A foul-mouthed, revolutionary socialist with no sympathy for Christianity, might not be the most obvious candidate for a place on my bookshelves - but I have to confess to being a fan of Mark Steel. In his new book, "What's Going On?" he is back to the acerbic, witty and polemic humorous best, like he was in his first book, "Reasons to be Cheerful". One of the reasons I enjoy him is that as he views the world from within the Socialist Workers Party, he describes what it looks like to be part of a small misrepresented minority, treated as a laughable irrelevance by anyone who still knows what he actually believes in and wrestles (in a self-deprecating, amusing way) at the doctrinal wranglings of the left........ there are so many parallels with life as a Christian in 21C Britain. The Left, like the church, has a coherent critique of contemporary life, many beliefs which are very popular, a core of very committed believers - but struggles to recruit new adult members and is failing to influence public discourse. The following from page 168:
The young aren't attracted to the Left primarily because socialism appears to them as an archaic belief, but the problem is compounded by these [meetings] that can appear as cliquey as a giant dinner party. Everyone at these events seems despairingly familiar with the etiquette of the group. everyone knows who the speaker is talking about when they mention an obscure Guardian columnist, everyone knows when to clap (like an audience at a classical music concert), which minor government figures to jeer, and no one says '****'. If the Left was attracting a layer of people from outside this group, this etiquette would come under threat. But instead there's a cosiness that makes anyone from outside feel exactly what they are - an intruder.
As anyone who has heard Steel on his various radio and TV shows will be familiar with his talent for the hilarious rant; as he unleashes the wrath of his tongue on targets as deserving and diverse as Bush, Rumsfeld, Haliburton and Dido. His standard 'that would be like' gag in which he lampoons his enemies through the medium of preposterous comparison are in relatively short supply here, also he now seem to be able to mention a 'church' without virtually accusing all Christians of being closet Inquisitionists or Crusaders. (Mark Steel not ranting irrationally at Christians? "That would be like Margaret Thatcher saying that her one aim in retirement was to get re-opening Orgreave Pit under state ownership at the top of the Tory manifesto") - er, you get the idea.
Much of this book concerns Steel's reflections on being in his forties - reflecting on many of the disappointments which have come his way. He reflects on the fortunes of the far-left in politics, and the way in which they have tendencies for moments of great grandeur (like Galloway before the US Senate) but always seem to disintegrate into, comic farce, Celebrity Big Brother or Sheridan's Shenanigans. He charts his disillusionment with the SLP, and his final exit from the party he had immersed himself in since his youth, despairing at its wranglings, feuds and failures. He bemoans the way in which although globalisation and multinationals are now more unpopular than ever - there is no credible alternative movement.
Woven through this comic-tragic tale of mid-life crisis and disappointment, Steel rather movingly describes the end of his marriage. He describes his exile on the sofa, the petty rows, the pain, the growing acrimony, the reconciliations, the children pleading with him not to leave. Its a very, very sad tale indeed. At its worst, Steel rants about her instability, volatility and belligerence. However when the sorry tale nears its conclusion, Steel shows us that when he can stop all that effin effin all the effin time; he can write.
This is a good follow-up to Reasons to Be Cheerful, and much better than It's Not A Runner Bean. A good read for lovers of political satire, although Steel's style is certainly not to everyone's tatse.
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