In 1945 the developed world looked around and saw the devistation that had been caused by greed, power hungry people, and the establishment that created war for profit.
Men and women who had sacrificed for their freedom saw the struggle ahead, and to use a british maxim "rolled up their sleeves and got on with it".
Despite the reverence that Churchill was held in, he was voted out, the country knew it needed a reforming Government, one that listened to the people.
The most Reforming government ever to hold office came in, This was the birth of the NHS, not free as people now think, but payed for by the people. If you worked money was taken directly from your wages to provide health insurance, it was even called National Insurance so people understood it was payed for.
It did not stop there, The country was devistated by war, infrastructre and housing was damaged, Industry had to re gear to peace, People had to get work. So The Council house was conceved. Government built housing, of a reasonably high standard to allow people to live with dignity, This was also not free, you paid Rent.
A fair wage for a fair days work, the minimum wage was conceived. If you went out to work then you earned.You had a contract, the company received your work, you recieved a living wage, with taxes taken at sourse so that you did not have to deal with forms and accounting, the monney you would earn was told to you.
Water,rail,electricity,coal,even comunications in the nature of Phones were deemed to be essentials and therefore to be owned collectively and run for all.
Now this did not make large profits, it spread the wealth, so some were not happy. Why should the profitable be out of reach?
We, the people, slept.
We listened to the idea that "everyone should be able to own their own home", an idea that was insidious. This resulted in council housing shortage, and ex council houses now 90% owne by Buy to let landlords.
We listened to " the NHS is inifficient and needs reforming", this resulted in managers upping their wages at the expence of services, piecemeal privatisation, and a real term reduction in funding.
We were lulled in to Share ownership for all, and let the gvernment sell us what already belonged to us, and because we did not understand we lost it.
We listened to the idea that Buisness needs to have freedom to inovate, so now we have zero hour contracts, food banks, the idea that you can work and still need a top up benifit.
Now there is a backlash starting. Gaining support.
It is not left wing to realise there needs to be a balance. It is not left wing to realise and spport the idea that an MP should have some idea of the working mans life. It is not left wing to support the premise that if a man or woman works, they deserve to be able to afford decent, liveable housing, Affordable utilities,nourishing food, and a fair chance to improve their lot.