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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Anyone else longing for a new political party?

181 replies

HelloMrBond · 04/10/2022 12:33

I’m early 40s, have voted conservative all my adult life but the latest offering of conservative MPs makes me wonder if they could ever form an effective government. They have lost their way. On the other hand, they have been allowed to loose their way by a completely inept opposition, I believe a strong party opposite keeps the party in government on their toes. If there was to be a GE tomorrow, for the first time in my life, I’m not sure how I would vote. The Labour Party do have a handful of good quality MPs with good ideas, but the current shadow cabinet are nothing short of a rabble, the idea that their leader doesn’t know what a woman is and the thought of Angela Raynor being deputy PM sends shivers down my spine. In my view, there is a current huge gaping hole in modern British politics for a centrist party who could potentially cause huge ripples at a future GE snd would stand up for and represent the average hard working, tax paying families and individuals of the country.

OP posts:
XingMing · 05/10/2022 20:31

There are millions of people working for a living, and yes, sometimes a fairly threadbare existence topped up by UC to subsidise employers profit, who ought to be a bit more active in their own interests. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was that essential workers who stock supermarket shelves and look after people like my demented disabled MIL, providing food, hygiene and comfort, need to be paid respectably, by which I mean enough to put a roof over their head, food on the table, and have the lights on in the evening without worrying that the bailiffs are imminently about to visit.

Blossomtoes · 05/10/2022 21:06

Amen to that @XingMing. It hasn’t taken long to forget.

HappyHappyHermit · 05/10/2022 21:11

Labour are definitely preferable to the Tories, nothing could be worse than this bunch.

LexMitior · 05/10/2022 21:26

@XingMing - agree. They are the essential workers who make our society run.

It is actually a lot of the elite who are totally disposable.

Randomitable · 06/10/2022 08:42

HelloMrBond · 04/10/2022 12:33

I’m early 40s, have voted conservative all my adult life but the latest offering of conservative MPs makes me wonder if they could ever form an effective government. They have lost their way. On the other hand, they have been allowed to loose their way by a completely inept opposition, I believe a strong party opposite keeps the party in government on their toes. If there was to be a GE tomorrow, for the first time in my life, I’m not sure how I would vote. The Labour Party do have a handful of good quality MPs with good ideas, but the current shadow cabinet are nothing short of a rabble, the idea that their leader doesn’t know what a woman is and the thought of Angela Raynor being deputy PM sends shivers down my spine. In my view, there is a current huge gaping hole in modern British politics for a centrist party who could potentially cause huge ripples at a future GE snd would stand up for and represent the average hard working, tax paying families and individuals of the country.

Suggest anyone who feels like Mr. Bond might want to look up the Belmont Declaration, fronted by Dr Teck Khong (a former GP and government medical advisor). In short it is a commitment by centre-sensible parties and independents to not compete for the same space in opposition of the LibLabCon parties.

The group came together as a function of the same disaffected-ness that is seemingly rife in this thread, splintering from many backgrounds and with people who have held office in the past it’s not just a bunch of activists.

If people are serious about ditching the established political groups, now is the time…

XingMing · 06/10/2022 20:57

My forlorn hope was that the oNE NATION tories would break from the ERG last week. It didn't happen.

LexMitior · 06/10/2022 23:12

It won't happen - the Brexit political class need to go. And Conservative party members need to do it.

However, they seem intent on fantasy. No new party. It's a Labour government to stir the ashes.

TooBigForMyBoots · 07/10/2022 00:30

XingMing · 06/10/2022 20:57

My forlorn hope was that the oNE NATION tories would break from the ERG last week. It didn't happen.

It hasn't happened yet.Wink

XingMing · 07/10/2022 08:45

@TooBigForMyBoots In the hope that you are privy to secret plans, I shall keep my fingers crossed!

TooBigForMyBoots · 07/10/2022 22:33

I'm a pleb and not privy to any secret plans. However, I have my suspicions that Ex PM Johnson is not trying to hold on to his seat in order to serve his constituents.🤔

MangyInseam · 07/10/2022 23:05

Blossomtoes · 05/10/2022 14:51

They can’t win with you, can they @MangyInseam? Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

What do you mean by that?

I think it's a good thing they have realized that most of their traditional voters are turned off by the attitude of the middle class progressives on that subject.

But it does represent a choice. Do they want to be the party of workers, or something else?

That doesn't make them hard done by somehow, like we should feel badly for them. They were founded as a workers party. And being the voice of workers is not, no matter how much they'd like it to be, the same as being the party that does what progressive feel is best for workers.

If the latter is what they want, they have to understand they don't have some kind of moral claim on the votes of workers. And they really need to admit to themselves clearly what choice they are making, partly because it will require quite different strategies to get elected, but also because it's important to realize that giving people a political voice is not the same as speaking for them, and doing the latter doesn't give you a moral high-ground.

conkercollector · 08/10/2022 09:00

My forlorn hope was that the oNE NATION tories would break from the ERG last week. It didn't happen.

Most of the reasonable ones stood down before the last election and I believe you had to show some sort of demented support for Brexit before being selected as a new candidate so the party is mainly filled with crazies.

TooBigForMyBoots · 08/10/2022 11:53

What definition of progressives are you using @MangyInseam? I see it used disparagingly and wonder if it has changed meaning.

MangyInseam · 08/10/2022 12:02

Self-identified progressives, who think they are leftists, for the most part, and want to be on the "right side of history."

Which is to say they think the right side of history is a thing, they are teleological in their thinking, and as a result tend to have a reductionist and dangerous understanding of the trade-offs of social change

FatOaf · 08/10/2022 12:12

Do you know what? I’m sick of people slagging off Angela Raynor.
Shes someone to be admired. Pregnant as a teen, worked in a care home and now on the front bench of a major political party. Pulled herself up to a high position from difficult background.
Isnt thus what Tories admire?🤷🏼‍♀️

No.

What Conservatives admire is people who started rich, got richer, and made a lot of other people poorer along the way.

I am sick of people constantly pretending they're not actually Conservatives but are only prevented from voting for an opposition party because those parties "aren't ready" to be in government. This is utter horseshit, based only on Daily Mail headlines and the posters' actual strong support for a party that has repeatedly and publicly shown itself to be unfit to play any role in governing the country.

the80sweregreat · 08/10/2022 12:18

Angela Raynor didn't do herself any favors with her remarks sadly. She apologized and hopefully she learnt from it.
I like her too, but she is controversial and will put people off.
I don't like Sir Kier starmer that much , but he is better than the current government. Even though I know many won't agree with this either
It's still going to be hard winning people over
The conservatives are still popular away from this forum

LakieLady · 08/10/2022 12:39

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/10/2022 13:02

Do you know what? I’m sick of people slagging off Angela Raynor.

Shes someone to be admired. Pregnant as a teen, worked in a care home and now on the front bench of a major political party. Pulled herself up to a high position from difficult background.

Isnt thus what Tories admire?🤷🏼‍♀️

Well said!

Her achievements are remarkable, imo, and she should be lauded for them.

TooBigForMyBoots · 08/10/2022 13:41

MangyInseam · 08/10/2022 12:02

Self-identified progressives, who think they are leftists, for the most part, and want to be on the "right side of history."

Which is to say they think the right side of history is a thing, they are teleological in their thinking, and as a result tend to have a reductionist and dangerous understanding of the trade-offs of social change

That's not a definition, it's gobbledygook. Did you just make that up?

Blossomtoes · 08/10/2022 14:20

TooBigForMyBoots · 08/10/2022 13:41

That's not a definition, it's gobbledygook. Did you just make that up?

Show quote history

Of course she did. The Labour Party has a long history of support from all parts of society. It always will have. She’s just trying to be divisive.

Stationsofthecross · 08/10/2022 15:08

No.

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 09/10/2022 00:02

This mythical "alternative centrist party" that people claim to want already exists. It's called the Liberal Democrats.
No political party will ever be a things to all people but the Tories are demonstrably harming the majority of citizens and a Labour majority or Lab / Lib coalition can only be better than the current cesspit of a "government" for most people.

tactum · 09/10/2022 00:07

Haven't read the whole thread, and really don't wish to derail, but I am Labour through and through all my life and have never voted anything else.......but REALLY struggling to think about voting for them whilst the TWAW mantra is being trotted out all the time.
I feel like I don't have a home atm, really, which is something I've not felt before. Gutted.

walkersareback · 09/10/2022 00:10

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/10/2022 13:02

Do you know what? I’m sick of people slagging off Angela Raynor.

Shes someone to be admired. Pregnant as a teen, worked in a care home and now on the front bench of a major political party. Pulled herself up to a high position from difficult background.

Isnt thus what Tories admire?🤷🏼‍♀️

I was going to say this. The anti Angela Rayner rhetoric seems to be that she's common or thick

walkersareback · 09/10/2022 00:11

Sorry sent too soon.

I think she is inspirational AND she doesn't let the Tories get away with shit. I love her.

Anon778833 · 09/10/2022 00:13

YANBU, but I’ve never voted Conservative myself despite coming from a traditionally Tory-voting family. Although they’ve also changed their tune.