How Can Labour Recover?

[naomi24]

I’ve just listened to a Labour spokeswoman (no idea who she was) saying that the way for Labour to recover is to return to the hard left. What is it they don’t understand?

If you were making decisions for Labour what changes would you implement to return them to a modicum of popularity?

[Zacs-Master]

I know you were. But to conclude that two parties who both offer the same thing means we would be living in the same political system as Russia has, is just daft.

[Untitled]

I did use the word "akin to" rather than "just like"... And I don't think it's daft... imagine you can vote Tory or... Tory-but-called-something-else. That is not democracy... it's a one-party state masquerading as a democracy.

[10ClarionSt]

As a life long Labour supporter, I was stunned by the result in Hartlepool. No doubt about it. I think the main reason for the decline in Labour support is that most working people don't associate with them any more. Labour has achieved a lot in the years it was in power but it is now a victim of those successes and has become a spent force. People today are more interested in triviality and clowning around. Bojo fits that profile and Labour needs to find a new direction. It's days of being the party of the working class are over. That is now obvious to everyone.

[Zacs-Master]

Akin to / like. Same thing. Policies would never be exactly the same and both parties would not want to distribute the country’s wealth ‘equally’ after keeping most of it for themselves. That’s why it’s daft to compare it to Russia.

[Zacs-Master]

‘ People today are more interested in triviality and clowning around’

Well, most of your posts would seem to support that theory.

[drmorgans]

Easy to blame the electorate for Labour's failings. Some people may be more interested in "triviality" but most are concerned about having a job with a living wage, decent working conditions and job security, with having an education system that prepares children for life and work, and adults for changes in work, and a health system that protects them and helps them lead a long life. Labour took it's eye off the ball.

[10ClarionSt]

Most of your replies do, too Zacs.

[emmie]

Labour as they stand now are a spent force, they certainly picked a dud when they chose SKS, he is so boring and monotone.

[Sqad]

What would Labour give, to get a Tony Blair back?

[emmie]

he's tainted with being a war monger, you couldn't stick him in the job

[emmie]

they need a major overhaul, and choose a leader that isn't going to alienate the party faithful.

[10ClarionSt]

I saw someone on the TV yesterday, don't know who, who said that the trend will be towards the Green Party as the main opposition, which is the case in Germany, where they have had a meteoric rise, apparently.

[Zacs-Master]

Please God, no. Have you seen the Calibre of their politicians? I suppose you’d get people jumping ship and doing a Farage tho.

[emmie]

the Greens have a lot of support, but they aren't viable as an opposition party, that should be Labour, preferably with a proper Labour leader, someone who can ignite the party and then they need to sort out what they stand for, which no one currently knows.

[Zacs-Master]

There’s only one thing Labour can stand for, which is the betterment of people’s lives. Which is, basically, what the Conservatives do. Which is why Tony B was so successful, as he caught the tide of people who were disenfranchised with the Cons at the time.

[emmie]

they have to ditch the cloth cap type mentality that still pervades the party, those days are well and truly over. They should and could be credible again, with a good leader and firm policies, i suggest that some are waiting in the wings and can take a hold -

[Untitled]

Akin to and like do not mean the same thing... Russia is presently a one-party state that allows fake opposition groups to pretend at independence when they actually support the regime... that is what would happen in this country if the opposition just had the same views as the government...

I appreciate Tories would love it... it would be heaven for them, because politicians would be falling over themselves to do what Tories want... But if peoples' votes did not actually count for anything then the people would not actually wield power... and that by definition is not democracy.

[Zacs-Master]

Akin means something of a similar character. In other words ‘like’. You can play with semantics all you want but a two party system in a free country is absolutely nothing like the Russian political system.

[Zacs-Master]

Even if both party’s’ manifestos are virtually identical.

[Untitled]

Similar to does not mean identical, Zacs...We can disagree on the comparison if you wish but the system you describe is not in any meaningful sense a democracy.