Britain’s opposition Labour Party won contests for two new lawmakers on Friday, dealing a crushing blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives before a national election later this year.
The double defeat underlined the flagging fortunes of the governing party and will do little to silence Sunak’s critics, who fear the Conservatives could face an all-but wipe-out at the national election and want him to change course.
The 43-year-old former investment banker has struggled to restore his party’s fortunes despite recasting himself at various points over the past year as a bold reformer, a stable technocrat and now as someone who needs more time “to stick to the plan” because, he says, that plan is working.
If only they could deal blows to starmer and everyone else pushing them to abandon their principles.
While Starmer isn’t perfect, he’s acceptable enough to the majority of people to be a large reason why they’re doing so well - it’s been proven time and time again that actual left wingers don’t get elected even against the most incompetent of tories, so if you want a leftist to lose an election for you then go form your own party, but personally I’d rather have someone centre-left in power than the moral victory of having a true leftist as leader of a powerless opposition against an increasingly incompetent tory party
The labour vote is polling as an anti tory vote, they had the opportunity to actually stand for more left-wing values and get stuff done. Most polls place labour well enough in the lead that they don’t need to abandon everything they’ve stood for to get a majority. Especially since they could form a coalition with the snp. This isn’t about purity at the cost of victory.
The issue is that if Labour had someone true to how the party was 50+ years ago, then people would end up voting Lib Dem, Green or even incompetent Tory… There hasn’t been a “true” Labour pm since the 70s because (due to the media slander, changing perceptions or whatever else you want to attribute the underlying cause to) people won’t go out and vote for one.
I will admit I’m probably biased here as I’m centre to centre-left, I voted Lib Dem last time in a marginal Lib Dem/Tory seat and probably would’ve done the same in any other seat, this time I’m still undecided between Lib Dem & Labour, but I think the Blair government was pretty good as governments go and just shows how effective a government led by someone who is not quite left wing enough to lose support from the centre but still enacts undeniably left wing policies can be
I’m also biased as a socialist. I’m mainly disappointed in their shift on social issues, especially protecting trans rights. The one thing I think it’s unacceptable to compromise on is protecting the most vulnerable in our society. Labour’s leadership has continually wavered on trans rights, and plays into dangerous stereotypes about trans people. Numerous members of the shadow cabinet have made transphobic comments or been incredibly weasly about it. Starmer’s bad, but I’m most concerned by Dodds given her position.
Though I think labour has an opportunity to push some larger economic issues, I do understand arguments that it’s not worth the risk of pushing people away. I just think they’ve gone farther than was necessary or wise.
Before my last concern, I want to be clear I’m not a fan of corbyn, I agree with him on a lot of issues, especially economic, but I think his foreign policy ends up just being accidentally correct. He seems more interested in opposing the tradutional western positions rather than actually considering each Individual issue.
But, given the center faction was more interested in getting rid of corbyn than beating the Tories I have zero faith in their ability to properly govern.