Proud of my socialism

TWO letters have appeared in Viewpoints this week both criticising a letter l wrote on 29th April.

I was glad because I now know that people had read it and my efforts had not been in vain!

In one, I was accused of being a typical Labour whinger who could do nothing more than criticise the Tory handling of the pandemic and was brainwashed by mentors peddling left wing dogma.

Yes, I am a socialist and proud of it! A socialist who believes in social justice, a more equitable distribution of wealth, a well funded NHS so the poorest in our society get the same medical treatment as the rich do going to their private hospitals, an equal and top class education system so all kids get the same start to life, are given the opportunity to reach their full potential and the closure of private and public schools, a breakdown of the class system so elitism becomes a thing of the past. Also the protection of our planet and to stop its exploitation by the world’s industrialists whose only god is money, proper care of the old, fair pay to all workers and not the pittance that some have to live on, children to be brought out of poverty and to have decent clothes and good nourishing food on the table every day, dignity and opportunities for the homeless and those sleeping rough on the streets and more help for drug addicts. Plus nuclear disarmament and the end to wars (I marched in the anti war demonstrations opposing the Labour party’s policy of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan...so, yes, I can be objective!), a bigger percentage of our GNP to be spent overseas in poor, exploited third world countries and more help and responsibility for refugees.

Idealism?..Socialist dogma?.. Maybe!...but somebody will have to tell me what’s wrong with it!

Yes, I am a whingeing, critical socialist and have every intention of staying that way. One who hopes that once the Covid-19 crisis is over, the New Normal everybody is talking about will address some of these issues – and yes I do have a socialist mentor! ... it’s called my CONSCIENCE!

Colin Morrison, Whitefield