Nesrine Malik rightly warns the Labour party against alienating its leftwing activists and supporters (Starmer? Sunak? Millions know they are different but still feel alienated. Ignore that at your peril, 3 June). But in a liberal democracy, radical economic and social reform cannot be achieved without winning hearts and changing minds, and this takes time: it cannot be done in the space of a six-week election campaign. As Antonio Gramsci, the Italian communist leader, observed: “The counting of votes is the final ceremony of a long process.”
The trouble with Labour – one of the troubles – is that with its focus on fighting or preparing to fight elections, it ignores what Gramsci called the “war of position” in civil society: the struggle to challenge and change entrenched and widespread habits, practices, attitudes and beliefs that obstruct or inhibit progress towards a fairer, greener, happier, less divided and more democratic social order. Unless and until the party develops the capacity to provide such moral and intellectual leadership throughout society and at all times, not just during elections, its room for manoeuvre, in or out of government, is bound to remain tightly constricted.
David Purdy
Stirling
