Her Majesty’s Opposition is in turmoil. Our country is in crisis. Corbyn won’t budge.
I am saddened by Labour’s demise. For all its flaws, for almost twenty years it has been a strong, progressive force in British politics. Corbyn has been re-elected with a sizeable 62% of the vote. Now Corbyn has a sizeable number of admiring activists – but they are talking to themselves. The public has already made up its mind about Corbyn – he is seen as incompetent, extreme and unelectable. It is all but impossible for Labour to gain seats in 2020 with him at the helm. The Labour party is already teetering on the edge of electoral oblivion.
And a lot of Lib Dems know what it’s like to lose elections. It hurts. We need to have sympathy with the thousands of Labour activists who want a united, centre-left Labour party. It would be opportunistic and insensitive to react to Labour’s turmoil with barely-disguised glee. How did you feel when parts of the left did just that after the 2015 General Election?
Instead we need an open dialogue with other progressive on those issues which matter to everyone in Britain. We need to make it clear that we are increasingly concerned by the ineffective leadership of the official opposition. I respect Corbyn, because he is straight-talking and committed to his own set of values. But he’s a terrible policy-maker and an even worse leader. Instead of leaving it to a lacklustre Labour leadership, the Lib Dems need to work together with other progressives (including Labour MPs) to challenge the Tories and develop effective policies. In my view, this is the kind of party we need to be while we have a small group of MPs who punch well above their weight. That is why I am so glad that Norman Lamb is looking to work together with other MPs on a cross-party commission on the future of our crisis-ridden NHS.
However, a strong identity matters in British politics. We are not just another progressive party, we are Liberal Democrats. We champion quality education for every child, we support close collaboration with our European neighbours and we support the civil rights of every single citizen. We reject the dark forces of populism unleashed by the Tories and stoked by the far right, as well as by parts of Momentum. We need to hold the Tories to account in the media and in the House of Lords. We cannot – and for our country’s sake we must not – become part of a fudge of vaguely left-wing parties. How could that possibly gain us a single vote?
As the party of democracy and plurality, I hope we reject electoral pacts, while working closely with members of all parties with whom we share common ground. Open, tolerant and united.
* A Liberal in Leeds is the pseudonym for a Lib Dem member. His identity is known to the LDV team.
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12 Comments
“It would be opportunistic and insensitive to react to Labour’s turmoil with barely-disguised glee. How did you feel when parts of the left did just that after the 2015 General Election?”
In the light of the reaction of the left after the election, I think a little schadenfreude is very understandable.
I class myself as ‘centre-left’, having voted liberal democrat (and before that, alliance) in every general election I was eligible, since 1983, except 1997 and 2015 (labour).
To be honest, I think the organizational/managerial qualities that Jeremy Corbyn is said to possess, or not, are a minor factor in the popularity of Labour to the average voter, who do not observe or experience them. The ‘extremist’ policies are the issue.
And, in fact, it’s not necessarily the declared economic policies that scare me, and I assume many others. They may be a little more ‘full on’ than I would consider ideal, but worth experimentation. It’s other aspects that worry me, and would stop me voting labour again. Things like foreign policy (although a less overt ‘USA, right or wrong’, money-centric policy would again be preferable to me), and particularly the at least implied policies on unrestricted free movement from the EU, economic migration and asylum from elsewhere, and defence – particularly nuclear weapons.
I am strongly in favour of retaining a minimum creditable nuclear deterrent, and have no time for those who argue that ‘only a madman would use them’: They have been used, against a country not armed with them, and a few weapons could completely change the balance of advantage in any large-scale conventional war that it would be criminally negligent not to have them. And cowardly, and unsafe, to rely on others using them in our defence. There have been madmen in control of major powers in (just about) living memory, and I’m damn sure there will be a century from now.
My point in posting on this forum is… on these key policies; Nuclear deterrence, and migration, do the Liberal democrats offer anything significantly different to Corbyn-led labour? Is total full on ‘eu-philia’ they only key point of differentiation from other parties? I know unconditional nuclear disarmament is not official policy, yet, but I assess there is a strong groundswell of support, and pressure for it moving that way.
In which case… might have to waste my GE vote on a ‘Yorkshire first’ candidate, or even ‘none of the above’ at the next general election. At least until an ‘SDP’ can re-emerge – my assessment is that that element of the two merged parties has been almost completely excised. And there seems to to be support for getting rid of all that remains – the ‘democrat’ half of the party name.
Rather than echoing the lazy criticism of Corbyn (which could see the centre ground shift yet more right and further quiet leaders being trampled over for the PR loving shiny ones) wouldn’t it better to demonstrate to the public, which will never vote for a party in the midst of a civil war, that the MP’s voted to serve their constituents continue to be more interested in winning the party direction rather than winning an election or standing up for their voters? If there is a GE called this year labour know the ins and outs of how they wanted government to have gone from 1945 onwards but have no clue what could come next. It’s up to the Lib Dems to lead the way.
I would be very careful. I listened to Corbyn yesterday and McDonnell today. They are learning and sounding far more reasonable, far less radical. I wouldn’t write them off or become complacent in any way. The Labour machine knows how to win and win big. Moreover Corbyn is not a party hack but independently minded and this appeals to many. I don’t like him or most of his policies, even less McDonnell, but I think you have to take them very seriously indeed. I have to say I much prefer their Brexit stance, they’ve listened and judged the mood correctly in my view.
TonyH – I joined the SDP when it was formed in 1981. I am proud to be a member of the Liberal Democrats and proud to have voted yes to merger in 1987. I think you are unduly pessimistic about the future of the “social democrats” in the Liberal Democrats. There is a vibrant “Social Democrat” Group which ahs recently been boosted by over the past 2 years by a number of active Labour members joining the Liberal Democrats. I am personally very happy with the political positioning of the Liberal Democrats.
A lot of good sense in the words above from Tony H, Stevan Rose and Tim Hill, different though they are in views.
My view though, is we need to be of the radical centre and moderate centre left. Tim Farron gets that . But this be daring and different stuff only works when in the mainstream. EUrophilia , like unilateralism is a road to nowhere, we need to by all means call for a referendum on the deal, and for a lesser deterrent , but on both we should accept that to a great extent, whats done is done.
If we are already out of the EU we must accept that and show how we can be the most internationalist and pro our allies party. Similarly, we are not left Labour or the Green party, once Trident has been commisioned, we should accept it and show how we would be the party to take world disarmament seriously !
The problem is, Lorenzo, that you and I and 97% of this Party have no influence to insert radical elements, new ways of working and motivating 75,000 troops. The Malcolm Bruce thread shows the resistance to collaboration amongst the wider membership and supporters. Whilst Momentum acts like a magnet because people can get involved in building a movement to use a Paddyism. No-one else is offering that. Everyone else has committees and working groups and top down direction.
Stevan
I see your point in this , but my view is if those like you or I or any of us who have ever become demoralised before or since , left the playing field , the game becomes literally a game!
I believe you and I and all who care about our country , society , and party , should recognise Disraeli was right , it is through parties we can make politics change.
Stevan, do not let the party change you ,when you think it could be better, change the party ,and make it better!
The Labour Party in Chaos is hardly worth a mention unless we have the policies to attract voters. They may not wish to vote labour but we have to give them a reason to vote for us.
The BBC have been interviewing people who claimed to be or have been Labour Party supporters. They seem to be divided into 2 groups. Those who used to vote Labour but disliked Blair and Brown so stopped voting but have now returned to the fold because of Jeremy Corbyn and those who disliked Corbyn or Miliband and have gone over to UKIP. No one mentioned the Greens or the Liberal Democrats. This seems to be born out by the reactions of voters to those who were canvassing in recent elections and of course the average 8% opinion poll readings. There is a lot of work to do. I do not think the emphasis on Europe is helping very much.
“I am saddened by Labour’s demise… The public has already made up its mind about Corbyn.. The Labour party is already teetering on the edge of electoral oblivion.”
While I share your belief that Labour won’t win a general election with Corbyn at the helm, you exaggerate the extent to which Labour’s support has already disintegrated. They still have 34% in the most recent opinion poll, and in the only genuine electoral test Corbyn has yet faced (the May local elections) they did OK.
It’s perectly possible that Corbyn will hang on to 30% or so of the vote – not enough to win, but more than enough to keep Labour comfortably in second place.
For those of us who want a sensible, electable progressive party to vote for, this is all depressing stuff. And I’m afraid there isn’t a scintilla of evidence yet that the tide is turning for the Lib Dems.
Hi Stuart, I don’t expect us to overtake Labour, but we can make significant gains. I think link in 2015 on the day leadership ratings will show the true story for Labour. I agree with you and Stevan that we can’t be complacent. My point is if we want to welcome ex-Labour members we can’t be too aggressively anti-Labour.