

• Fabian Society ensured that Labour party has been a non-revolutionary party 
• Evolutionary socialists believed that Lenin was wrong and that capitalism was not going to collapse, therefore there needed to be an appreciation as to how the workers were going to be best represented in the democratic system
• Eduard Bernstein - called for political work in government economic and social improvements through Trade Unions and nationalisation of industry
• R.H Tawney believed in the importance of education if there was to be a fairer society, this was also combined with his strong religious beliefs

Social Democracy

• British Socialism has been as extreme as that found in Europe, usually attempted to work with businesses rather than against it
• Redistribution of wealth was the obvious area in which capitalism can be harnessed by the state for greater equality 
• However they shifted from just being the part for the workers. 1945-1979 Labour based its socialism around a number of key areas - equal rights and equality of opportunity but no attempt to stifle individuals and their efforts to create wealth; nationalisation - for the good of the people the state had an expectation to provide jobs; welfare state with compulsory contributions through wealth redistribution; trade unions to remain strong, as it was essential that the working man was represented. 

New Labour 

• Less state control, for example we saw devolution and the proposals for regional assemblies and mayors
• Trade Unions sidelined, this was controversial at the time as many felt Blair should have overturned Thatcher's anti Trade Unions legislation. However, this did not sit well with his donors and the new voters he gained in 1997
• Accepting inequality while still looking after those at the bottom. Similar in a way to Thatcher in terms of seeing inequality as a positive, however still believed in helping the least well off
• Taxation not increased - stealth taxes? 40% taxes band was retained. Social security aimed at those who really need it. No longer associated with a class struggle, as they had brought it in the middle classes in 1997
• Followed writings of Anthony Crossland who argued that nationalisation was not the best way to run the economy - "Future of Socialism" (1959) - capitalism had to be harnessed in order to spread wealth. For Crossland, socialism was about greater equality and social justice. Capitalism could be used to pursue these goals. 
• Ideas of Crossland was central to the creation of the Third Way 

The Third Way 

• Famous for saying that ideology was dead, claiming "what matters is what works." He wanted voters to think he was a practical man, free from dogma. Many on left argued he was swapping Labour for Thatcher's full embrace of the free-market
• Socialist in that it ha public sector investment with huge investment programs in building new schools and hospitals. Extra 1 billion on education, cutting class sizes, huge spending on hospital building program.
• Blair was also shared socialist values: 1997 minimum wages - clearly for the working to stop lowest paid getting exploited. EMA - allowing young people to carry on studying - HRA protects people being exploited. Rebuilding schools - provision, equality of opportunity 
• Conservative - Iraq War - liberal interventionism. Not raising 40% income tax band, encouraging private businesses to run schools; academies, private companies to have contacts with the NHS, tough on law and order and crime but also on causes of crime terrorist detention extended to 28 days 
• Communitarianism - Giddens: plans for regional assemblies defeated (through referendums)
• Equality of opportunity in order to promote social mobility mainly through broader access to education but inequality accepted with the state not expected to level the playing field. Targeted welfare - no cradle-grave mentality (Clinton - "a hand up, not a hand out"), equality of opportunity, not outcome. 
• Social charter and child poverty targeted, minimum wage etc - social justice through provision 
• Third Way - COMMUNITY - central concept
• Social justice - even before Blair, Labour changed its drive of "equality" to social justice as equality was hugely unpopular with the electorate. Helping the poor to help themselves e.g. illiterate people taught to read
• Made the Bank of England independent as a symbol of its commitment to low inflation. Did not raise income tax and honoured the previous government plans on public expenditure, party of business not workers.
• Obligation for the richest states to shoulder their responsibilities to the poorer states to develop a more inclusive world community. Liberal interventionism 
• Distanced himself from traditional trade unions - ties with private sector role but more importantly did not repeal any of Thatcher's TU legislation or attempted any renationalisation of industry 
• Autonomy at devolved levels through devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Devolution - not big, bossy government. 

Ed Miliband - Socialist?

Red Labour 

After his election victory in 2010 it was clear that Ed owed the Trade Unions. This allowed the Conservatives to claim that he would be "Red Ed" a throw back to the 1970s. This was compounded with his open criticism of New Labour's decision over Iraq, their dependency on the financial services sector and the continued disparities between the wealthiest and those at the bottom 

Blue Labour - brainchild of Lord Glasman 

Communities taking more responsibility for their own lives. Economically it was critical of New Labour and its obsession with the free market, but it is socially where it is controversial with its attempts to be conservative in defending traditional institutions and work ethic. There is also an attempt to deal with the issue of immigration, which has had a dramatic effect on Labour's traditional heartlands. However, just as Miliband was about to endorse this view he changed his mind, fearful of the consequences/backlash 

Purple Labour - from the "Purple Book - A Progressive Future for Labour"

More New Labour, it contained detailed chapters on education, welfare and the economy were covered along with their version compared with Blue Labour. The main issue concerns how to deal with the deficit, in order to regain economic credibility with the electorate. They are also critical of Blue Labour and its return to the old fashioned wide working class base yesteryear. 

Ed Miliband 

• Hard to pin down on policy at the moment apart from perhaps umbrella terms such as "one nationism"
• Definite policy includes a return to a 10% tax band and for this to be funded by a form of Mansion Tax. Perhaps a seeking to "woo" the Lib Dems?
• Attacked Cameron for his "cronyism" - capitalism cronyism - RBS bonus - Cameron refused to veto it 
• Previously called on a High Pay Commission to look at the disparity between those at the top and those at the bottom. Claimed that the coalition was not protecting NHS welfare - social justice - Labour would protect this budget but he has to be careful that his spending policies add up
• Supports the return of EMA - social justice/equality of opportunity. Supports a graduate tax - doesn't put people off as much. Fairer and enables greater social mobility. Attacks big business and the coalition's association with this 
• Didn't support the strikes by students/teachers and has recently said that Labour would not overturn the pay freeze for the public sector if they won the next election.
• Attempting to prove that they can govern without great amounts of money.