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For the UK the centrists do seem to have a definite leaning. I am not sure how much it is driven by the need to kiss the hard right presses arse?
Blair did that and it worked well for him for a number of years so there is a need to do it.
Blair did that and it worked well for him for a number of years so there is a need to do it.
Its debatable whether it was needed in 97 (one fun what if is what if Smith hadnt had a heart attack). It also needs the emphasis on "well for him" as opposed to well overall. All those pissed off people who voted out. Wonder what helped contribute to the impression they have about politicians all being the same.
The influence of the right wing press is still there but not as strong as it was back in the 90s due to the rise in new media
the real power tho in the right wing press is not direct. Its that they set the agenda for the BBC. something picked up in the tory press is always reported on the BBC and every day those in charge of the BBC look at the tory press to decide what goes on the news bulletins.
I thought the BBC was the Tory press these days e.g. I've lost count of the number of times a news reporter has slipped in 'the overwhelming majority is in favour of Brexit' in an interview etc...
As for Tom Watson, great shame, one of the few 'normal' people left in the Labour cabinet; not that he had that much influence.
There also needs to be a recognisation that these “centrists” are often just as ideological driven as anyone else. Its just either they dont recognise it or dont admit to it.
Its reflected in comments like “ideologically reactionary spiral ” which seems determined to ignore the fact that is precisely what we got from the “centrists” in the UK. The difference being the centrists seem to work on taking over all major parties and so removing choice that way.
This!
The Neo-Liberals who dominated the 'centre' in the form of Blarites and previous Lib Dems are/were as much ideologically driven and reactionary as any on the left or right.
The issue is that when the political wind started to blow away from them they attempted (in the case of those billeting in the Labour Party) to damage the party from within, despite the change being democratically driven by the rank-and-file membership.
See, this is my point… because of FPTP, we mostly have a two party system, and in most areas of the UK everyone has to look to one of those parties to represent them. If neither party can have room for people who aren’t “left” or “right” enough to serve in them, then who will represent the voters who do not want or are not interested in the UK swinging much further “right” or “left”? If the two main parties are happy to narrow their focus, then they need to also have the courage to dismantle the FPTP system so that people can chose their representation based on what they want for the UK, not leave them stuck with having to vote against what they can stand to put up with least.
If the two main parties are happy to narrow their focus
I would say that gets it badly wrong. They have broadened their focus from a very narrow group of voters to taking all their voters into account.
This is obviously problematic from centrists since after being treated as all important for many years they are now being treated more equally. Unfortunately some dont seem to be able to adapt to this.
In theory there is the representative party although under the orange book lot sadly they have been dragged rightwards.
Its not just the centrists though. What about green party members or hard left people who arent represented? I would say hard right as well but Johnson currently has that covered.
What is so special about the centrists that they deserve this special treatment?
Dont get me wrong I would prefer a PR system but the complaints about the centrists not getting enough attention strikes me as wrong and shows a sense of entitlement which really doesnt help.
a sense of entitlement
Yes, I think everyone should feel entitled to be represented in our parliament. If we stick with a voting system designed for a two party system, those parties should, between them, seek to represent everyone. If they decide to just represent their core left and core right voters, safe in the knowledge that FPTP will stop other voters abandoning them for fear of the other big party benefitting, then our democratic system is denying representation to a huge chunk of the population.
Dawn Butler to stand as candidate for deputy leader - god help us; she is utterly useless and a thoroughly incompetent interviewee.
Anyone listen to radio 4 this morning it had Ian Austin on it telling people to vote for boris.....
I don't do discussing politics but it was such an impassioned speech it was quite interesting
Labour is a little left of centre, lib dems a little right of centre. Tories are hard right wing. SNP are a little left of centre.
I don't really accept the whole left/right thing at all...
...but if we do play along with it for a moment how the hell are the SNP "a little left of centre" on a scale where Labour is currently 'a little left of centre'??? The SNP are about as fiscally responsible as you can get and as far as I can tell haven't nationalised anything, they haven't redistributed anything and their tax regime is near identical to the rest of the Uk.
They froze council tax for everyone, cut council service budgets in real terms and handed out middle-class perks like free university education and free prescriptions at the expense of the NHS and college places.
I'd be delighted if the SNP were in government in the UK right now and for the next five years, and I'm a raving neo-liberal.
Well according to the rightwing press the SNP are raving lefties. They did use the limited tax powers thay have to be redistributive. Earn less than the average wage you pay less tax than in England. Earn more an you pay more. They also spent a lot of money on trying to mitigate many of the UK wide benefit cuts, we have no private provision in Schools or the NHS bar contracts that were in place before they came to power. they bought the various toll bridges ( natiuonalisation) and made them free Nationalised a failing private hospital and there are plenty of other examples of the sort of lefty policies that you would hate if Corbyn made them. If they had the power they would nationalise a lot more of the things the tories sold off like electricity and water
Actually there is hardly a fag paper between their policies and labours in most areas. the things they haven't done is because holyrood does not have the power.
And of course add to that the work they are doing on benefits. Disability benefit assessments are being brought back in house and they are using the limited powers they have in benefits to redistribute as well
thinking about it the hospital and the bridges may be pre SNP Cannot remember