This chart is in The Guardian this morning:
What it shows is that Labour is losing many more votes to left-wing parties than it is to right-wing parties, and yet, despite that fact, Labour is moving towards the right to try to win those voters who have gone in that direction, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Three things are clear. The first is that there can be no strategic thinking behind Labour's continuing move towards the right wing. This can only be explained by the ideological leaning of its leadership.
Second, this shift is not to the liking of those who thought themselves to be Labour voters.
Third, as most readers of this blog would agree, there is political opportunity on the left at present. I just hope it is taken.
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Starmer has no political ideology. Presumably his advisor, Morgan McSweeney, does.
Starmer needs to listen to people who disagree with him.
Hopefully next year’s council elections with go very badly for Labour, and there will be change.
I think that’s the only hope we’ve got.
The only hope we’ve got….that Labour might change? Luckily there are other sources of hope for progressives these days.
It’s quite possible neither Starmer or McSweeney have an ideology beyond the false notion that following “the Right” will make Labour popular.
Following won’t win voters, leading might if it’s in a different direction. By following, they just reinforce the extremist notions and the extremists will effectively just say “Thanks for bringing the people here, we’ll take them now”.
It’s not like it’s a new mistake either, it’s a mistake progressives have made in many places in the world for a long time to varying extents.
Even this morning Keir Starmer is rabbitting on about how Labour will deliver growth completely oblivious to the fact that trying to balance the government’s books undermines growth. A complete and utter nutcase!
Agrees
I can honestly see Reform and the Tories jumping into bed with each other with some deal or other. We need to keep an eye on that.
But I think within the left – or supposed left – what we will have is fracture and a willingness to come together will be important as well. But I do think we are on the road to fascism proper for now – but looking at Meloni’s government – people have realised that the far right does not have the answers either (and the far Right does not – it is a form of aggrieved politics that goes around in circles – that is all).
As for Trump, I have no idea about what the American voter psyche is at all. Is he up? Is he down? We can only wait and see.
Much to agree with.
Regarding your third point, I think that will likely require various groups working together (including Your Party) if it is to be successful. I hope those groups appreciate that and do so.
Craig
Earlier this year there was a by-election in Newcastle for a councillor. I think the seat was previously held by labour.
Anyway, the two main opposition groups were Green and Majority independent. Majority asked all its voters to vote Green, and the Green councillor won. It can be and is being done. A lot of Majority members are those who were kicked out of the labour party in the north east and were politically homeless.
What price electoral reform before the next election? Labour must already realise that it will be wiped out without it. It won its whopping majority partly because of much more informed and sophisticated tactical anti-Tory voting than we’ve ever seen before, and this despite almost all the parties’ central offices trying to forbid their members doing it. That might not be enough this time to stave off Farrago, but voters have seen that it’s possible, and if the leaders of a few parties on the left (in which I’m no longer including Labour) allow their constituency parties to make electoral pacts … well, there’s still hope.
What could really stymie it, still, is the stinking hand of neoliberal money – huge donations to right-wing parties, flooding the media with misinformation, etc. Might this government not only fix the electoral system but slash the ability of billionaires to meddle in our politics? I fear the answer is Not bloody likely.
Electoral reform won’t fix fractured politics, at most it might make a complete disaster into a bit less of a disaster.
It can be entirely justified simply on the basis of being more democratic, though.
Of course, the big challenge is that the “left” or “progressive” vote will be so split that FPTP will wipe out any representation.
Reform and the Tories will rub their hands with glee that what’s left of democracy has been handed to them on a plate.
Moneyed actors have a huge and damaging effect on our democracy.
Excellent policies have been proposed and developed on this blog as well as elsewhere. But they are effectively negated by
• Undemocratic press and television interests,
• Foreign money.
• Uncaring greed
• Ignorant antagonism to nationalisation or any communal action for the benefit of poorer people.
It is time for thoughtful, intelligent people – to unite around promises to reform our democracy as their immediate objective.
Suggestions:
• A whole-hearted form of proportional representation.
• Only British voters allowed to fund political parties – and then only up to a low limit – £5000 per person maybe.
• Ownership of national newspapers restricted to British voters – and then some form of requirement to report political matters fairly.
• BBC and ITV – reporting subject to some form of restrictions to make them fairer.
• Social media be restricted in whatever ways are possible.
Could agreement be reached for a one-election pact?
1 The Greens
2 Sultana-Corbyn ‘Your’ party.
3 Mainstream Labour – Reported by Clive Lewis MP (See below)
4 Majority – Led by Jamie Driscoll (formerly Mayor of Tyne North – See below)
5 Liberal Democrats – who have, for decades, professed support for proportional representation.
Mainstream Labour – Clive Lewis yesterday: Mainstream Labour – A ‘Founding statement: The home of Labour’s Radical Realists – United by values, Driven by change’
Jamie Driscoll was prevented from standing for re-election as the Labour candidate by ridiculous allegations of antisemitism:
He stood as an independent and though he lost, his Majority Governance Documents were impressive.
PS A minute ago Peter Geoghegan posted: We need to take big money out of our politics’ I gave evidence to Parliament yesterday – now I need your help.
My view is that a prerequisite for a progressive left wing government is for them to understand that the neoliberal “Household Analogy” is utterly false. We can see what happens, in the current Labour, and previous, governments, when they believe the household analogy and fear the “Bond Vigilantes” myth.
I struggle to see the point in voting for any of the main parties, though I might hold my nose and vote strategically to keep Reform out (if that is even possible). But all the mainstream parties seem similarly bad to me.
Except, my son sent me this link, https://www.reddit.com/r/LabourUK/s/ThoTKplFWY, of the new Green leader Zack Polanski. He does seem to understand that the neoliberal narrative is utter derp. He leads a left of center party. I could vote for him.
Perhaps there is hope.
I’ve never before heard the govt finances as household budget myth being demolished on mainstream media. He treads where others fear to go. Go Zack!
If I’m asked my voting intentions, I reply that I’ll vote for the candidate I think would be the best MP. i don’t know in advance who is going to stand, even, and I might well prefer someone who’s independent.
Mainstream looks interesting – several good MPs. I replied to Clive Lewis saying I am not and have never been a member of the Labour Party but wishing him well so long as that grouping will collaborate with Corbyn & Sultana’s proposed party and with other parties, rather than competing for votes.
All these charts are absolutely awful. Scotland (and Wales) seem/s to be included, but not really. The SNP doesn’t stand in Enlgand or Wales (or NI), therefore this kind of “national” chart doesn’t show the attrition rate in Scotland of Labour votes going to SNP; it distorts whatever the impact (good or bad) by compressing it all into a UK chart, where it isn’t standing – and isn’t contextually relevant. If the people who devise the charts thought about it, they would know this provides no usefull information whatsoever; but its Scotland (or Wales); therefore, they don’t care because it makes no material difference. And there is the substance of the “precious Union”, in a nutshell.
The inside view on what is happening with YOUR PARTY.
https://prometheusjournal.org/2025/09/09/whose-party-is-it-anyway/
Talk about a botch up!
And that graph doesn’t yet include either YourParty, or Compass/Majority which will get a lot of ex-Labour support.
I think there will be more pragmatic co-operation than we have been used to in earlier years, and the “left” vote will be less split than many have suggested. The electorate is learning how to work the system. Labour’s McTeam seem still to be stuck in their far-right racist neoliberal rut.
There was a lot of tactical voting at the last election, with Labour being the main beneficiary. So has Labour really lost votes to other progressive parties, or did those voters loan thier vote to Labour, but no longer feel they can?