I’m a member of the Labour Party and generally left of centre. It seems to me that, unfortunately, the critical mass of the UK vote sits slightly right of the centre (I know these are clumsy labels). So the Labour Party has to move to that ground to have any hope of overcoming a bias against them and the atrocious scaremongering of a still powerful media. There is simply no point trumpeting from opposition benches year after year. Keir had to take that ground more than ever - the party he inherited was unelectable on these terms and most commentators thought it would take two terms to get them back on track and somehow he has done that in one. He did that by sheer hard, professional work and beating the right wing media by not having much to say about anything and letting the Tories beat themselves.
Obviously we won by so much because of the system we have and because the Tories were hideously bad for so long and Reform them split their vote. But win he did and I’m encouraged by the start they have made. It’s so refreshing not to watch the news and listen to the embarrassing lies and sheer stupid incompetence we’ve had for the last 14 years as our leaders battled each other and played out their fantasies at the expense of good governance and the livelihoods of ordinary, hardworking people. Whatever else, if this Government can begin to rebuild trust, demonstrate integrity and competence and rekindle some spirit of public service and unity, we must surely all be better off.
The Tories will eventually have to move to the same sort of ground and any detours to the right or what they imagine to be ‘Reform’ territory will just mean more years in opposition. They are usually quite hilarious in arranging leadership elections and almost always seem to end up with someone they didn’t expect or want, so still lots to entertain.
But at least for now, in a very uncertain world, I feel we might have tickets on a slow, slightly dull but mainly on-time railway rather than careering and lurching around on a runaway train.
Yes I agree with you too. I always thought that it was pointless having JC as a leader even though I agreed with most of his policies , especially 2017, however I always knew he would lose and his leadership would mean nothing other than having to put up with Tories. I think he lost the plot by 2019.. He was a terrible leader. That was one of reasons I helped campaign, didn't want to sit back and moan about how how bad he was. Yes , you have to compromise to get in and have any effect but Starmer now seems to me be just right of centre and I couldn't bring myself to vote for them. If I had any respect for my MP I might have and would probably voted have for them tactically if I thought it would help get the Tories out but I was pretty sure the seat was safe. I ended up voting with my heart.
