Back to the Future

Oh, no, it’s the SDP.

At a sensational press conference Chuka Umunna, the ringleader of the new group, made a direct appeal to politicians in all parties warning voters were ‘sick of politics as usual’.

He was one of seven Labour MPs to quit with an explosive attack on Jeremy Corbyn for letting anti-Semitism and a culture of bullying infect their party.

Until now, Labour has managed to divert attention away from its own internal schism as the Tories have engaged in their very public feuds. They can’t hide it any more.

Are we seeing the breakup of the big party machines? Political parties should be robust enough to be broad churches, else they become extremist, representing only a small range of opinion. If some Tories jump ship and join this new movement, things will get very interesting. If the Labour party dies and the Conservative party likewise tears itself apart, I won’t be among the mourners.

18 Comments

  1. It depends specifically WHY they’ve crossed-the-floor. Although technically I guess they are in the middle somewhere since they’ve left Labour, but haven’t arrived at a new Party yet, if that is indeed their destination.

    The claims they’ve made seem to have the benefit of being largely true (the Corbynites are a pretty anti-Zionist lot which looks a lot like anti-semitism to most proles like myself), albeit a bit disingenuous.

    I’m guessing the real reason is that they have jumped before they were pushed out by the deselection squads of Momentum’s Teen Trots who are looking to purge the party of the Blairite factions (and anyone else who is a gnats hair away from their definition of conformity).

    Personally, I see this as a good sign. Not because the TIGgers have a chance in hell of making any headway with their warmed-over Blairite pap, but because it shows that even potential contenders have given up hope of turning the hard-left tide and getting rid of the entryist Momentumites from the party.

    So the real question is “Will Labour be purged, split or both?”

    It warms the cockles of my heart to see such things written about the Labour Party. May their collapse be slow and bloody. They’ve earned it. Personally I think they should be hauled up the Tarpeian rocks with meat hooks, but that’s probably a bit squeamish for the Snowflake Generation.

    I did think this was quite amusing though (from 2016)

    Why the Labour Party won’t split – at least, not until 2019 (Link)

    • I wish same on Cons

      Both Con & Lab MPs loathe and refuse to represent their core vote and constituents.

      “Progressive” pandering to vocal minorities and “I know best” is their preference.

  2. “Chuka Umunna, [said] voters were ‘sick of politics as usual’”

    Amusingly Chuka doesn’t realize that he is the very embodiment of the politics as usual that the voters are sick of, whatever party he is nominally standing for.

  3. Proof reader mode on
    “else they become extremist, representing inlay a small range of opinion”
    “Inlay doesn’t make sense, did you mean “only”?

  4. I find it somewhat amusing that all these Labour MPs had spent some considerable time in the party trying unsuccessfully to prevent the total takeover of the party by anti-semites and others. Clearly a party they could not reform and so felt compelled to leave. Curiously this logic does not appear to extend to those wishing to leave the EU. Having acquired their seats by people who did not know what they were voting for, will they now call bye-elections for a “Peoples Vote” or am I missing something?

  5. Careful what you wish for. I know we don’t agree on the left right thing generally but nobody should want these charlatans to gain any foothold anywhere. Whatever you may think of Corbyn he has something these lot do not have….an ideology and the morals that go with it. These 7 would sell their grandmothers for a sniff of power and they are the epitome of the entitled politician type. They are without morals or any kind of defining principles other than what is in it for them and others they see as natural elites.
    Heh I see that their first day didn’t turn out too well anyway. Embroiled in accusations of racism, tax avoidance and corruption over funding. No wonder they all feel comfortable with the EU….

    • I’m quite happy to see an end to party politics. The tories are similarly broken.

      A house filled with independents would suit me just fine.

      As for the gang of seven, I think they will ultimately go the same way as the SDP.

      • Can’t really disagree with that. I have no real political home anymore because although I have an underlying ideology that guides my thoughts I find that it doesn’t sit well in any party. I like Corbyn and feel he is more my cup of tea but at the same time most Labour party members piss me off greatly with their identitarian politics.

        • The Labour Party abandoned the traditional white working class a long time ago – about the time that Margaret Thatcher welcomed them on board. So while some traditionalists cling on, they do so in vain,. The party has been taken over by the cultural Marxists and intersectionality is their weapon of choice.

          As for Corbyn, politics aside, he is a classic example of a man who has been promoted way beyond his level of competence. He has signally failed to fill the role and it shows.

    • Not only that TIG is a limited company not a political party so they don’t have to disclose who is funding them. I bet that backfires.

  6. This ‘ere gang of 7 say they are centrists. They are not. They are Brexit denying ultra remainers and all want a second referendum to try to thwart or annul the result of the last one. That makes them a bunch of anti democracy extremists in my view, who stood on a proBrexit manifesto which they really didn’t subscribe to. So let’s add in hypocrisy too.

  7. Three Tory harridans have now joined them. Since they fraudulently stood on a pro-Brexit platform, all of these evil bastards should give their electorates a second vote to decide if they want them to represent them.

    • I’ve sent them all emails to that effect (minus the evil bastards bit). I’d encourage others to do he same.

Comments are closed.