Enrico Stennett (9th October 1926- 7th July 2011) was born in a village in Jamaica named Maroon Town. Enrico Stennett arrived in the UK in 1947, at the age of 19, where within months he became a member of the League of Coloured People.

How The Conservative Party Destroyed Britain

It is New Years Eve the year is 2009 as we watch the slow death of the year, I am pondering about the hopes and aspirations for the coming year of 2010.

On looking at the New Year celebrations of all the English speaking countries those in the order of importance, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain. The spectacular fireworks which lit the skies of these countries in the celebration of the birth of the New Year.

I could not help looking back at the birth of the year of 2001 the beginning of the present decade, with the hopes and aspirations which we thought would have changed the course of life for the better for humankind as a whole, especially the British Working Classes.

In 1997 we had just seen off 18 years of a Conservative Government which slowly destroyed the industrial base of England. We saw the disappearance of the Coal Industry where we witnessed the state of affairs which leaves one to wonder how one woman could turn brothers against brother, fathers against son, and husbands against wives, this did happen.

We saw the destruction of the Steel Industry where one by one the Steel Furnaces were closing down leaving thousands of people unemployed, while new steel factories were established in India, Korea and Taiwan, the jobs were taken from the workers of this country, and moved overseas for cheap labour.

We saw the privatisation of the Railways where the Trains were sold to one section of private enterprise, while the tracks were sold to another. We saw the death of the Car Industry where the Car Factories were sold one by one to foreign investment leaving the workers without a means of earning a livelihood.

Even one of the most important industries we had the Rolls Royce Manufacturers of Aeroplane Engines and Cars was sold to the highest bidder, when all of these industries disappeared so did the livelihood of the people. The Miners strike was the most potent of all, hatred gripped the country, and all the other industries which were sold had their Trade Union purposely destroyed.

The destruction of the Trade Unions was twofold, one to destroy the unity of the people the other to destroy the Labour party, the Tory party knew it was the Trade Union membership which supported the Working Class movement which was the Labour Party, without Trade Unions, the Labour Party was doomed.

The Working Class people were convinced by the Tories of the need to enter the European Common Market, the then President of France General de Gaulle was against Britain joining, knowing that Britain would want to take over the leadership of the Common Market and in their eagerness to convince the British people of the need to enter this market, all English workers were told joining the Common Market would be good for them, we would be able to travel and work in any part of Europe where there was membership of the Common Market to work freely. They did not tell the people it was important for them to speak any foreign language.

While the people of Europe had already come to England to learn to speak English just after the War ended, we were not equipped to go to their countries because we only spoke English.

Against the wishes of the British Workers we found ourselves Europeans. The difference was the people of Europe such as France, Germany, and all the other leading countries had their industries intact, while ours became depleted year after year, until nothing was left.

Unemployment was rife among the working classes, while the leader of the Tory party on seeing the dissipation of her popularity decided to take us into a War, as Tories always do, they cannot govern unless there is a War. The sinking of the Belgrano on 2nd May 1982 was unjustified, we were told the Prime Minister knew the Belgrano was not a threat to us because it was steaming away from the Falklands but the order was given to sink her nonetheless.

As a people who enjoy the power of War the support of the Tory party grew day by day, as hundreds of British and Argentinean men were killed just to strengthen her popularity. The working classes of Britain gained nothing from the War but of course they never did, only the rich and powerful, those who made the bombs the guns and ammunition and those who wanted prestige which fighting a War gives, they are the gainers of any War financially and otherwise.

In the heights of the recession the industries which were left became computerised, where we were told that one machine could do the work of 10 men, the working classes were assured this would be good for them.. They would be able to keep their jobs while at the same time working shorter hours for higher wages. There was talk that we should be looking at ways and means to spend our leisure time and were even encouraged to join clubs and other facilities where we would keep ourselves healthy.

The workers knew this was a pack of lies, they knew there was no way a Tory administration would tolerate people working shorter hours and earning more money, the Labour movement knew fully well the Tory party thought more of profit for the rich and powerful, than a decent wage for the majority of the working people.

Margaret Thatcher was removed from office in disgrace, still the right wing media of today sing her praises and keep wishing we have another Margaret Thatcher as our Prime Minister.

It was in the era of the Yuppies where the Stock Exchange was King, where we were told it is good to be greedy, greed was good because through greed, we make progress. This was when the greed which consumes us today was born.

by Enrico A Stennett

Click here for other articles by Enrico Stennett
The Land Caught in a Time Warp
More water at No6
Trains that Lead to Nowhere
The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword
I Was Forced to Sleep in Bombed Houses
Paramount Dancehall
British Empire
Voice from the Dead
Black Youth in the U.K Today
Are the Spirits of Adolph Hitler, Mussolini, and Oswald Moseley still with us Today?
The Birth of Fear in Jamaica
Will There Ever be a World Where We are Colour Blind?
How Britain and America Helped to Destroy the Island of Jamaica
How The Conservative Party Destroyed Britain
African Voice 1954
Speakers Corner
A Tribute to Enrico Stennett