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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what you think of new (potential) Centrist party

64 replies

Mightymucks · 08/04/2018 16:48

Reported in the Observer today:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/07/new-political-party-break-mould-westminster-uk-brexit

I think it sounds like potentially quite an exciting idea. Fairer tax system with the rich paying more, but liberal on wealth creation, more funding for public services.

It’s quite sketchy at the moment but it sounds interesting. Would be good if they could form a credible party to cover the centre ground. I live in a working class Labour area and there seems to be a lot of frustration here that Labour have abandoned us to play university politics with the middle classes but there is no credible alternative. I think there are a lot of working class votes could be up for grabs if they could harness voters who feel Corbyn has disenfranchised them.

OP posts:
Hypermice · 08/04/2018 16:55

What’s their stance on the GRA?

I’m increasingly disturbed and disillusioned by the degree of misogyny in seeing labour.

If they have truly centrist, socially responsible policies, reasonable environmental policies and are reasonably gender critical they have my vote.

Original poster
Mightymucks · 08/04/2018 16:59

Hypermice, I don’t think they’ve got as far as nitty gritty like that. It would be great if they were gender critical, yes.

OP posts:
squoosh · 08/04/2018 17:01

Won't make any impact while the system is still FPTP.

ClashCityRocker · 08/04/2018 17:02

I'm all for it in theory, as something of a 'homeless' voter myself.

But isn't that what the lib dems have tried to be?

Movablefeast · 08/04/2018 17:03

Also it doesn't seem to be a grassroots movement but a hobbyhorse of a wealthy clique.

Hypermice · 08/04/2018 17:05

I don’t think they’ve got as far as nitty gritty like that.

Well I’d say to them that they need to formulate a concrete position in the biggest threat to women’s rights for a hundred years, or go home. :)

The ‘nitty gritty’ is what gets or loses my vote - not tribal voting but policy and stance.

What are their policies?

TheWizardofWas · 08/04/2018 17:08

No fucking way. Bunch of millionaires scared of Corbyn. No thanks.

EastMidsMummy · 08/04/2018 17:09

"Rich benefactor gives £50m to fund new party" is a terrible start.

Mrsramsayscat · 08/04/2018 17:10

A rubbish idea

ClashCityRocker · 08/04/2018 17:11

Actually, I'm not sure I'm so keen.

I suspect it will attract mainly former Labour voters and lib dem voters (if it attracts many at all) and would just mean even longer with the tories in power...

I think we've got to the stage now where even fairly centrist policies seem quite left wing which is depressing.

Lockheart · 08/04/2018 17:13

I think it's a great idea, in theory. I'm politically homeless at the moment and I'd love a sensible central party.

Whether or not this turns out to be viable or that we actually get a sensible central party remains to be seen.

HadronCollider · 08/04/2018 17:13

But isn't that what New Labour were and the Lib Dems are?

Both being a giant Fail overall?

KennDodd · 08/04/2018 17:16

I wonder why the Lib Dems are unable to take advantage of the empty middle ground. Maybe because they're anti Brexit?

Theduchessstill · 08/04/2018 17:17

New Labour hardly a giant failHmm.

New party sounds like what I've been hoping for but will probably come to nothing due to the reasons above to do with funding, fptp etc.

SilverySurfer · 08/04/2018 17:17

As the article mentions, this has been tried before with the SDP which didn't achieve much. The LibDims have languished as a centrist party, unsurprising I guess because they have become a one policy party, obsessed with opposing Brexit.

I'm a Tory voter and would need to have much further info on policies before even considering a move. Imposing higher taxes on the wealthy has been shown to not work - their accountants become even more inventive at squirreling away money.

I wonder who these people are?: Senior figures from the worlds of business and charity are understood to be involved, as well as former supporters of the main parties, including a number of former Tory donors.

It would be too easy to have nameless figures lurking in the background pulling the puppet strings.

Lockheart · 08/04/2018 17:19

The Lib Dems are considered too toxic after the coalition and the student loans fiasco. Many people won't vote for them because of that, and they've been foundering ever since.

I would like to see the Lib Dems return to form, or have a new viable central party.

cardibach · 08/04/2018 17:20

It sounds like a nee slightly less right wing party to me. It will only split the vote against the Tories, which is a bad thing in itself.

Mrscog · 08/04/2018 17:21

Yes I’m desperate for something centrist, socially liberal and, crucially for me evidence based. A party that isn’t afraid to stick their fingers up to interpretations of the mainstream media on both sides.

HadronCollider · 08/04/2018 17:24

Theduchess As I understand it inequality grew larger under NL. I'm happy for a rebuttal on this but my general understanding is that under NL a lot of things were outsourced to private companies. I think I heard something about Grenfell which suggested that what happened was due in part to NL policies on outsourcing or allowing private companies to run social housing projects.

TheDevilMadeMeDoIt · 08/04/2018 17:28

My politics were once described as 'extreme centre' - said by a fellow student who was a member of the Broad Left, and endorsed by the chair of the Young Conservatives.

It should be my natural home, but I fear it won't be based on the article. I've never had any political affiliation, because I know that I could never agree with any one party on everything, or even most things. However if they do come good, I'd genuinely consider standing as a candidate.

FrancesHaHa · 08/04/2018 17:31

From my recollection there were rumblings about this just before the last election with rumours Alistar Campbell was involved. Seemed to mainly be New Labour MPs and supporters involved but then they went quiet after Corbyn did better than expected.

OfaFrenchmind2 · 08/04/2018 17:35

The idea is nice, but don't the Centrist parties usually get used as coalition tools after elections and then get screwed over as soon as the governments are formed?

bryheresse · 08/04/2018 18:18

Haven't there been at least 15 other new centrist parties founded in the last year?

Do people not realise there already is one, and they're just going to end up splitting the vote and letting in Tories/Labour for as long as we have FPTP?

Doobigetta · 08/04/2018 18:22

I thought it was a great idea until I saw it was pro-Brexit. What's the fucking point of that? Is there anyone actually wandering around feeling politically homeless because Labour and the Tories aren't sufficiently pro-Brexit?

Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 18:41

I thought it was a great idea until I saw it was pro-Brexit. What's the fucking point of that? Is there anyone actually wandering around feeling politically homeless because Labour and the Tories aren't sufficiently pro-Brexit?

I think it's because there is some weird situation at the minute where the loudest voices of anti-brexit have decided to try and make it a left leaning issue, when in fact they have to admit they are in bed with big multinational business and all that entails.