UK's Labour Roasted Over Claim to be Party of Both Workers and Bosses

The Labour Party returned to government under leader Sir Tony Blair in 1997 after 18 years by taking a 'Third Way' position between its social-democratic roots and pro-business pragmatism. But that approach eventually alienated its core voters.

Netizens have called Britain's main opposition party two-faced after its economy spokeswoman claimed it was for bosses as well as workers.

"The Labour Party is pro-worker and pro-business," Labour shadow chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves tweeted on Tuesday morning. "The Tories are neither."

That was accompanied by a front page from a liberal newspaper reporting that International Chamber of Commerce chairman Paul Drechsler, a former president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), was now backing the social-democratic opposition party.

British shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves tweets the front page of a liberal newspaper as proof that her labour Party now speaks for both workers and bosses

© Rachel Reeves/Twitter

Drechsler's Damascene conversion came as Labour leads Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Tories by more than 20 points in recent polls, amid the economic crisis prompted by sanctions on Russia.

And it came hot on the heels of former government 'LGBT business champion' Iain Anderson to resign from the ruling Conservative party and back Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Anderson, a friend of short-lived PM Liz Truss, said he had changed sides over her predecessor Boris Johnson's reported "f*ck business" comment during the battles over Brexit. But he had already quit as government LGBT advisor in April 2022 after Johnson's government decided not to extend legislation against gay 'conversion therapy' to ban counselling for children who believe they are transgender.

Twitter users were quick to point out Reeves' "Janus-faced" approach.

A tweet of the Roman god of portals and transitions Janus, who faces both ways at once

© Jackie Walker/Twitter

Others pointed to the barely-lukewarm support from Starmer and his shadow cabinet for public- and private-sector staff striking for a pay rise in line with double-digit inflation.

"When the interests of bosses go against the interests of their workers whose side will you have (the business or the trade unions/workers)? Who will have influence with you wealthy CEOs and business leaders or workers?" asked one.

"Pro business but not pro worker. Show support for the Unions. Starmer never challenges Sunak when he attacks him with the Unions. He should be proud to represent the workers. That is what the labour party is supposed to be, a party for the workers," tweeted another.

"It's certainly a brave and controversial move for the leader of the 'regulatory capture' end of the business community to start backing the party 25 points ahead in the polls," one user observed wryly. "I wonder which policies he is impressed by?"

"The Labour party was against the opening of a coal mine," said another simply.

Labour was founded in 1906 by a raft of trades unions and socialist organisations who were dissatisfied with a previous agreement with the Liberal Party — now the Liberal Democrats — to stand some working-class candidates. The move crippled the Liberals at the polls and the 1906 general election was the last time they were able to form a majority government.