14/09/2025
A little poem entitled "What happened to the left?"
When the bombs fell silent,
And from the rubble, we arose alive,
When we looked out for our comrades,
It was the spirit of forty five.
Nye Bevan saw health a human right,
And we got the NHS,
A civil society’s duty of care,
To not abandon those with less.
And then the National Insurance act,
Designed to provide for those,
Who through no failure of their own,
Were unemployed or sick or old.
And then to build a nation fair,
And unshackle the working classes,
They created the education act,
Empowering the masses.
We finally saw that hanging folks,
Was no more than cold revenge,
Then let the likes of Pierpoint go,
His barbarity avenged.
The love that shall not speak its name,
In sixty seven was cleared,
Allowing love to choose its path,
Without arrest being feared.
And then the law showed womens bodies,
Were theirs and theirs alone,
That their right to choose was sacrosanct,
Their autonomy their own.
In sixty eight, our racial hate,
was taken down a tone,
A race relations act was made,
So all could find a home.
In seventy we levelled up,
Paid men and women equal,
But corporations found loopholes,
So then there came a sequel.
The s*x discrimination act,
Prevented greedy bosses,
From disadvantaging good women,
For babies, or monthly losses.
Health and safety, minimum wages,
human rights and more,
The freedom of information act,
We strove to settle the score.
And now what have they done to us,
The blessed PLP,
They’ve thrown out all their principles,
Betraying you and me.
They expanded private finance,
It’s tendrils spreading deep,
Into our public services,
It really makes me weep.
To think of all the good undone,
The pain they are bestowing,
We’re trying hard to swim upstream,
And the currents only growing.
The trade union movement was betrayed,
And welfare felt the squeeze,
They took away free higher ed,
Introducing tuition fees.
The banks were freed to run amok,
The city laughed and cheered,
Until it all came tumbling down,
And their tab, we were left to clear.
And then we went to war with Iraq,
Sexed-up documents they devised,
They threw poor Kelly under the bus,
To hide their treacherous lies.
And now they’ve got in power again,
They’re turning to the right,
To shout about the rubber boats,
Ignoring greater plights.
Like crumbling schools and hospitals,
And keeping old folks warm,
Or mental health or housing woes,
And fending off Reform!
Equivocating while Gaza burns,
And genocide unfolds,
Supported by your policies,
Your shamelessness grows old
But all you want to do these days,
Is gain the popular vote,
By drifting further to the right,
Like mercenary scrotes.
Your minister for housing showed,
A staggering false pretence,
By stiffing her own tenants,
And putting up the rent.
And the deputy PM it seems
Not immune from impropriety
Avoided paying the taxed she owed
So embarrassingly bourgeoisie
It’s now beyond a casual joke,
Your party stands in shame,
It’s hard to tell you from the right,
You’re all the f***ing same.
