'The Cold Electoral Cynicism Behind Keir Starmer's Blue Labour Strategy'
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OK let's take a deep breath and run a final autopsy on last week's elections. The long and the short of it is this, Labour by its own actions is squandering the opportunity it secured last July. Yet despite this, it it is still the single party most likely to win the next election.
As Labour follows a strategy of 'we need to be like Reform, but don't vote for Reform' a national populist like agenda is being legitimised and embedded, such that any Labour 'victory' is only secured on soil contaminated by national populism. Reform might still be defeated at the polls, but they will have won hearts and minds and set the national agenda.
Superficially Labour is in a bind. It is losing some votes to Reform but a bigger percentage to the Greens and Lib Dems, which could electorally be more damaging. You might argue here that the best course of action is therefore to go with what you believe in, namely a more progressive approach to climate, liberty and social justice, rather than a more authoritarian and populist stance.
Local Elections: 'Keir Starmer's Rightward Shift Is Laying the Ground for Nigel Farage'
Labour's embrace of economic and political orthodoxy is forcing voters to look elsewhere for change, argues Keir Starmer's former adviser Simon Fletcher
Simon Fletcher
But Labour's leadership feel they don't have to choose, and avoid opening up the biggest threat they believe they face - the revival of the left in UK politics and their grip on Labour.
On this they have an ace up their sleeve. The electoral system. All the time we have first past the post (FPTP), then the electorate are presented with a distasteful but compelling choice; do you want Keir Starmer or Nigel Farage to be the next Prime Minister of our country? No matter how bad Labour is, how little it delivers and how unsavoury some of its policies around poverty and immigration are, voters are presented with an unavoidable dilemma - to vote with their head or their heart - for Labour or Reform?
This is what is going to happen. Governing and policy failures will open the space to challenge Labour internally and externally on issues like net zero, child poverty, wealth taxes and more. The seeming fragmentation of the political system will exacerbate this challenge. Some victories will be secured, but ultimately the searing logic of our binary FPTP system will come irresistibly into play. Forget all your progressive whining, we will be told - when push comes to shove who are you going to vote for - Starmer or Farage?
Some will hold out and vote for alternatives despite the fact it di
To support its work, subscribe to the monthly Byline Times print edition, packed with exclusive investigations, news, and analysis.
Help us build the better media Britain deserves
OK let's take a deep breath and run a final autopsy on last week's elections. The long and the short of it is this, Labour by its own actions is squandering the opportunity it secured last July. Yet despite this, it it is still the single party most likely to win the next election.
As Labour follows a strategy of 'we need to be like Reform, but don't vote for Reform' a national populist like agenda is being legitimised and embedded, such that any Labour 'victory' is only secured on soil contaminated by national populism. Reform might still be defeated at the polls, but they will have won hearts and minds and set the national agenda.
Superficially Labour is in a bind. It is losing some votes to Reform but a bigger percentage to the Greens and Lib Dems, which could electorally be more damaging. You might argue here that the best course of action is therefore to go with what you believe in, namely a more progressive approach to climate, liberty and social justice, rather than a more authoritarian and populist stance.
Local Elections: 'Keir Starmer's Rightward Shift Is Laying the Ground for Nigel Farage'
Labour's embrace of economic and political orthodoxy is forcing voters to look elsewhere for change, argues Keir Starmer's former adviser Simon Fletcher
Simon Fletcher
But Labour's leadership feel they don't have to choose, and avoid opening up the biggest threat they believe they face - the revival of the left in UK politics and their grip on Labour.
On this they have an ace up their sleeve. The electoral system. All the time we have first past the post (FPTP), then the electorate are presented with a distasteful but compelling choice; do you want Keir Starmer or Nigel Farage to be the next Prime Minister of our country? No matter how bad Labour is, how little it delivers and how unsavoury some of its policies around poverty and immigration are, voters are presented with an unavoidable dilemma - to vote with their head or their heart - for Labour or Reform?
This is what is going to happen. Governing and policy failures will open the space to challenge Labour internally and externally on issues like net zero, child poverty, wealth taxes and more. The seeming fragmentation of the political system will exacerbate this challenge. Some victories will be secured, but ultimately the searing logic of our binary FPTP system will come irresistibly into play. Forget all your progressive whining, we will be told - when push comes to shove who are you going to vote for - Starmer or Farage?
Some will hold out and vote for alternatives despite the fact it di
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