UK General Election 2015

[doubleup]

It is bizarre.  In the modern world centre left with the mandate to address gross inequality through "free" public services is electable and indeed welcomed by a majority in the UK imo, but anything further left simply isn't.

[AdamM]

If you are a socialist, why would you want a Labour party in power that doesn't represent your beliefs?
Isn't it better to have politicians that you believe in and that can persuade people that is a better way, even is initially that's in opposition?

[DungBeetle]

If you are a socialist, why would you want a Labour party in power that doesn't represent your beliefs?
Isn't it better to have politicians that you believe in and that can persuade people that is a better way, even is initially that's in opposition?

I guess people compromise.  Be in power on a centre platform and implement 60% of the policies you want or be out of power and get zero policies.

That said, I think it will be very interesting indeed if Corbyn gets to lead the party and I don't think we can say with complete certainty that he won't get enough support to be a significant factor in a coalition.  People are still burning about the banks and the tax shenanigans of Starbucks etc.   To be honest, I'm not sure he could do worse than Miliband who seemed to be dragged the right and then the left and ultimately offered nothing.

Personally I think he'd be a disaster in power,  but I think he's a live runner if he does get in.

[DaveShoelace]

If you are a socialist, why would you want a Labour party in power that doesn't represent your beliefs?
Isn't it better to have politicians that you believe in and that can persuade people that is a better way, even is initially that's in opposition?

I'm more the other way, I'd rather have my party making small changes in the right direction than to be just talking about ideals on the sidelines.

That said, I actually think Corbyn as leader might genuinely make for some interesting debates in parliment and have more influence than a lot of opposition leaders before him.

[AndrewT]

The public actually support both 'hard left' and 'hard right' ideas. Majority support for rail nationalisation, increasing the minimum wage and 60% tax rate for income over £150k, but also for dropping overseas aid to nil, stopping benefits to anyone who refuses an offer of work and stopping all immigration.

And yet the centre ground is where it's at?

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/08/06/support-radical-left-and-right/

[The Camel]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

[neeko]

In the USA it is the Republican Party that appears to have lurched far right, whilst in the UK it is labour that is jumping left, why (and it may be a perception rather than reality) are the democrats not doing a suicide dart left and the Tories right?

[TightEnd]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

with a rapidly ageing population austerity will be semi-permanent in all western economies due to the huge issue of  pension liabilities which is hardly ever discussed. Very little from the hard left addresses an alternative apart from Corbyn harking back to the 1940s and 1950s when debt-GDP was at higher levels than now

I think it is odds on that if Corbyn wins he won't be leader come 2020 anyway. It'll only take a few PMQs with him defending Hezbollah or Hamas or Isis for the Tory party to have a complete field day in any subsequent election campaign anyway

[DungBeetle]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

with a rapidly ageing population austerity will be semi-permanent in all western economies due to the huge issue of  pension liabilities which is hardly ever discussed. Very little from the hard left addresses an alternative apart from Corbyn harking back to the 1940s and 1950s when debt-GDP was at higher levels than now

I think it is odds on that if Corbyn wins he won't be leader come 2020 anyway. It'll only take a few PMQs with him defending Hezbollah or Hamas or Isis for the Tory party to have a complete field day in any subsequent election campaign anyway

Isn't Corbyn planning to effectively print the money needed for pensions and council spending via "People's QE" as directed by his economic advisor Richard Murphy?  If that's the case I doubt they will bother themselves with such things as debt-gdp ratios!

[TightEnd]

In the USA it is the Republican Party that appears to have lurched far right, whilst in the UK it is labour that is jumping left, why (and it may be a perception rather than reality) are the democrats not doing a suicide dart left and the Tories right?

because the right in the US and the left in the UK are in opposition, so the desire of the disaffected is for something radical?

[AndrewT]

In the USA it is the Republican Party that appears to have lurched far right, whilst in the UK it is labour that is jumping left, why (and it may be a perception rather than reality) are the democrats not doing a suicide dart left and the Tories right?

because the right in the US and the left in the UK are in opposition, so the desire of the disaffected is for something radical?

Also the Republicans have the nutjobs calling the shots.

[Doobs]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

I wasn't aware it had started. 

[AdamM]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

I wasn't aware it had started. 

lucky you

[AndrewT]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

I wasn't aware it had started. 

Doobs outs himself as the fella from Monopoly.

[Doobs]

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion Corbyn would lose in 2020.

Depends on how long austerity lasts.

I wasn't aware it had started. 

lucky you

Unlucky us. 

The current budget deficit was something like 6% last time I looked.  That excludes my personal beef which is the unfounded pension promises we have made.  Yet people think we have seen austerity budgets. Well if we have, then it isn't my understanding of the word.

What seems to have happened is that mine and the generation above seem to have overspent and overpromised (mainly to themselves) and are expecting the next to pick the bill up.  Corbyn talks about fairness whilst very much promising a continuation of this pattern.  Yet I am expected to believe this is caring leftism?  This isn't caring, this is saying we'll be alright that and saying f u do the youth. 

This all doesn't include the environmental damage we do too, so future generations can sort that out, pay our bills all with an economy burdened with the excessive debt and pension promises we built up.   

I don't care what people do, whether it is raise taxes (and raising top rate tax will never be enough, if it will make a difference at all) or reduce spending.  We should just do something rather than hoping the next Generation will be happy to foot our bill.

Sure Corbyn is much more popular amongst the youth too, incredible scenes.

Just my view.