Murdoch and the left

Bruce Anderson - a guest commentator in the FT - writes about the left's antagonism to  Murdoch (FT July 22.)
"But for Rupert Murdoch's malevolence, Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock would have won elections; Arthur Scargill would have won the miners' strike. Margaret Thatcher would have been brushed aside The Labour left wingers of the 1980s were profound believers in political serfdom. Their serfs, the working classes, had been put on earth to vote for socialism. Instead they bought the Sun. For offering them emancipation, Mr Murdoch will never be forgiven."

There are all sorts of problems with this comment. The miners lost their strike because the leadership of the TU movement were more frightened by the prospect of their victory than the effects on the union movement of the miner's defeat. Foot and Kinnock would never have delivered socialism. They were reacting to the battles of the 1970s - not realising they were ancient history - and that by 1986 our movers and shakers did not need the 'sensible face' of socialism to keep society together any more.

Nevertheless, there is a kernel of truth in Anderson's comment.

Thatcher survived because she sold off council houses and gas shares - not because Sun readers were diverted from their proper consciousness by the Sun's pornography. The union and Labour leadership of the 1980s had no vision of a country and society that meant much to ordinary people. The best of them reacted to attacks. The worst dreamed of beer and sandwiches at No 10.

Why is this important now? Because we desperately need a vision of a new society. Because the existing society is shaking to pieces. And there are no council houses and gas shares left.