Article by Rakib Ehsan
Last night showed yet again that large swathes of the country are sick of being treated with patronising condescension by Labour politicians and student activists. Labour was crushed in the Hartlepool by-election and suffered ward losses in multiple northern regions, with Conservatives gained control of Dudley, Nuneaton and Bedworth councils.
These areas, with their high numbers of traditional blue collar workers, are leading the charge against a woke agenda that has almost destroyed their traditional party. Working class voters are sending a clear message: they do not need a ‘political re-education’, and they reject the fundamentally warped interpretation of British society held by some of the most vocal Labour representatives.
They see that too many Labour politicians are in thrall to a toxic racialised politics, the extent of this became clear when Sir Keir Starmer ‘took the knee’ in support of Black Lives Matter. The movement's calls for the abolition of the police and a post-capitalist society reflect a crude identitarianism that carries no truck with the vast majority of Britons. Only one in ten of people in this country are in favour of reduced investment for local police forces.
Labour is also too comfortable with elements of the London elite who proudly vilify provincial voters who supported Brexit. It doesn’t help matters that Sir Keir Starmer was the chief architect of Labour’s second referendum policy – an exemplification of the metropolitan, anti-democratic tendencies which have taken hold of the party. It was, naturally, electorally disastrous.
The party had an opportunity to embrace Brexit. It could have framed the constitutional change as an opportunity to reform our democratic system of governance to empower local communities. But Starmer and his team lacked the imagination to do so.
Now, as Labour reflects on this week’s disastrous results, it must avoid the temptation to double down by embracing the ‘energetic’, but ultimately witless, Corbynite brigade. Backbench MPs such as Zarah Sultana and Nadia Whittome may be wildly popular in their social media echo-chambers, but student-style political activism goes down like a lead balloon outside of them.
One would certainly be keen to see Sultana visit Dudley and articulate why fighting racism must be part of a broader anti-capitalist strategy, or to accompany Whittome on a trip to Nuneaton, where she would no doubt attempt to explain why she struggles to condemn violent anti-police riots.
Back in the real world, the existential nature of their party’s problems should not be underestimated. Provincial market towns such as Nuneaton have historically been viewed as the ‘bellwethers’ of Middle England. With Labour rapidly evolving into a rudderless political creature, representing a foul blend of metropolitan liberalism and student-style identity politics, these areas, with their pro-Brexit, community-oriented and quietly traditional electorates, are likely to turn into solid blue territory.
Labour politicians would only have themselves to blame for such an outcome.
whatever your views of the tories are , the country clearly prefers the Conservatives right now ..
How bad are Labour then ? That's the question
FFS, have you seen the Prime Minister?
Pretty much everything being thrown at Labour (a lot of it rightly and fairly so) is equally applicable to the Conservatives.
The double standards are ridiculous.
Don't think those asking what the attraction is to voting Conservative are sneering, I certainly don't intend to come over that way. Its a genuine question. I look at what's happened since the Conservative came to power in 2010 and can't think of a single reason I would vote for them, if I'm missing something obvious everyone else knows I'd like to know what it is!
Think its only become a bit of a thing because its been asked multiple times and nobody seems able to answer.
The question, for the millionth time, is why the Tories?
Nobody is saying Labour aren't bad. Not one person in here.
But nobody can answer the question.
The question, for the millionth time, is why the Tories?
Nobody is saying Labour aren't bad. Not one person in here.
But nobody can answer the question.
I think it's been said a million times over why people don't vote Labour mate you've just not accepted it as a reason .
There is zero point me and others like dubed going over it again when you have no intentions of soaking it in .
Labour will continue to get battered at every election
So what is so different in places like Manchester and Liverpool then? Are there no wokies there or is the place full of them?I think it's been said a million times over why people don't vote Labour mate you've just not accepted it as a reason .
There is zero point me and others like dubed going over it again when you have no intentions of soaking it in .
Labour will continue to get battered at every election
I voted Labour. Don’t get the support for tories or Boris at all. Beggars beliefI haven't seen Coventry as been at work , I'm guessing it's still basically Labour .
Or not announced yet
I think it's been said a million times over why people don't vote Labour mate you've just not accepted it as a reason .
There is zero point me and others like dubed going over it again when you have no intentions of soaking it in .
Labour will continue to get battered at every election
I voted Labour. Don’t get the support for tories or Boris at all. Beggars belief
I get that to an extent but if Labour didn’t ask they’d be accused of ‘not listening to the people’ and when they do they’re ‘demanding everyone justify the vote’.
So what is so different in places like Manchester and Liverpool then? Are there no wokies there or is the place full of them?
And what does it say? That the pay rise doesn’t matter as it’s not Labour so it’s ok?? FfsThat speaks volumes
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You've just literally avoided the question again. Its quite incredible.
The question is not why didn't you vote Labour.
Why did you voterory? Answered clearly and concisely by a succession of people from Teeside on the radio tonight.
What were they? I’ve not heard a logical reasonI'm genuinely interested and still haven't heard a salient answer on here.
On the way home I was listening to the radio and they were interviewing people on Teeside and they were giving perfectly logical explanations as to why they'd gone tory, and they're descended from people who hung a monkey!!
I think some general feedback would be a good idea to help improve.
What were they? I’ve not heard a logical reason
Popularity contest
Well ofcourse part of the question will always be why them and not Labour.
You're driving me mad clint mate
You've been told .. either accept it as a reason or don't I couldn't be arsed
No offence mate
You've told me nothing!
As I said, there were some clear answers on the radio this evening and while some of it was about Labour not listening the majority wereaboutthe economy of the region. Obviosly this was specific to the by-election and the Mayoral election
After 10 years of national tory government austerity that meant hartleoool was a shut hole they voted for the mp who represented those policies. Please explain the logic!You've told me nothing!
As I said, there were some clear answers on the radio this evening and while some of it was about Labour not listening the majority wereaboutthe economy of the region. Obviosly this was specific to the by-election and the Mayoral election
After 10 years of national tory government austerity that meant hartleoool was a shut hole they voted for the mp who represented those policies. Please explain the logic!
What were they? I’ve not heard a logical reason
Let's spin it ...
How shocking must you be to lose to that
What do people think about Labour and it's MPs ... there's you're answer , I know this because I work with similar minded people
Let's spin it ...
How shocking must you be to lose to that
What do people think about Labour and it's MPs ... there's you're answer , I know this because I work with similar minded people
You keep spinning it. Because you can't answer the question.
I see your Rees Mogg and raise you Ben Bradley.You love Rees Mogg !!
Brexiteers are wrong. It’s delivered literally nothing it promised and it’s took a pandemic that’s killed over 3 million people for the government to have something to latch onto to spin into a bonus.it's been answered...many times .
This is the jist for the final time
The people who used to vote Labour , now think they are a bunch of wankers .
They'd rather vote for the tories than see you and your MPs in charge .
You told brexiteers they were wrong
Your MPs spend time engaging in social politics on social media (bend that knee keir )
You don't like the working class you call racist , thick and privileged
You involve yourself in activism and social politics that most people reject and couldn't give 2 shits about
You're the party for the well educated middle class yuppies
And the people said fuck you
And now you keep losing .
People don't like you very much anymore
Simple really when you think about it
Brexiteers are wrong. It’s delivered literally nothing it promised and it’s took a pandemic that’s killed over 3 million people for the government to have something to latch onto to spin into a bonus.
Correct. An acknowledgment that Brexit has shit on the country would be a good starting point. The only thing that the government can talk about is Covid. Saw it again on question time last night. First mention of fishermen, change the subject to Covid.Enjoy the tories ..basically forever .
An attitude shift is massively needed somewhere
Correct. An acknowledgment that Brexit has shit on the country would be a good starting point. The only thing that the government can talk about is Covid. Saw it again on question time last night. First mention of fishermen, change the subject to Covid.
Hartlepool - the worst possible Lab candidate they could have picked for that seat. Staunch remainer in a 70% leave area. At the very least pick someone who is from the constituency, had no association with the PV debacle and then at least it might have been a fight.After 10 years of national tory government austerity that meant hartleoool was a shut hole they voted for the mp who represented those policies. Please explain the logic!
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