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Where do we go from here? Greg
Power pays tribute to Robin Cook, who died in August, and argues that his
contribution to democratic socialism has been underestimated The
last chapter in Robin Cook’s memoir is entitled ‘Where do we go from
here?’ It is essentially a plea for the party in government to be more
explicit about the values that motivate it. Crucially, he argues, Labour must
find a way of using its beliefs to explain its policies to an increasingly
sceptical electorate. Re-reading
it after Robin’s death, it is a succinct reminder of the task that still faces
the progressive left, and the gap that Robin Cook leaves behind him in meeting
that challenge. Although many have paid tribute to him as the ablest
parliamentarian of his generation, his contribution to the development of modern
social democracy in the UK and across Europe is often underestimated.
Robin Cook: unique role Robin
Cook played a unique role in progressive politics. He was, despite the general
perception, a keen advocate of the drive to modernise the Labour party. But his
support for the party was never unthinking. Instead, each new political
development was measured against a core set of principles for ideological
inconsistencies or flaws. The result was a complex and nuanced set of values,
not always sitting neatly with the prevailing mood of the party. It
meant that he was difficult to characterise – he never fitted easily into any
of the obvious party factions – but it also meant he was impossible to ignore. Yet
what marked him out among other politicians was his ability to ally ideology
with a clear sense of purpose. As foreign secretary
and leader of the House he drove an agenda based on explicit principles, and
achieved more cultural and political change than is generally recognised. And
although he occasionally disagreed with elements of Labour Party policy, it was
the government’s failure to use its values to engage and mobilise voters that
more often frustrated him. In
his resignation speech, and on many other occasions, he paid tribute to the
prime minister’s achievements, stating that this government was the most
successful Labour government ever – the most redistributive since Lloyd
George. Entrenching
change His
concern was at a policy he summed up as ‘social justice by stealth’.
Although Labour had achieved so much, it seemed unwilling to talk about it. The
failure to explain our achievements in tackling poverty and helping the worst
off – let alone celebrate them – would not only weaken their stability in
the long term, but also Labour’s broad electoral appeal. Entrenching social
change must mean being more explicit about what the good society looks like and
what it will take to get there. These
frustrations reflected his other political lodestar – his unflinching belief
in political pluralism. Robin was instrumental in shaping the way that Labour
approached these issues in the run-up to the 1997 election. Yet it is rare for a
cabinet minister to carry these beliefs into office. The pressure on ministers
to get results often sits uneasily with a commitment to greater democracy, and
the latter often wilts under the pressure. Labour’s failure to hold a
referendum on the voting system or properly reform the House of Lords are the
most obvious examples of this tendency. Robin
Cook simply believed that political pluralism was at the root of democratic
socialism. As he pointed out, revitalising progressive politics is about more
than simply increasing the number of people who vote Labour. It is about shaping
and entrenching the values that characterise social democracies. This cannot be
done by one party. And it cannot be imposed from the top down. It must be built
from the bottom up – and that cannot be achieved by stealth. It requires
directly engaging, arguing and persuading. It
was for these reasons that Robin Cook provided a thoughtful and authoritative
voice for a large part of the progressive left. Those
who knew Robin well have lost a good and decent man who cared deeply not only
for his politics but also for his friends. From the reaction to his death it is
clear that their sense of loss is shared by thousands who recognise that one of
the most important figures in shaping the future of progressive politics has
been lost. With
Robin Cook no longer around, ‘Where do we go from here?’ is a question we
should all be asking ourselves.
Greg
Power was special adviser to Robin Cook between 2001 and 2003. This article was
originally published in Progress |
