Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Theduchessstill · 08/04/2018 18:47

Where does it say pro- Brexit? Thought Marr said pro-european and just saw a vague mention of some brexitiers 'thought to be involved' in the article.

If it was pro- Brexit it would be the biggest disappointment/ waste of time ever.

user3546546 · 08/04/2018 18:56

Sounds just like a not very original Blairite/Cameron type party which will see the same kind of problems that we had with NuLabour 1997-2010 and Cameron's Tories, ie. good for the rich (luvvies) but everyone else gets screwed under the pretence of being liberal (not really) and down with the yoof (cringe).

ALittleAubergine · 08/04/2018 18:57

Not sure what to make of it yet. Perhaps once we know much more about their actual policies. I do agree that a centrist approach is very much needed at the moment. Also, imo our current system is inadequate and undemocratic. I think we'd benefit from smaller main parties/ more choices and def more coalition governments. But as I said, the current system would need changing to allow any of this.

reddington · 08/04/2018 18:57

If it was pro- Brexit it would be the biggest disappointment/ waste of time ever.

Well, seeing as how Brexit IS happening a party that’s genuinely pro-Brexit could be good see. I’m a Tory voter but watching them reluctantly trying to deliver Brexit seems the worst of both worlds.

Walkingdeadfangirl · 08/04/2018 18:58

Is this Farage's new party? Who's in it? Whats the point, we have a left right and middle party already!

Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 20:10

Is this Farage's new party? Who's in it?

No, it's apparently a former labour donor and a film producer who are the backers.

I'm sure the previous labour donor is just doing it for altruistic means though ...

StrumpersPlunkett · 08/04/2018 20:14

For me it seems a potential choice.
I have always been a Tory but in the last 20 years I have found it a more and more uncomfortable position.
I couldn’t jump to Labour Lib Dem’s are pretty much gone so am stuck.
Ps I don’t need beating for my honesty about being a Tory.

EastMidsMummy · 08/04/2018 20:16

Is this Farage's new party?

No, it's a centrist party, not a Nazi party.

PintOfCalpol · 08/04/2018 20:18

I need to know more about the policies and people involved but potentially it could be great for voters like me who are put off my both the right and left at the moment. God I miss sane and centrist policies.

Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 20:20

@StrumpersPlunkett

Don't think any tory will have any problem jumping ship, its the labour supporters who are centrist but pretend they actually side with big business etc.

There already are a few articles that are saying this new party is not needed if Momentum disappear.

Which kind of says a lot, but we are in age of tribal politics

Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 20:24

but pretend they actually side with big business etc.

But actually realise they actually side with big business etc

BonnieF · 08/04/2018 20:30

Many millions of people, including me, now find ourselves politically homeless. I’m strongly pro-Remain, economically pragmatic / centrist and socially very liberal.

I could never vote Tory, unless that was the only way to defeat the BNP or a similar neo-Nazi party.

I won’t vote Labour again while Corbyn is leader because he is a life-long Brexiteer, a terrorist appeaser, an anti-Semite, he is not remotely capable of running a G7 country, and as he has proved over the Salisbury nerve agent attack, he could never be trusted to defend the UK from external threats.

My natural political home is probably the Lib Dems but they have imploded into irrelevance. If I were Scottish, I could probably vote for the SNP, but I live in England.

There is a huge void at the pro-European liberal centre of British politics, waiting for someone to fill it and represent us.

MexicanBob · 08/04/2018 20:34

Journalistic hype and, if there is such a party in the offing, it doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of achieving anything.

CasperGutman · 08/04/2018 20:39

I thought it was a great idea until I saw it was pro-Brexit. What's the fucking point of that?

I'm against Brexit myself, but what would be the (fucking) point of a new party with an anti-Brexit standpoint? By the time anyone has the chance to vote for them it'll have happened. Sad

Original poster
Mightymucks · 08/04/2018 20:52

I thought it was a great idea until I saw it was pro-Brexit. What's the fucking point of that?

Because great swathes of Labour voters voted for Brexit in places like Sunderland, exactly the sort of place where the working classes feel Labour has abandoned them and gone off to place middle class ideology driven university politics with Corbyn.

Because great swathes of Tory voters are pro-Brexit but would vote for less austerity if there was an alternative.

OP posts:
Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 20:59

Journalistic hype and, if there is such a party in the offing, it doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of achieving anything.

Agree in principle, as they are going to have to come out with some solid policies, and people who are only just thinking they are centrist are going to have a hard time really coming to terms with it.

There is a reason why the last couple of elections (bar the last one) where about which colour tie they wore.

People apparently wanted the split, lets see how it works because both parties (hence the brexit stance) are just right or left of center.

Sandsnake · 08/04/2018 21:02

So excited that a couple of weeks ago I had a genuine dream about it. Chuka Umunna was on stage and announced there was a 'special guest'. It was David Miliband. It was a great dream. I need to get out more.

On a more serious note, I would be delighted (obviously) as a proud centrist. However, as PPs have said, history shows us that it probably wouldn't work.

QuentinSummers · 08/04/2018 21:05

What Bonnie said. I'm desperate for a party to vote for. Don't know what the lib dems are playing at but there are no good options for pro remain or centre voters at the moment

Goldenbug · 08/04/2018 21:08

I'd probably vote for it.

Labour is too Momentum for me, Tories are still a bit naturally evil, and the Liberal Democrats are undemocratic.

ForalltheSaints · 08/04/2018 21:17

The only possibility would be if all the non-Corbynite Labour MPs defected en masse, which is not going to happen. A new party similar to the SDP of the 1980s would mean the next election would be a repeat of 1983 with a thumping Tory majority.

Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 21:19

On a more serious note, I would be delighted (obviously) as a proud centrist.

A neoliberal with an understanding of voting with "im all right jack" motives, if you accept that it's up to you, but that is the situation which the left of center do have to accept.

Most of the "I could never vote Tory" vote will just have to wait until Momentum has tore the party apart (if they do) and then loudly wear their heart on their sleeve and sing loudly proclaim their working class routes.

You should own your centrism and accept that you agree with some tory policies or just try and paint Brexit as a left right issue

Summerisdone · 08/04/2018 21:31

I think potentially this could be brilliant. I, like so many others I know, currently find Labour to be too far left but Conservatives are too right, so we have no party truly looking out for our best interests.
Obviously when it comes down to a vote, it would depend highly on all their policies and manifesto, but this party has huge potential.

Justanotherlurker · 08/04/2018 21:41

but Conservatives are too right,

This shows you are being tribal politics, the conservatives stole millibands idea of energy caps FFS.

I think people need to understand what being centrist is, and that is that there are some conservative policies you agree with and you understand that labour actually winning an election was in fact conservative light policies.

Just own it, instead of this stupid signal boosting shite of you could never vote tory, you're a neoliberal with all the connotations and argue from that point of view

Sandsnake · 08/04/2018 21:57

Justanotherlurker But I have owned it! My only contribution to this thread (other than a weird dream story) has been to refer to myself as a 'proud centrist' - I would say that was 'owning it'. Yeah, there are probably some Tory policies I would agree with, though not too many at the moment. I've never pretended otherwise.