To be scared of how right wing the Labour Party have become?

[sourdrawers]

Considering the rout it suffered on Thursday has prompted demands for a return to “New Labour” and Blairism.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

But it didn't work with Ed perceived as very Red, did it? They need to change or they won't be elected.

[JoanHickson]

It's not right wing in my observations.

[ebwy]

If they'd go back to old labour, actually representing the left I may have actually voted for them. As it was, I couldn't bring myself to vote for a right wing party no matter what they're called

[nequidnimis]

I thought everyone was saying that they were too far to the left and needed to reclaim the middle ground or summat.

[drudgetrudy]

Its hard to know what direction they should take. In some places they are being called Red Tories and yet it seems that in the South of England (except London) they were seen as too left wing.
I think people like Mendalson who have come out of the woodwork are being opportunistic at pushing their own agenda.
Personally I think Ed Miliband had a sensible plan to reduce the deficit whilst avoiding as much pain as possible to the vulnerable.

I think they should remain true to their values and avoid being pushed to the right.

[OddBoots]

If this is where political compass put their policies this election and there are calls for them to move further right then it is a really scary picture.

[OddBoots]

The chart at the bottom of this page is very interesting, it only goes to 2008 but the other charts follow on.

[sourdrawers]

It's hard to tell really TheHumourless since we haven't ever really had a genuinely socialist party.

[ChairOfTheBored]

Interesting political compass link, thanks Odd.

Though it made a small piece of me die to note that fewer than a third of voters believe in a helping hand to the least well off. The other two thirds presumably completely comfortable in the knowledge they will ever get sick, old or sacked...

[OrlandoWoolf]

Do you stick to your core principles or do you reflect on your beliefs, look at the country and decide what can be sacrificed / compromised on so you can get into power and try to do the best for those people who believe in you?

[Shouldof]

For me they were too right during blair and i only came back to them with ed, but clearly i am in the minority.

I was all set to join labour party but now ithink ill hold, i wont bother if its to be another blair leading them in that direction.

[BMW6]

It's an interesting dilemma. If Tories stay centre right then there is no "room" for Labour, so Tories win.
If Labour move left - Tories win.

Labour can win if Tories go too far right, AND labour are centre (I.E "New Labour" as was).

[limitedperiodonly]

You're right OP. Let's live our lives in glorious opposition.

[IamTheWhoreofBabylon]

The centre has moved si much more to the right
Its depressing

[TremoloGreen]

Yes, depends if they want to remain a major party or not. They need to move to the centre and do it quickly and decisively if they do. There are plenty of fringe parties for the far-left to vote for, and it would leave room for a centre-left party to emerge, but I don't think they would be elected either. Britain is a conservative country, but it's hard to keep sight of that if you solely or mainly read the Guardian/Mumsnet/have friends with similar views.

[TremoloGreen]

I like that political compass thingy, would be really interesting to see one with the main parties of other countries too for comparison.

[Downtheroadfirstonleft]

Labour can be as socialist as they like, but they can't make the electorate very socialist too.

[UncertainSmile]

I'm resolutely Old Labour, but the party needs to speak to the country at large. To be honest, I'm not sure what the answer is. Britain might be conservative with a small 'c', but I don't believe it is a Conservative country. The public hold a lot of centre left views on transport, the NHS, social care.

[UncertainSmile]

We've got a chance to grasp; Cameron has brought back the more swivel-eyed types such as IDS, Gove etc. With such a small minority, he's going to be a hostage to his headbanger backbenchers as much as Major was. I can't see many Tory MPs defecting to UKIP; the recent election shows that their MPs are vulnerable due to FPTP. They'll stay and drag the government to the right. If Labour manage to reposition themselves, we've got a chance.

[cardibach]

Until they move much father left, they won't get my vote. I have a proper libertarian left party to vote for (Plaid Cymru) so they will need to do better! I see the problem with essentially small c conservative voters in the country though.

[OrlandoWoolf]

The electorate itself is divided. Labour has more support in the cities compared to the Conservatives and has more support in the North.

[stubbornstains]

Well, the electorate north of the border voted for a party that stood loud and proud against austerity, against nuclear weapons, against anti- immigrant hysteria, that stood up and loudly said that the neoliberal agenda and austerity were WRONG.(and no, I don't believe for one moment that it was just nationalism that made them vote that way).

Are the English that different from the Scots? Please tell me they're not!

[stubbornstains]

Good article about the disconnect between the policies the public is broadly in favour of, where they see Labour stand politically, and what they think "left wing" is......

anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/terrifying-scale-poliical-illiteracy-uk.html