Should Labour move further towards the left wing?

[Girlfrienddanscoma]

Would it get more voters or would it just make Labour seem unrealistic?

[FunkyTeaPot]

The left, in what way?

Labour's problem is that they have been further to the left of the populace on social issues and not left enough on economic issues for neaarly 20 years. The meltdown of the eighties lead to Labour rellying upon special interest groups rather than their traditional supporters. These supporters, mainly the white working class, no longer feel any connection to them.

Labour had their opportunity to move to the economic left under Blair. By this I mean a decent minimum wage, re-nationalisation of the rail network, re-energising the industrial base of the country. They chose a "flexible labour market" (eg a cowed, fearful and cheap workforce), globalisation, tuition fees and the celebration of obscene wealth in the City.

Labour would have more credibility with a few more Dennis Skinners and a lot less Ed Millibands and Balls.

[IceDragon]

Part of the Labour Party's tradtitional Old Labour members still live in the era of British Leyland picket-lines and three day weeks. The "centre right" Blairites lean more to the deals in the desert and oligarch yachts, the original Labour Party, representing the working classes, disappeared generations ago.

[FunkyTeaPot]

I cannot believe we have so few Labour supporters here.

Tell us what you think.

[Red Rackham]

I cannot believe we have so few Labour supporters here.

I was a fully paid up card carrying member of the Labour party, but after a decade of Blair I feel conned which is why for the first time in my life I voted Tory at the the election last year and have since become a member of UKIP.

[flamingreen]

I cannot believe we have so few Labour supporters here.

There are a great many ex Labour supporters here!

As Ice Dragon said, Labour betrayed the British working class; what is unbelievable is that so many still support them despite that!

[Girlfrienddanscoma]

Labour NEVER betrayed the working class. The tories betrayed the working class and the Lib Dems have certainly destroyed the Working class. Labour are the only (major) party that represents the working class truelly. BNP and UKIP are just hiding their racism under the resentment of the british population!

[Citizen67]

Labour NEVER betrayed the working class. The tories betrayed the working class and the Lib Dems have certainly destroyed the Working class. Labour are the only (major) party that represents the working class truelly. BNP and UKIP are just hiding their racism under the resentment of the british population!

The Right To Buy? Sunday Shopping? Strong Defence? The truth the Tories hav liberated us.
Nothing working-class about the labour party
WORKING-CLASS?
TONY BLAIR WENT TO SCOTLAND’S VERSION OF ETON.
TONY BENN=LORD ANTHONY WEDGEWOOD BENN, VISCOUNT STANSGATE.

WHAT’S LABOUR GOT TO DO WITH THE WORKING-CLASS?

The myth that the Labour Party is the “Party of the Working-Class”. it is not, it does not reflect the feelings of Working-Class people. Most Working-Class people are:


Against Immigration.
For a Strong Defence.
For Nuclear Weapons.
For Capital Punishment.

The Labour Party was set up by the Fabian Party in Victorian times an extremely posh do-gooders society heavily populated by Bohemian Literary types, not by Working-class people.

[Marilyn]

You're right. The true Working Class are tories at heart IMO, but without the money.

And you still haven't fixed your 'e' key (which only sticks when followed by the spacebar) .. give your keyboard a thump from me. :-)

The Right To Buy? Sunday Shopping? Strong Defence? The truth the Tories hav liberated us.
Nothing working-class about the labour party
WORKING-CLASS?
TONY BLAIR WENT TO SCOTLAND’S VERSION OF ETON.
TONY BENN=LORD ANTHONY WEDGEWOOD BENN, VISCOUNT STANSGATE.

WHAT’S LABOUR GOT TO DO WITH THE WORKING-CLASS?

The myth that the Labour Party is the “Party of the Working-Class”. it is not, it does not reflect the feelings of Working-Class people. Most Working-Class people are:


Against Immigration.
For a Strong Defence.
For Nuclear Weapons.
For Capital Punishment.

The Labour Party was set up by the Fabian Party in Victorian times an extremely posh do-gooders society heavily populated by Bohemian Literary types, not by Working-class people.

[Citizen67]

You're right. The true Working Class are tories at heart IMO, but without the money.

And you still haven't fixed your 'e' key (which only sticks when followed by the spacebar) .. give your keyboard a thump from me. :-)

I'v tried that but it doesn't seem to work