My reading of the result was that, once it was clear that Plaid Cymru was the party best placed to defeat Reform, the progressive vote gravitated to them. Whilst Labour is currently unpopular, my expectation (hope) is that the same pattern would be repeated so that Labour would hold many seats on the basis that they alone could defeat Reform, whilst Labour voters would vote for other progressive parties in large numbers again depriving Reform of gains. In a sense, a form of PR by the people in the absence of Parliamentary introduction of it.
It's easier for a party like Plaid, who most people don't have strong opinions about, to scoop up tactical votes, than it is for a deeply unpopular governing party.
When given the choice between a party they're ambivalent about and a party they hate, probably a lot of voters will pick the former. When it's between a party that has seriously disappointed them and a party they don't like, they might well refuse to be squeezed.
Possibly the result is quite good for Farage. Since he has no practical plans to run the country, being always the (lucratively sponsored) bridesmaid but never the (buck stops here) blushing bride is probably his sweet spot.
Haha I'm sorry but that's one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Whatever Lab do on immigration whether that be ID cards, reform of ECHR or even as far as stopping the boats it won't EVER be enough for Reform types. Only way to stop Reform is to actually stop aping Reform & actually govern as centre left government and unite the entire left against Farage (see Sanchez social democratic model)
You underestimate how strongly voters feel about immigration & failure to control borders - you may not agree with them, but that’s an entirely separate matter.
I don't misundestimate concerns on immigration, a lot of ppl care about and rightly so but those ppl don't on the whole vote Labour. I have family in Red Wall who talk endlessly about it but they're usually Tory types.
I suggest you read this blog post which hopefully change your mind. I don't completely disagree with you, ofc Lab should try to tackle small boats etc but to think that will be sufficient is naive. Main problem is McSweeney's extreme purge of left and the fact Starmer has pissed off so many left wing type voters who they need to tactically vote for them at next GE. Blog post explains it better
My reading of the result was that, once it was clear that Plaid Cymru was the party best placed to defeat Reform, the progressive vote gravitated to them. Whilst Labour is currently unpopular, my expectation (hope) is that the same pattern would be repeated so that Labour would hold many seats on the basis that they alone could defeat Reform, whilst Labour voters would vote for other progressive parties in large numbers again depriving Reform of gains. In a sense, a form of PR by the people in the absence of Parliamentary introduction of it.
It's easier for a party like Plaid, who most people don't have strong opinions about, to scoop up tactical votes, than it is for a deeply unpopular governing party.
When given the choice between a party they're ambivalent about and a party they hate, probably a lot of voters will pick the former. When it's between a party that has seriously disappointed them and a party they don't like, they might well refuse to be squeezed.
Nice to see a sensible comment on these pages instead of the MSM baloney
Possibly the result is quite good for Farage. Since he has no practical plans to run the country, being always the (lucratively sponsored) bridesmaid but never the (buck stops here) blushing bride is probably his sweet spot.
If, & it’s a big if, the Gov can make progress on the immigration issue he’s likely to fall away (quite rapidly I suspect.)
Haha I'm sorry but that's one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Whatever Lab do on immigration whether that be ID cards, reform of ECHR or even as far as stopping the boats it won't EVER be enough for Reform types. Only way to stop Reform is to actually stop aping Reform & actually govern as centre left government and unite the entire left against Farage (see Sanchez social democratic model)
You underestimate how strongly voters feel about immigration & failure to control borders - you may not agree with them, but that’s an entirely separate matter.
I don't misundestimate concerns on immigration, a lot of ppl care about and rightly so but those ppl don't on the whole vote Labour. I have family in Red Wall who talk endlessly about it but they're usually Tory types.
I suggest you read this blog post which hopefully change your mind. I don't completely disagree with you, ofc Lab should try to tackle small boats etc but to think that will be sufficient is naive. Main problem is McSweeney's extreme purge of left and the fact Starmer has pissed off so many left wing type voters who they need to tactically vote for them at next GE. Blog post explains it better
https://www.linestotake.com/p/the-median-voter-isnt-a-labourreform