Labour too right wing

Jordan Carter has been enjoying European socialism too much, he wants more of it here:

My colleagues in the Labour Party sometimes are a little bit baffled when I express frustration about how “right wing” our party is. It is a disconcerting thought that what was a “third way” fifty years ago is now seen by many as hard left.

Well my guess is because every country with a hard core socialist policy agenda has pretty much failed spectacularly.  But hey I’m all for Jordan encouraging Labour to pursue the policies of the 1950s.

I do not accept that current Labour politics – in the UK, or in New Zealand, or in Australia or anywhere else – gives enough substance to this drive to equality. It can only be achieved with strong public services, carefully regulated labour markets, generous welfare states and the substantive promotion of political, social, economic and cultural rights. This is not where left wing politics is these days. It is far out on the right wing edge of it.

I may be wrong but when Jordan talks about economic rights, I suspect he is not talking about for example defending people”s economic and property rights – but instead legislating to over-turn the rights of individuals in the economy.

The next challenge is going to be in the next election, showing how we are planning to build on our success to date to begin to move down the agenda of building a more equal society.

Well good on Jordan for posting the challenge, even though of course I disagree – but I’m not his target audience.  He is basically saying that Labour has done well managing the economy for eight years and he wants more spending to create an “equal society” to overcome the morally arbitrary luck that gives some people more talent.

Of course Helen is now promising tax cuts – so I’m not sure how that fits in.

And it would be nice if commenters in the thread focus on the policy and political debate, rather than personalities.