I wish you were right, I'd love a Labour/LibDem coalition in 2025. However, I think it's is far too soon to remove the Tories from government, unless something dramatic happens.
Unless there is a decisive break with the far left, I think Labour are out of office for at least 20 years. It took 18 years from 1979, and situation is much worse now. A scary thing to remember is that the rightwing held almost uninterrupted power for 50 years after the war. How can we be sure that wouldn't happen here?
For Labour to win, they need to reassure the voters that, if elected, there is no danger of a Chancellor who is inspired by Marx, Trotsky and Lenin. They'll also need to be reassured that Labour is committed to security, and there's no risk of a leader who is ambivalent or hostile to NATO and our armed forces.
For that to happen, the soft left need to turn decisively against the far left. An interim figure like Neil Kinnock wouldn't be enough.
I fear the soft left won't elect a centre-left leader who could appeal to centrist voters. And without centrist voters, the Tories will carry on winning.
I think the Lib Dems will slowly revive, but I fear, without dramatic realignment, a few Lib Dem gains won't be enough to offset Tory gains elsewhere. As in 1992 and 2015, if the electorate fear a Labour government, they'll elect Tory MPs.
I fear that the Tories in 2020 will have a far larger majority than 109. In 1983, their majority was 188. This time it's worse. Michael Foot supported NATO, shadow Chancellor in 1983 never had a hobby of abolishing capitalism. The Tories will also have an unprecedented funding advantage, at a time when technology and money is becoming ever more effective at replacing activists on the ground.
What could change the picture is if the centre-left made a decisive break with the far left, and the opposition to the Tories no longer had the albatross around its neck, of terrorist sympathisers who were inspired by communism.
I think we should work for that. And I think the only way it's achievable in the medium term is a realignment.
Best,
George Kendall
Chair,
Social Democrat Group
@georgetsk
Hi Keith,
I wish you were right, I'd love a Labour/LibDem coalition in 2025. However, I think it's is far too soon to remove the Tories from government, unless something dramatic happens.
Unless there is a decisive break with the far left, I think Labour are out of office for at least 20 years. It took 18 years from 1979, and situation is much worse now. A scary thing to remember is that the rightwing held almost uninterrupted power for 50 years after the war. How can we be sure that wouldn't happen here?
For Labour to win, they need to reassure the voters that, if elected, there is no danger of a Chancellor who is inspired by Marx, Trotsky and Lenin. They'll also need to be reassured that Labour is committed to security, and there's no risk of a leader who is ambivalent or hostile to NATO and our armed forces.
For that to happen, the soft left need to turn decisively against the far left. An interim figure like Neil Kinnock wouldn't be enough.
I fear the soft left won't elect a centre-left leader who could appeal to centrist voters. And without centrist voters, the Tories will carry on winning.
I think the Lib Dems will slowly revive, but I fear, without dramatic realignment, a few Lib Dem gains won't be enough to offset Tory gains elsewhere. As in 1992 and 2015, if the electorate fear a Labour government, they'll elect Tory MPs.
I fear that the Tories in 2020 will have a far larger majority than 109. In 1983, their majority was 188. This time it's worse. Michael Foot supported NATO, shadow Chancellor in 1983 never had a hobby of abolishing capitalism. The Tories will also have an unprecedented funding advantage, at a time when technology and money is becoming ever more effective at replacing activists on the ground.
What could change the picture is if the centre-left made a decisive break with the far left, and the opposition to the Tories no longer had the albatross around its neck, of terrorist sympathisers who were inspired by communism.
I think we should work for that. And I think the only way it's achievable in the medium term is a realignment.
Best,
George Kendall
Chair,
Social Democrat Group
@georgetsk