Labour - A Broad Church?

[mushroom25]

according to some of its leading lights it is - yet deselection of those not considered left-leaning is again in the news:-
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6715137/Labour-party-edges-split-100-moderate-MPs.html

would labour be more likely to win an election in "broad church" mode, or as a totally up-front left leaning party?

[rowanwitch]

Oh I do hope they split, then the moderates can merge with the lib dems..... Oh I remember they tried that.... And the hard core can sell the socialist worker on street corners. Either way they have real problemz.

[cassa333]

To be fair neither of the two main parties are a broad church.

In Labour you have MPs wanting, nay demanding a second vote, calling out anti Semitism and not fully supporting Corbyn and in Tory you have the likes of Soudry saying Brexiteers should be thrown out of the party and they are not true conservatives.

At this rate Labour will be fully socialist with extreme policies (perhaps they should contact AOC and her factious Green New Deal to get rid of aeroplanes and farting cows.

So what would happen if all these disaffected MPs from both parties just waited and when the time came simply didn’t vote as they were told to?

They would lose the whip, they could get deselected and then leave. Either waiting or leaving they could then start a new.!!

[-Talbot-]

Labour to make an announcement at 10 o'clock.

[10ClarionSt]

If Theresa May would call a General Election, we'd find out wouldn't we?

[woofgang]

Yes I can see an link between Labour and Broadchurch.....old grievances nursed, nasty secrets uncovered, and general dysfunction.

[TonyV]

If election called i'de be in a quandary nowing who to vote for. Vowed not to vote for May after brexit capitulation, although I think she will stand down before next election, and don't view Corbin as a viable PM. So a labour split would be good for the party IMO

[naomi24]

I said recently I didn’t think they would split. I thought they’d make great efforts to keep it together for obvious reasons. However, on reflection I was probably too kind in giving them more credence than they deserve.

[Kromovaracun]

//would labour be more likely to win an election in "broad church" mode, or as a totally up-front left leaning party?//

It looks like they're going to split today. So I guess we'll find out before long...

I have very mixed feelings over this. On the one hand, it would be nice for those of us who are not conservatives to have a party to vote for come election time, and this makes that more likely. On the other, it would also be nice for that vote to not be rendered completely meaningless by the two-party system...

The Tories must be delighted.

[dannyk13]

Kromo //The Tories must be delighted.//
Not too delighted as there are Tory MP's threatening to quit too.

[ToraToraTora]

TBF there are still a number of St Tony's Tory lite in the party and they must be mightily sick of Agent Cob and his band of loonies so It would not surprise me if another party emerged. However new party's don't last as the gang of 4 ably demonstrated in the 80's and I can't see Blairites teaming up with the Limp Dums but I suspect even they would dread the thought of Cob in no 10 so they may just split to dilute the Labour vote in any future election.

[Kromovaracun]

Indeed Danny, people have been speculating for a while that both parties could see a split, in which case we really are in uncharted waters. I find that a bit implausible to be honest, but I've been wrong plenty of times before.

[ToraToraTora]

for the apostrophe police, I know two are wrong above but spotted then after posting.

[ichkeria]

I'm not sure 4 MPs leaving the party is a "split" exactly - not yet anyway.
Both main parties are in hock to followers of a misguided ideology just now: Labour to a form of Marxism, while the Conservative government is allowing followers of a misguided, Europhobic wet dream which seeks an unregulated world-trade-based system for Britain.
With the electoral system we have no only "broad churches" in theory can attract enough votes to achieve power, but when we have the situation we have now that situation does not necessarily apply as the centre gets squeezed, with people "taking sides" not on the basis of policy or principle but merely to keep the other lot out. In that sense the ERG and the Corbynite left are each others' best friends: Labour has a chance of power unless the Tories wise up, and vice versa.

[agchristie]

//John McDonnell yesterday warned Labour MPs thinking of leaving that they could keep it out of a power for a decade if they take away votes in marginal seats.//

He sounds like the villain of the piece there...

[youngmafbog]

I've said it before on here. The disenchanted Labour should join the likes of Sourbry and other disenchanted Tories and form a new party.

Lets think of a name - I know how about New Labour?

[ToraToraTora]

now where have we heard that before YMB?

[agchristie]

How about 'Labour Ring'?

[ichkeria]

A very, very damning series of speeches coming now from the magnificent seven.

[jno]

and of course the Tories have their own Momentum group dedicated to throwing out traitors!

https://leave.eu/deselect-your-remainer-tory-mp/

[youngmafbog]

A bit tngue in cheek there TTT, but although I would not vote for them the swing votes are in Middle England - they could do well.

One of the problems Labour have is that like UKIP they achieved the aim of their Party. Time to move on and fight the new causes whatever they may be. Rather than a merger with the Liberals I could see liberals defecting to the new party as well, therefore it would be the liberal Party that collapsed since it is almost there anyway.

Could be interesting times ahead.