CORBYN'S LABOUR PARTY - Is it 'déjà vu again'?

I've been an avid reader of Polly Toynbee's columns in The Guardian for some time. In her latest piece, "Ignore the cynics. Corbyn is forging a path to power", it would appear that her Damascene conversion to the cause of Jeremy Corbyn (JC) is now almost complete. This time last year, reading some of her columns, you would have been hard put to not to think that she regarded JC as the anti JC.

Is this the same Ms Toynbee who was a 'leading' member of the SDP when I joined, like Sir Vince Cable, back in the 1980s - in my case as a member of the old Liberal party rather than Labour? I would guess that the reasons both followed the Gang of Four was the left wing lurch in the shambles that the Michael Foot led Labour Party had become.

What we have been witnessing in Brighton this week has been what the late Yogi Berri would have described as "déjà vu again". You can promise what you like, as Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell did in his speech in the febrile atmosphere of a party conference, especially to all those enthusiastic new and largely young and idealistic delegates; but the only way it can be delivered in the world outside is by a massive hike in direct taxation, which would be a hard sell at the best of times.

Labour tried that in the 1970s and look what happened then. Ironically it could be argued that membership of the 'Common Market' (EEC) - not forgetting the IMF - saved our bacon before the benefits of North Sea oil kicked in, which were largely squandered by the incoming Thatcher government in cushioning the effects of what largely amounted to the deindustrialisation of Great Britain plc.

They say that history repeats itself. If Labour were to come to power promising the earth, we might not have the arms of the son of the EEC to fall back on this time, the way negotiations are currently proceeding in Brussels. MP Dennis Skinner, when asked by a reporter following McDonnell's address about the feasibility of Labour's plans, replied that, if the Attlee government could deliver a statist solution after WW2, why not now. Sorry, Mr Skinner, the world has moved on since then, admittedly not always for the better.

Are there any odds on an SDP Mark Two and might Polly and Vince be tempted to join it? It's clear that parties like the Liberal Democrats are unlikely to find enough traction to supplant either the Tories or Labour in what feels like a return to the 'two party' politics of the immediate post war period. The trouble is that, without a reform of the voting system, no 'third party' is ever going to make it into the big league. Look what happened to the SDP/Liberal Alliance, the Green Party, UKIP or even the Lib Dems. All looked like being the future once; but all failed to 'break the mould'.

The opponents of change - and here one must include the current Labour Party leadership - point to weak coalition government. Well, despite its faults, I'd love to return to the 'good old days' of the 2010-2015 Coalition. I reckon that Dave, George, and possibly Nick and Danny would like to turn the clock back as well! And I wouldn't mind our being a penny behind Germany that has had coalition governments for all but four years since it became a sovereign state back in 1949.

John Marriott,

Former Lincolnshire County Councillor

18 St Hugh's Drive,

North Hykeham,

Lincoln LN6 8RD

Tel: 01522 687965

Email: john.marriott.43@gmail.com