To be fair, it doesn’t take much to divide the Labour membership. Many of them seem more intent on in fighting than pulling together to get rid of the Tories. Any Labour leader not only faces a battle against the Tories, but depending on their particular views, around half of their own party too. It is little wonder Johnson is climbing in the polls. The vaccine seems to be working and the way the Great British public’s minds work, he will get the credit for that and the 120k plus deaths will be a minor blip which couldn’t be helped because Boris was doing his best in difficult circumstances.
It wasn’t the membership that was scrapping between 2015-19. It was the Parliamentary Labour Party and the various officials still left over from days previous.
The membership, by and large, did not conduct the smear campaigns.
The membership didn’t deliberately throw two general elections so Sir Keir could compete in a leadership contest.
The membership didn’t decide to purge left wing members after Keir’s elevation.
It’s interesting to see the view of someone that hasn’t been involved in the Labour Party, but as someone that did, I fundamentally disagree with your analysis.
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The question for Labour is are they a centre left party or a socialist left party.
The socialist left view has been tried in recent time and the problem, IMO, is that you leave behind too many of the centre left who no longer can identify with the party. That is a particular problem when the Tories park their tanks on the centre ground.
The Tories have been tearing themselves apart over Europe for years, but that issue aside they have always been conservative and they rally around that ideoloy when it matters. (They may be building up a problem with Steve Baker and his right wing faction though)
Labour seem to have a crisis of ideology which is a something I just don’t think they will be able to reconcile. On the one hand the need to be in the centre to stand a chance of winning the election, on the other they need to appease the unions which is their primary source of funding.
As an outsider it looks like a self defeating mess. I appreciate that whichever side you are from you are going to point the finger at the other side. What I want is a government that has basic values that revolve around looking after everyone. I want the Tories out. All I see with Labour is people arguing over ideology and principles. You can do that all day long but it won’t get you elected and it won’t cut any ice with all of the other floating voters. You didn’t just lose the last election, you were destroyed by a buffoon with a catchphrase. Corbyn’s statement that you won the argument was complete bollocks. For the good of the country the Labour Party needs to unite and find a way to work as one to get the Tories out. This is not the way to do it. Principles are all very well for Internet forums or bar room arguments, but they ain’t going to get you elected. The Labour Party is looking more and more like the sketch from the Life of Brian with the Judean People’s Front and variants. Get rid of Starmer and he still have the same problem. You lot need to learn to find a way to compromise and to find a way to put on a united front or we will just have to put up with more Tory misrule for decades to come.
When Keir’s Labour are more Tory than the Tories 
He’s waited for the Tories to tear themselves apart.
Unfortunately for them, since Cumxit the Tories have actually done an OK job in general, and yesterday’s budget was unspectacular but half decent considering what is going on.
Still a real lack of help for Limited company Directors though unfortunately, but then we all know why that is with Rishi in charge…
I guess you are talking about contractors - for me that budget was less painful than I thought it would be - which makes me think the reaming has just been kick down the road
Labour’s problem sadly all begins with its inherent founding principles… socialism in its truest form. This comes with so much baggage and mistrust, misinformation and misunderstanding that its a big millstone around its political neck. A party that brought together the various socialist and workers voices so disenfranchised in Victorian Britain, today struggles to be seen as relevant to many who would actually benefit most from greater social cohesion, compassion and responsibility… despite many remaining despicable (for a country of our wealth) social injustices.
The problem is, ‘Socialism’ has become synonymous with ‘Government spend more of my hard-earned, of supporting services for scroungers’ - Even many who process to sit on the left, will have watched yesterday’s budget hoping for minimal personal tax rises…
Whilst the majority would publicly acknowledge the need too reduce poverty and other social injustices, privately we are conditioned to look after ourselves, no matter how difficult that might be to admit… As a nation we are more at home with ‘tory’ values, ''less taxation, more money in our pockets to decide how we spend it… social provision, yes, but not so it encourages idleness… ‘’ This is Thatcher’s legacy… she made tax and spend a dirty thing, a negative thing and that is sadly now ingrained in many working class folks.
The post Thatcher generation of working class tories don’t want to go back to ‘old fashioned principles’ and TBF, Labour has done little to provide a compelling argument for them to do so, by presenting a more contemporary and relevant socially conscientious vision… they simply thought ‘becoming Tory’ was the wining formula and TBH it worked under Blair…
As much as the younger generations might be more ready for more socialism in the party, the electorate as a whole dont want it, and I doubt things will change much over the next 10-12 years. The irony might even be that we need Brexit to be a shiftiest, to get the Tories out (which despite what some may think, a Brexit shitfest on top of the Covid crapparty is not what anyone wants)
A nation of ‘tories’ dont want a return to old school socialism… and yet by not doing so, Labour loses enough of its core support to make victory incredibly difficult, without regaining the 50 seats in Scotland…
Well, indeed.
I shut my company down last year and am going through liquidation now as for the next few years we’re screwed.
Labour was created to give the unions political clout and to improve the workers lot through the ability to legislate - and today Labour derives a huge amount of its income from the unions. Quite how the Labour party can change when the likes of Len McClusky has a tight grip of the purse strings is beyond me. He who pays the piper calls the tune. Perhaps the unions need to modernise before the Labour party can truly change
So it doesn’t really have a purpose then? I’d argue that unions have long had their own, loud voices. I’d also argue that it has been a long time since they’ve had proper representation in Parliament.
Keir is not listening to them, which is one of the reasons UNITE have pulled funding. I suspect he’s fine with that; his plan appeared to be pulling in rich donors a la Blair, but it would seem he’s failing there too.
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Grim reading for Keir and pals.
Unfortunately, due to the success of the vaccination program, anyone would be being destroyed right now.
Keir has done fuck all, but I think it’s (to a certain degree) irrelevant.
If only that were true, even for Keir’s sake.
What he’s done is alienate his base and left himself with the metropolitan liberal crowd. Good luck with that Keir!
Honestly, I think they need to go. First step involves places like Liverpool and Manchester rejecting them. They are not doing great in either place at the moment.
Christ on a bike
Labour have tried Tory lite and socialist path and neither resonate- they need to seriously reinvent themselves
Or the populous need to rise up and throw off the yoke of the political establishment…
…ok, not this week
Seriously, I don’t think they have a future.
I’ve mentioned these people before, but I have increasing time for Blue Labour, socially conservative but economically open to alternate routes. A focus on the solidarity of community without being steeped in the ideology of who owns what.
That’s something people can vote for, but it’s not on the ballot. Paul Embery, one of its chief proponents, is spending most of his time trying to get reinstated by the FBU for being pro-Brexit.
I also think we might be on the cusp of a paradigm shift, especially after the lockdowns, where “labour” isn’t seen as a good thing in itself.
It’ll increasingly become something fewer people will have to do and we know that not everybody has to work.
Historically, I suppose the elites have worried about the devil making revolutionary work for idle hands. Not really a worry anymore, is it? The population has proved itself to be pretty pliable and capable of entertaining itself.
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DISCLAIMER: No expectation that anyone listens to all of this, but the bit I’ve time-linked lasts about three or four minutes and is both funny and insightful.
