Enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s new left party reflects the long-held view of Compass that UK politics would, at some stage, dramatically fragment. That’s why we broke free of being aligned to any single party way back in 2011, encouraging all flying progressive flags to become Compass members. We could see all this coming.
It is hardly surprising that this has happened now. The tiny but powerful right faction that runs Labour in an increasingly autocratic fashion have wilfully created the soil in which a new party of the left could take root. Despite some limited welcome moves, Labour has tilted to the right economically with a cuts-and-deregulation agenda, and their refusal to take meaningful action on Gaza while stamping down on those who protest about Palestine has alienated tens of thousands of their own members and supporters. Meanwhile, they suspend and purge any internal dissent.
Any move to push an agenda of greater equality, democracy, peace and sustainability is to be welcomed, as signalled by the hundreds of thousands of people interested in making change happen.
The very existence of a party to the left of Labour makes it harder for Labour’s control-freak-tendency to coerce MPs, members and voters with the threat that there is ‘nowhere else to go’. Just as UKIP and then Reform dragged UK politics to the right, can this new party act as a left-wing countervailing force?
We look forward to watching this new party’s genesis and potentially working with them, much like we work with the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, and Labour in all of Britain’s progressive spaces.
But big questions exist about the nature and the role of this new party in the fragmented and febrile terrain of UK politics.
While a thousand progressive flowers bloom, what does this further fragmentation of the left mean? What does renouncing the progressive potential of the Labour Party, forever as opposed to under this current leadership, mean? How will it affect the Green Party, especially under the dynamic potential leadership of Zack Polanski? Will the new party simply divide the progressive vote further, particularly if the ‘unite the right’ strategy being urged on the Tories and Reform is successful? What culture of leadership is the new party bringing? How are they deepening democracy, learning from international and historical progressives to experiment and embed participation and build power throughout society, communities and workplaces? How does this party engage with devolved and regional contexts where there are already multiple progressive parties competing? None of this is easy, we know.
And what lessons have been learnt since Corbyn led the Labour Party and initiatives like Enough is Enough, which also signed up hundreds of thousands of people but disappeared without trace? Is this project bound to repeat the factional, strong-leader dynamics of the Labour movement?
Our critique of Corbyn’s leadership of Labour was that it was neither sufficiently pluralist nor professional. Jeremy was a figurehead who inspired and inspires many, but he was a poor party leader. So the genuine question is: what will make this venture different?
All political party births are traumatic. Clearly there were tensions here between those who wanted to build on existing local foundations and those who wanted to strike quickly with this new national initiative. Time will tell how these tensions and others will be resolved. What we know is that the history of left defeats is littered with shortcuts. Now is the time to dig deep organisationally and culturally to construct a very new left politics, especially when it comes to leadership.
Meanwhile, come what may, there will be a Labour government for the next four years. The job at hand for progressives is twofold. First, to build influence and power so that wherever possible we can help them and, if necessary, make Labour do the right thing – and stop them from doing the wrong thing. The recent successful backbench rebellion on benefit cuts shows what’s possible. The campaign that Compass is helping to lead on public ownership of water could lead to a big progressive win. And the push for Proportional Representation within Labour needs to continue apace. Indeed, this new example of the fragmentation of party politics makes the fight for PR more urgent than ever.
Second, the ground needs to be prepared for the next election and beyond. Structurally, party politics is fragmenting, but culturally, too many in our political parties cling onto an adversarial and tribal approach. Electorally, this could be a disaster which hands the keys to Downing Street to Farage and Reform in 2029. Learning lessons from of how we have built progressive alliances here, and international examples such as how the new Popular Front arose in France recently, gives us insight into how we can construct a hegemonic progressive project that doesn’t just defeat national populism at the polls but creates the basis for the steady transformation of our democracy and our economy, and therefore our society. But crucially, alliance-building isn’t just a case of signing pacts and expecting voters to follow. It is a political practice which involves dialogue, negotiation and a relational politics. To beat back barbarism progressives are going to have to work together.
That’s why Compass will work with all who want much greater democracy, equality and sustainability. All the time there is a government of the day that we and our allies can influence on issues like ending the two-child benefit limit and taxing wealth, then we will. All the time we can push for desirable and feasible structural change on issues like public ownership of water and PR, then we will. And all the time we can help bring fragmented progressive forces and voices together to create symphony out of cacophony, then we will.
But, as always for Compass and the new party, successful alliances cannot be handed down from on high – progressive success lives and dies by the active assembly of a political project in meeting rooms, homes and streets throughout the country.
The only thing we can be certain about in politics today is that things will keep moving, shifting and changing. What matters in these turbulent times, full to the brim of challenges and opportunities, is that we need to be true to our values and have the structural and cultural agility to move at speed and scale to make the most of every opportunity. In these moments of flux it’s never been more important to be guided by our compass.
A very good statement I don’t think setting up another party on the left is a good idea/ it will only lead to more fragmentation, and as you say although many of Jeremy Corbyn’s policies are ones agreed by progressives, he is not a good/natural leader.
Jeremy Corbyn is part of the problem and NOT part of the solution. The compass statement is correct in it’s critique of the Corbyn years of leading the Labour Party. His somewhat less than half hearted support for remaining in the EU, his egotistic position on allowing the last but one general election to be called at a time that suited Johnson and the leave campaign, the staggering lack of a coherent Election campaign (from a man who believes he is a campaigner), the appalling disregard for plurality within the Labour Party only now surpassed by Stammer and now the creation of a new party in his image, having little or no regard for the potential impact on other progressives. Surely the clarion call at this moment is to rise above sectarianism and unite behind the call for fair votes for all. It is only with a fair voting system that we will ever be able to see a fair and good society based on plurality rather than this self appointed dictatorship of the proletariat, but then left wing populism always has much more in common with Lenin than Bevin.
It is still open to Sir Kier to listen to what the country is telling him they want, including a fairer taxation system that supports vital public services and PR. Maybe get Andy Burnham to articulate it?
Very disappointed that Compass has made this statement in support of Polanski before voting has even opened in the Green Party leadership contest. This is a man who in last year’s Deputy Leadership contest had no compunction about equating another candidate with Hitler, Stalin and Putin. He is not a pluralist in the Compass tradition unlike his rivals Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsey who I very much hope will prevail as Co-Leaders.
I believe that those in the leadership of the Labour Party who are opposed to introducing proportional representation are convinced that with First Past the Post they can maintain a two-Party system. This is now demonstrably false. Those of us who are determined to remain within the Labour Party need to use all our strength to persuade our government to change the system, otherwise the control of the country will be gifted to a united right.
Nationalisation of water, redistribution of wealth and other progressive policies are all necessary, but the most important thing right now is to change the power dynamics so that a single right-wing party cannot gain untrammelled power and undermine our democracy further as is happening in the United States.
Keir Starmer is Conservative light
I was a red wall Labour Party member for 20 years until March this year (when this disability cuts were announced) – I have two disabled teens who now won’t get UC health group until 22 despite having EHCPs, they are non verbal and doubly incontinent so not suitable for education post 18. We now may not be able to care for them at home, costing social care more. I will be joining ‘Your Party’ who will treat my family with more dignity and respect.
Corbyn is a self important dinosaur that enabled Brexit with McCluskey, Milne, Lynch & other union Dinosaurs that were too stupid to realise that the EU was what was holding back Tory insanity. He ignored the 60% of the Labour Party that wanted a 2nd referendum & forced Theresa May into a no deal Brexit by insisting on Article 50 being called immediately & whipping Labour MPs into supporting it, even without a plan on what to do next. Or looking at Poland, Romania, Slovakia etc and how their wealth increased in ONE generation since joining the EU.
There’s a reason that the entire Labour Party machine has ignored him for 30 years & that INCLUDES Michael Foot. As Neil Kinnock put it “him and his allies made their minds up in the 70s & haven’t moved on since”.
Why is it that Germany, France, Denmark et al, all EU members have the best workers rights? NOT Britain? Why now since we’ve left the EU has immigration rocketed? I don’t hear anything from him or the far left on stopping visas being handed out like candy to the Big outsourcers or any of the firms offshoring work.
Instead of working within the Party to try to push change & make ACTUAL positive changes in the way Brown did with Blair he’s now going to ensure that Reform or a mega nutty right wing Tory Party are forever in power. Refusing to learn from the SDP split in the 80s that handed Thatcher years extra in power.
Whether the readers of this site like it or not, the British People hate Corbyn & that’s not because of “media bias”, it’s because the left keep calling them morons & ignoring their legitimate worries of jobs being taken. It’s because ACTUAL working class people are CENTRE left in most things & instead of actually trying to get ministerial positions & working to improve lives, every time one of the Corbyn cult are allowed into the Cabinet, they immediately start virtue signalling in public, giving the right wing media EXACTLY what it wants, which is the view that Labour can’t keep it’s house in order
PR or Proportional Representation gives everyone the change to be involved in the day to day running of our country. Surely in a true democracy PR should always be the first choice.
As an man who has watch the left bicker constantly amongst them selves for so long, can we not rallying behind this new party. Yes, Corbyn had his leadership faults, but let’s not look for faults but help him and Sarah make this new party a blinding success.
Also disappointed that Compass assumes Polanski will lead the Greens. But more than that how it does not step back and assess Labour’s first year realistically. Don’t write off its manifesto. They will reduce violence against women and girls, they will create an increasing growth rate despite massive headwinds, they will build much more social housing. To focus on this delivery they have clumsily treated the party like a government department or a private company rather than a living Democratic Party. They need to get better at arguing their case, value different voices whilst still demanding discipline once decisions are made.
This new party would have had very little support if Starmer had lived up to the promises he made when he won the Labour leadership contest. Like many others I an disappointed not to say furious that we now have a Labour Government that has to be forced into even slightly retreating from the Thatcher / Blair neoliberal consensus. Yes it is doing good things – Best Start etc – but it seems only by stealth and without making the case publicly and enthusiastically.
Alas, Jeremy will allow Farage and the right wing of the Tory party into decimate the country. Perhaps the left prefer idealogical politics rather than govern, his abject abandonment of Europe and his refusal to combat the Brexit party resulted in the working class being shafted yet again for his political principles. No thanks
Why not start a Party called
Compas
You seem to have some good ideas and if stuck to I’m pretty sure could work though I’m afraid there are way too many greedy people about to allow it to happen.
Over recent years Jeremy Corbyn has been proven right more often than not. He was never anti-semitic, the excuse Labour used to get rid of him, he just told the truth about Israel.
I would much prefer a Jeremy Corbyn joint leadership party over what we have right now, as Labour are clearly right wing now along with Reform and The Conservatives. A fully left party is entirely what we need.
I was once branded a Corbynite because of my support for his policies and Ideology and although he can garner a lot of support I think that the formation of the new Party will divide the left leaning voters, threatening to undermine the continuing growth of the Green Party.
The Green Party that has proved its credentials as a party of the left while retaining the respect of a progressive Party that truly believes in People and Planet before Profit is probably the best antidote to the Populist Right.
I witnessed the formaton of the Lin Dems. It split the labour vote and when they shared power Nick had not the experience and was. no match for the conservatives. Jeremy is not a strong leader though a lovely man and I do not see him as someone who will attract voters and I would not think he would be adequate PM.
The Starmer Government, I cannot call a party “Labour” that breaks everything the original party stood for, first lied to the electorate by running on a Manifesto that they cancelled most of within one month of power, then sought solutions to their problems that were more Tory than the Conservatives, after which they “punished” dissenters to their edicts within their own MPs that was more in keeping with a fascist regime than an old type Labour party.
The birth of a new “Labour” party more like the original was inevitable, but whether the new breakaway party can be the one is open to question, looking at its membership so far, but who knows what will develop from it?
The only thing sure is that, given his autocratic style of control, and some of the items in the international decisions Starmer’s government has made, we need a different Labour Party than the one that calls itself “Labour” now.
All proposed solutions are wrong wrong wrong.
The Swiss don’t require their government or politics to sort itself out.
If anyone wishes the best for the people, then the people need the best democracy in the world – the Swiss Referendum System Model.
Swiss politics has been incapable of producing a party or politician that could replace their referendum system.
DIRECT DEMOCRACY NOW. !
The Corbyn/Sultana Your Party owes a lot, it seems, to Die Linke in Germany and may well adopt the same name. Equally, for all its talk of democracy/power from below, given its origins with Corbyn it is more likely to be a top-down, sectarian, Leninist party like its German counterpart which emerged out of the residual SED (Gysi et al) allied to leftist elements in the SPD (Lafontaine) – and with some of its own elements linked to the CP(G)B/Straight Left etc…Caveat empor!
I think Compass statement is too early to assess the new party’s direction. Your party is finding out its supporters, even it has not move to establish its membership. Your party states that it will be democratic, bottom up. This takes enormous of time. Bottom up democracy want we want, not dictating candidates & policies from the top. It is a very difficult task to achieve. Worth trying. Labour or conservatives don’t listen to the voices of the UK citizens, they have run the country as dictators. No transparency.. Donors & lobbiest are influences not voters, not ordinary citizens. We cannot talk about democracy in this country. Our earlier & recent governments have intentionally violated human rights here & abroad. Reform is climbing up steps but no experience or understanding how politics work, most of Reform councillors either are sacked or resigned.
Jeremy Colbyn has been pushed last two years to set up a new party. He has resisted stating that none of newly established parties survived in the UK. Knowingly, he has eventually accepted to do so with enormous pressures that have come from very people who is dissolution with the existing parties in the parliament. WAIT & SEE.. HOW TO BE ESTABLISHED THE PARTY.. HOW TO FORMULATE ITS VISION, POLICIES,,
Disappointed with the comment above which is just peddling the crap and falsehoods given in the right wing media. I would ask people to have an open mind and see what ia really going on rather than viewing it though the social construction imprinted into peplle by the media
The problems we face are that production in eastern countries is far cheaper than the UK. Plus we have Russia killing thousands and using gentle words will not stop Putin .It is very nice to talk about soak the rich and raise pay but money is very portable and can be moved at the click of a mouse. Raising pay is an excellent idea but for every raise in pay a price goes up. I am not saying that I have any solution merely pointing out problems
May I also say that I have always been a blue collar worker..I support the efforts of trade unions and have always voted left.
The last thing we need is another party splitting the progressive vote.
DANGER. Fragmentation of the party landscape into:
Conservative
Green
Labour
Liberal Democrat
‘New Left’
Northern Ireland parties
Reform
Maybe a couple of Reform breakaways
With up to as many as eight ‘viable’ boxes to put a cross in on polling day first-past-the-post simply can’t work. FPTP is a system predicated on two choices (L or R) with minor parties available for protest votes. Even then it’s been almost 100 years since we had a government elected by an actual majority of the electorate. Political fragmentation means the United Kingdom MUST introduce some form of proportional representation before the next general election or we will end up being governed by a tribe supported by maybe only one voter of every five.
Do not underestimate Jeremy Corbyn, now vindicated totally by the tragic evolution of events in Gaza.
And do not underestimate the disenchantment of 2024 Labour voters who have been waiting to see a much more radical and egalitarian approach from the government they voted into power.
The short answer is already in your article. The left (or progressive, or caring) vote will be split. The right (or wealthy, or intolerant) vote will find a way to unite. This has happened many times before and shows no sign of changing. And so we spend most of the time being ruled by the Tories or Tory-lite.
Negative remarks about Corbyn reflect the sabateurs and media slander in 2019 which reminds us of the billionaire-financed opposition the new party will face in the coming years. Farage is their man and there’s nothing the oligarchs won’t do to defame ‘Jezza’, Zarah and Zak.
Disappointed in your review. JC wasn’t unprofessional and to be honest this new party gives us a positive outlook in a field of parties financed by questionable sources.
Perhaps you could look at it more objectively rather than being so negative. The UK needs a change in politics and this could be our chance at holding the far right a d reform off.
The new party will not prevail in a country that is conservative with a small c. All it will do is fragment the progressive vote, and potentially usher in the “Reform” party.
I agree with Mark Young; Corbyn is definitely part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Unlike the intelligent John McDonnell who consistently contributes to the political debate, putting forward thoughtful challenging left-wing thinking on political questions, Corbyn’s contribution to democratic debate is largely confined to indulgent grand-standing & those never-ending vanity projects. What will happen to his ‘Peace & Justice Project’ now? Maybe Evo Morales can take the helm, he’s still proudly listed as a major supporter on the P&J website despite now being a fugitive from Justice himself ( 2 rape cases concerning minors).
Corbyn was The Chief Brexit Enabler. He could have and should have put the case for remaining forcefully and repeatedly. He had the platform & folk would have listened. By avoiding this for his own ideological ends he has contributed to the poverty and distress of millions of his fellow Brits. Such massive & heartbreaking damage to the people he professes to work for!
Compass is right & I too really am looking forward ;
‘…to watching this new party’s genesis and potentially working with them, much like we work with the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, and Labour in all of Britain’s progressive spaces.’
But it has to be without Jeremy Corbyn if it is to make any real headway.
We really need PR before the next election, allowing a coalition between left and liberal democratic parties as being possibly the only way to keep Farage out.
Northern Ireland had PR introduced via Westminster about 35 years ago to foster a different politics. Isreal has PR. Belgium has it. Italy has it. PR theory good – practice less so?
With first past the post smaller parties with good ideas feed into the programmes of broadly based parties. For example Greens here in UK through their focus on a range of issues have influenced policy ro right and left. Small parties can focus in a sharp way and influence outcomes . However, it is only broad parties that can make sound generally attractive coherent programmes.
The left exemplified this in the post war government as did the Wilson and Callaghan governments. Blair had the chance, but wasted all on war-making, destroying a broadly based party in the process. War-making is incompatible with a left party.
Starmer will never get the left on board with militarism, and good’ employment up north in armament factories He will consolidate the nasty right. We need to stop this war-fare madness.
You are right that a first requirement for democratic renewal is to change the electoral system – almost any other system would be more proportional, though we should choose with care. (My preference, that gives maximum choice and control to the voters, rather than to parties, is STV).
However, an almost equal important issue is that of gross inequality; imbalance of wealth leads to imbalance of political power and influence, so we are in danger of eroding democracy towards a plutocratic oligarchy – just look at the present US government. (Wealth leads to political influence, leads to policies and regulations (or lack of them) that benefit the very wealthy, leads to more wealth concentration … and so on.) I think the danger of great wealth concentration is not sufficiently realised or discussed. We should be asking political leaders what plans they have to reduce inequality, with the underlying implication that these levels are totally unacceptable.
Our democracy is the best form of government money can buy and money has bought it lock stock and barrel.
Speaking as a British expat living in the Eastern Township of Quebec, Keir Starmer’s sycophantic grovelling towards Donald Trump is especially nauseating, since both ‘leaders’ siezed power with about 30% of the vote.
At least there is hope that popular demand could change the voting system in Britain. Many Americans seem to have difficulty with the concept of proportional representation. First Past the Post has always been ‘the American way’ and they do not seem to willing to consider any other.Perhaps it will take the threat of a civil war to change attitudes there.
A couple of thoughts: if the new party is serious about fighting austerity, militarism and inequality it will face implacable venom from all the mass media, Guardian included. How will it withstand this pressure?
Labour still retains a lot of trade union support. How can the new party build inside the trade union and labour movement?
What can be learnt from left social democratic parties like Podemos in Spain who enjoyed a lot of support before fading away in recent years?
Many thanks for this clear statement, good for discussion. I hope we won’t get bogged down in details around individuals and their limitations but develop clear principles and policies around progressive values which will provide a framework for the details to be worked in the divers local areas across Britain. I think robust debates around Modern Monetary Policy and Land would be a good start. I hope a publicly finded and publicly provided NHS and the nationalisation of other public utilities and rail won’t get lost given tyhere is so much to do.
I am in my 60’s, I had never been a member of a political party until Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the labour party, then I joined because I was fed up with yelling at the tele because they were so biased against him. I finally left the labour party because of their lack of any support for the Palestinians. I, like many other people, joined the greens.
I am glad that Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana have decided to form a new party, I have a lot of respect for both of them. You may have a go at Jeremy Corbyn for not being a clever politician, I don’t know about that, but I believe him to be a man of principle which he has stuck to through thick and thin. I like the greens but I may well be tempted to join this new party, at heart I am a peacenik and I don’t think the problems of the world can be sorted out unless we have peace.
What this country needs is a fair distribution of wealth, to stop funding the world economic forum, Nato, the United Nations and other centralised quangos. We need fair taxation, fair treatment from MP’s and someone needs to keep the multi-national corporations and private utility companies in line. HS2 alone has wasted so much taxpayers money, as do many of the Tory and this Labour party’s initiatives. They spend money like water and usually on their friends/colleagues. Remove all corruption, from the bottom to the top. Remove all data mining and spying on our people too. Corbyn is the only MP who can do this.
I welcome this statement from Compass about the new party and the need to work collaboratively for progressive change.
The government’s proposals in the defence review including air launched as well as sea launched nuclear weapons are alarming and show the need for a proper understanding of what constitutes defence.
Equally belligerent is the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which aims to abolish safeguards protecting nature and allow growth at any cost.
The wildlife Trusts and others are setting a good example of how to campaign to protect nature in practical and popular ways.
A priority for the left is how to unite progressives in popular campaigning.
I welcome the launch of ‘Your Party’ and look forward to seeing how it unfolds over the autumn. I want to see an alliance between Your Party and the Greens under Zack Polanski (provided he wins) to offer a serious left-wing alternative at the next GE, that has tackling inequality and the climate crisis at the heart of their joint offering.
Your evident backing for Zack Polanski during the Green Party election contest does you no favours. Regardless of who people are voting for.
Conservatives and Labour have together created a space for Reform UK, who, if (hopefully not) they ever get into power will make things even worse.
Too much on Gaza but no mention of Ukraine. Why?
The fragmentation needs a development of how the politics can succeed to power. Conceptionalising the viability for progress under these conditions for the different parties I e as with the French New Popular Front. Also requiring ingredients of housing as a right, employment rights, wealth tax, public ownership of water, climate change.
Also close approach on the wars as a strongh factor in migration – stop the wars.
I find it interesting that Compass, along with every other media organisation, assume that Corbyn will be the leader of ‘Your Party’. If that was the case, it would be ‘His Party’. Before the leader is chosen democratically by the membership, the new party will collaboratively decide what it stands for and what its policies will be. Hopefully at speed to maintain the positive momentum. If Corbyn emerges as leader, I’m happy. If not, ditto.
Whilst watching an ongoing genocide and Starmer, Lammy and many other Labour MP’s supporting it including mine Ellie Reeves, Starmer left the left no alternative!! What are people meant to do when your leader continuously gets rid of MP’s who do not agree with him.
Corbyn was accused by the far right zionists of being anti semetic. It was to cover their own gulit of failing in UK policies / politics…Since then weve experienced disasters from the covid Pandemic / PEP / Post office scandal / War / hunger / starvation, with mass murders across Gaza & Palestine.Together with ukraine / Cost of living crises..Just about any thinkable disaster in UK historic events..Without any solutions, or pay back!! Westminster Politicians remain silent, knowing very well they are guilty of utter mis-management & failures, together crimes against humanity! Bring these to the forfront of colonial / historic UK politics, to understand / investigate, who are the real criminals in number 10 & the Houses of Horrors! Corbyn / Sultana are TRUE Labour!
I voted for Corbyn as leader in the hope of pulling the Labour Party back to wards the centre. It was a terrible mistake. His betrayal of young people and those of us who wanted to remain European during the Brexit vote, his terrible decision to back triggering Article 50 without knowing what the consequences would be and then the mistimed GE were all signs of his laziness and amaterism.
The cultist following put of tens of thousands of people. He should be nowhere near the leadership but perhaps shape policy.
I think a seismic change is needed and would prefer Lib Dems and Greens could work together.
Without another alternative offering true structural change and despite the fair criticisms of Corbyn’s mistakes I’m very supportive of this new party. Obviously without proportional representation that involves risk, but the status quo is failing our society and environment.
A good, balanced and mature response. Compass should reach out to the new party but not have any illusions. Not seen or heard anything about PR, the very different worlds in Wales and Scotland, or for that matter the English regions. Is it another London-centric, statist and centralist outfit which will last a year or two and fizzle out? Previous attempts at an old style party of the left have come and gone, I don’t see this being any different, though I can understand the frustration and anger amongst progressives in the Labour Party.
It’s worth noting that Reform voters prefer Corbyn to Starmer on almost every metric:
https://novaramedia.com/2025/07/30/reform-voters-prefer-corbyn-to-starmer-on-almost-every-metric-new-polling-shows/
Also, comparing General Elections in 2019 and 2024, Labour got more votes under Corbyn (10.2m) than it did under Starmer (9.7m).
In his recent interview with Owen Jones, Jeremy Corbyn [JC] claimed “you know what’s going to come out of all this (fragmentation of the UK’s political landscape)? – an end to the First Past the Post [FPTP] electoral system”
Owen Jones: “you think that’s what’s could happen?”
Jeremy Corbyn: “that will happen”
Owen Jones: “Do you think the next election will be a hung Parliament basically and that the balance of power will buy enough smaller parties and that will force a referendum on (PR)?
I concur with this forecast of a fragmented UK General Election result (whenever it happens) but I also harbour real fears about FPTP’s warped electoral maths providing ReformUK with a Commons majority backed by barely 30% National ballot box support – a fundamentally undemocratic outcome?
That potential disaster should be sufficient to motivate those espousing genuinely progressive sentiment to redouble their efforts to stimulate effective cross party dialogue, to both frustrate ReformUK’s electoral advance and initiate formulation of a coherent post 2028/29 General Election strategy of wide-ranging Constitutional Reform – a process of radical governance change in which citizens, NOT political parties, play the leading role?
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/so-what-is-peoples-constitutional-convention/
Spot on. The fragmentation of politics, is good politics. It just recoqnises that voters have different views on who they want to support and they should have a voting system that allows them to have their party preference count. That is good democracy.
Sorry, I hate Farage and Reform, but whilst people want to support them, their vote should count. We stop Farage and Reform by winning the argument, not scewing the voting system so their vote does not count.
However, fragmentation while we have this voting system means that we have to act cannily and cleverly i.e progressive alliances. I have nothing in common with the new party, as a Lib Demmer, but I am glad that there is home for those on the left who want them.