To think the Labour Party is finished

[Flashbangandgone]

...as a credible opposition. I read earlier that MPs involved in the attempted coup have admitted failure, and that support in the party is too strong to risk a leadership contest.... So you have a party whose leader has the backing of less than 20% of its MPs, and there being no apparent way of resolving it. The party is now utterly dysfunctional and I can't see any positive way out. I'm not a Labour Party supporter, but this is surely bad for the country.

Has anyone read "If Voting Changed Anything They'd Abolish It" by Ken Livingstone ?

It was written in 1987, and absolutely nails the problem the Labour Party faced then. The problem the Labour party faces now. And it also manages to completely explain Tony Blair - even though he was only a shadow minister in 1987.

His analysis (and I agree with it) was that Thatchers "genius" was to treat the working classes like they were middle class (homeowning being the greatest example). Because if you treat people as middle-class. They vote as middle class.

Ken describes this as changing the pyramid of society - where the bottom working class could outvote the smaller middle and upper class - into an "egg" of society where the middle classes could shit on the working classes with aplomb.

(Rests case).

And yet Labour's record under JC isn't bad - they've won every by-election and didn't do too badly in the Council elections either.
They've won by-elections in safe Labour seats - not exactly difficult. And the local election results were the worst for an opposition party since the 1980s. Not to mention coming third in Scotland. Yes, third, in Scotland.

They've also had real influence on policy.
Any successes (e.g. tax credit reversals) have been due to Tory back-bench rebellions. They only have a small majority.

Membership of party has increased greatly and there is real evidence of a 'grass roots' movement.
There's evidence of a Militant style infiltration of the party. Which nearly destroyed it in the 1980s. Read this.

Either JC does the honourable thing and stands down (no other leader would continue with 80% of his MPs against him) or there'll be a leadership challenge and (probably) a spilt. Then we'll have large Tory majorities and that will make us long for the days of David Cameron.

Maybe now is a good time for Adam Ant to tour again
He has just finished one, I saw him in Brixton last month

Labour has been losing working class voters since Blair. They need to look hard at why that is.

That's easy to explain. The vote Labour received in 1997 was the largest ever (c 43% of the vote, I think). Given parties almost always lose votes over a Parliament the only way was down.

Lalsy I think it is a combination of both.

What some fail to see is that your hands are tied when you are in opposition. It isn't you that is deciding what direction the country is going.

Some are also so driven by 'principles' that they are unable to compromise or see others view.

There's evidence of a Militant style infiltration of the party.

From memory, that was started in the 50s and 60s ....