WTF

 

Robert Peston has nabbed the best possible title for a book on the present political situation. The book is full of facts, figures and argument to support his case for an essentially class-collaborationist approach to labour relations.

One thing which does shine out from his analysis is how much better off the workers in Sweden have been because of the widespread trade union membership. It is a good answer to the question, “What have the unions ever done for us?” Saved our bacon would be the short answer.

Fury at Donald Trump is one of the defining characteristics of this era. People with whom I have little or no political agreement will nevertheless concede that he is “a bit of an embarrassment” or “the devil incarnate” depending on the degree of their antipathy.

Peston sees the vote against the EU as a revolt of the lowest paid and least regarded members of the electorate and he has chapter and verse to back up this analysis.

There are two issues with this book.

Firstly the tired assertion that the EU has brought peace is a Eurocentic one. On a world scale there has not been one day of peace since the end of the second world war.

Secondly it never was the function of capitalism to provide rising living standards and social mobility. There is an irreconcilable conflict of interest between the one percent and the ninety nine percent and many of the facts in this book bear this out. Rises in living standards and social mobility are the result of trade union power and the political intervention of the working class.

It is an excellent book written in a lively and engaging style. You will have to excuse Socialists for drawing different conclusions from the political editor of ITV News.