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Category: Labour

Why it is not smart making non-voters your main priority

Why it is not smart making non-voters your main priority

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Basing your electoral strategy on appealing to non-voters is like trying to sell cars to people who don't drive http://t.co/CpyWEYxRts — David Boothroyd (@220_d_92_20) August 28, 2015 If you couldn’t be arsed last May then the chances are that it will be the same next time It’s a seductive strategy that all parties try from time to time – make going for non-voters the main strategy but it is a wrong one. I’d argue that it is easier to persuade…

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In the 40 year since the Tories selected a woman LAB has had 8 male leaders and looks set to choose a 9th

In the 40 year since the Tories selected a woman LAB has had 8 male leaders and looks set to choose a 9th

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From my political mugs collection pic.twitter.com/HDPYaWSt9B — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 28, 2015 What is it about the red team and women? It was in February 1975 that Tory MPs (there was no party member involvement in those days) made the momentous decision to choose a woman, Mrs Thatcher, as their leader to succeed Edward Heath. I was working a fair bit at parliament during that period and right until election day in 1979 there was a consistent view from…

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Is Corbyn inevitable, unelectable and what happens next for Labour? The latest PB/Polling Matters podcast

Is Corbyn inevitable, unelectable and what happens next for Labour? The latest PB/Polling Matters podcast

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In this week’s PB/Polling Matters podcasts, Keiran discusses the Labour leadership with Stephen Bush of the New Statesman and Laurence Janta-Lipinski of YouGov. We ask whether Jeremy Corbyn is inevitable, where Labour goes from here and whether Corbyn could surprise people if he wins. Also, can a non-left Labour candidate win the leadership again and what does the next Labour PM look like..

How do you solve a problem like Jeremy?

How do you solve a problem like Jeremy?

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If Labour MPs want to remove Corbyn, they need to stop Corbyn having a honeymoon or polling bounce. If as expected Jeremy Corbyn becomes leader, then those inside the Labour party looking to depose Corbyn as leader before the  next general election might want to have a word with the Barrow & Furness MP, John Woodcock, who also is Liz Kendall’s campaign manager and remind him of his pre-election pledge. My pledge: am so confident Labour will build four Trident successor…

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The practical guide to centre-left schisms

The practical guide to centre-left schisms

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The Labour party leadership election has left the Blairites looking isolated.  Some of Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters have described them as viruses and cancers, and have suggested that they look for the exit.  Every Blairite from Tony Blair and Liz Kendall downwards has disavowed the idea of leaving the Labour party, but vows are spoken to be broken, and given the bitterness and the ideological divide they might in due course consider their options. Before doing so, they should look at…

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What Corbyn’s constituencies tell us about the class of 2020

What Corbyn’s constituencies tell us about the class of 2020

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Never mind the leadership, the PLP could be transformed One of the odder features of the Labour leadership election is that the nominations of constituency parties are firstly made and secondly reported. It’s odd because these are almost entirely meaningless given that they play no role in the process. They may be useful to observers if they represent the genuine view of the membership (which isn’t something to be taken for granted), and may help a candidate to build momentum…

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The Temperate Desert

The Temperate Desert

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Antifrank asks who will appeal best to centrist voters? The centre ground of politics used to be very crowded.  And with good reason.  Roughly half the electorate sit in the middle stratum of electoral geology.  In a YouGov poll taken just after the election, 13% described themselves as slightly left of centre, 19% described themselves as centre, 14% described themselves as slightly right of centre and a further 23% didn’t know where to place themselves (presumably they would regard themselves…

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ORB/Indy poll finds that 76% think that LAB less electable now than it was on May 7th

ORB/Indy poll finds that 76% think that LAB less electable now than it was on May 7th

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The front page of tomorrow's I pic.twitter.com/2fkFD2SRqT — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 27, 2015 But does this poll really tell us anything? An ORB poll for the Independent carried out over the weekend finds that 76% of those who had a view believe that LAB is less electable now than it was at the general election. We’ve not yet seen the dataset or the precise question wording but the overall picture looks gloomy for the red team and sets out…

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