Breakaway Labour Party.

[Titanic]

Called Garble?

This uses the 1st 3 letters of both parties names

or 'Lager' ?

 

[Leekbrookgull]

There was something similar 30-odd years ago - the infamous 'Gang of Four' (Shirley Williams, William Rodgers, David Owen and Roy Jenkins). They called it the Social Democratic Party, and elected David Owen as the first leader. They eventually merged with The Liberal Party to form The Liberal Democrats, and had David Owen and David Steele as joint leaders.

Spitting Image had a field day.

Remember that,however the SDP had Jenkins and Owen two genuine political heavyweights. I just don't see that on offer from within the current Labour ranks.

 

[Stato]

There was something similar 30-odd years ago - the infamous 'Gang of Four' (Shirley Williams, William Rodgers, David Owen and Roy Jenkins). They called it the Social Democratic Party, and elected David Owen as the first leader. They eventually merged with The Liberal Party to form The Liberal Democrats, and had David Owen and David Steele as joint leaders.

Spitting Image had a field day.

Roy Jenkins was the first leader. Owen took over after a couple of years. In alliance with the Liberals they had a poll rating above 50% in 1982, but the Falklands War turned things around for Thatcher before the 83 election. They still polled 25% but got little reward from the first past the post system.

In some ways it may be useful for the progressive parties to split, but into more regional factions which could come together in coalition. The North seems to see the current Labour Party as Londoncentric, academic, middle class and effete. It must have been difficult for the party to organise in the industrial heartlands when the common causes of those working in the large industries have gone with those large industries. Forming regionally with local leadership may allow links to communities to be rebuilt with less encumbrance of association with pilloried national figureheads. It may also allow more balanced coalition with the left leaning nationalists and the liberals in areas like Lewes where Labour won't win.

 

[The Albion Roar]

All four were previous cabinet members.

This was also in the days when MPs were - rightly or wrongly - slightly more revered.

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk

 

[glasfryn]

right wing of the tory party could go it alone and call themselves the UKIP faction
oh wait a minute

 

[Pavilionaire]

There was something similar 30-odd years ago - the infamous 'Gang of Four' (Shirley Williams, William Rodgers, David Owen and Roy Jenkins). They called it the Social Democratic Party, and elected David Owen as the first leader. They eventually merged with The Liberal Party to form The Liberal Democrats, and had David Owen and David Steele as joint leaders.

Spitting Image had a field day.

SDP had an opinion poll rating of 50% in late 1981 and it was only the Falklands War that turned that around.

I see a very similar set of circumstances now to those back then - a Labour Party with a lame duck leader perceived to be too far to the left to be electable, a centrist band of politicians that feel powerless, voters who have no coherent left of centre party to represent them and a Tory government lurching to the right and dividing society.

A new party IS the way to go, but it would have to be a merger with the Lib Dems - the SDP and Liberals found it hard to agree re joint candidates so formed the Alliance Party.

I fancy such a party would quickly have 40% of the popular vote if they got their act together.

There are three things stopping it:

1) They'll need a financial backer to bankroll it.
2) Dissaffected Labour MPs might not be willing to defect if they feel they'll be able to hang onto their seats if the Tory Party continues to be split.
3) Instinctively, such a party would look to REMAIN in Europe.

This third point could be key. If such a Party could be formed on a platform of REMAIN before Article 50 is enacted then who knows?

 

[Stumpy Tim]

With Scotland looking likely to break out of the union, I don't think Labour in their current form have any chance of getting back into power. A Social Democratic party would stand a realistic chance of winning in England.

It also feels like this is a very real opportunity for it to happen. Politics in this country is in turmoil.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I posted a rambling piece on one of the referendum threads a while back, which everyone properly ignored, suggesting a Grand Alliance formed by MPs from the Labour centre right, the Lib Dems and the pro-EU Tory left to fight the coming election. It was daft really but I've since been thinking that if the Labour Party could regroup under Umanna and Miliband D, enter a coalition with the Lib Dems and the Greens and - bonus - reach an accommodation with the SNP they could win an election against a fallen-apart Conservative Party providing their manifesto was centrist, unalarming to one nation Tories and, crucially, contained a commitment to halt the exit negotiations with the EU.

If it happened, and I understand there are heaps of practical issues, it could provide democratic legitimacy to an overturning of the referendum result and establish the Labour Party in power for a generation.

 

[alfredmizen]

With Scotland looking likely to break out of the union, I don't think Labour in their current form have any chance of getting back into power. A Social Democratic party would stand a realistic chance of winning in England.

It also feels like this is a very real opportunity for it to happen. Politics in this country is in turmoil.

Scotland won't vote for independence, fact.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Scotland won't vote for independence, fact.

Possibly, but they're also unlikely to vote Labour either!

 

[Billy the Fish]

It would be great if this was a watershed moment and we could get rid of the outdated Red team vs Blue team British politics.

Sadly I don't think it can happen without electoral reform.

 

[pb21]

I do wonder if Corbyn is trying to force the issue and kill off Labour in its current guise of the red Tories / blue Labour.

Let s face it a left/centre left progressive party will not form a government if Labour stays as it is.

 

[The Birdman]

Farage insults the EU a great help in getting a good trade deal

 

[Bob!]

Farage insults the EU a great help in getting a good trade deal

Wrong thread

 

[Seagull58]

Over the last few days we have seen bitter infighting within the Labour Party and it has been muted that there may well be a split within the party leading to a possible Labour Party Mark 2 ? However how realistic is this bearing in mind finance and organisation ?

Mooted, not muted.

 

[looney]

Rather than new parties we need a new kind of politician. PR men, lawyers, career politicians etc= professional Liars

 

[GreersElbow]

A break away group would be catastrophic for politics in this country. We already have a useless party of opposition, we would effectively be removing any opposition in any capacity. Due to the electoral system, the best opportunity we have of effective opposition is to have the useless noddy leader that is Corbyn.

 

[Beach Hut]

There was something similar 30-odd years ago - the infamous 'Gang of Four' (Shirley Williams, William Rodgers, David Owen and Roy Jenkins). They called it the Social Democratic Party, and elected David Owen as the first leader. They eventually merged with The Liberal Party to form The Liberal Democrats, and had David Owen and David Steele as joint leaders.

Spitting Image had a field day.

Those were some of the funniest sketches ever on spitting image, especially modelling David Owen on Brian Ferry and David Steele as a tame midget.

 

[ROSM]

Scotland won't vote for independence, fact.

Luckily we have no recent examples in British history of people voting on a nationalistic agenda despite the weight of economic opinion warning of economic meltdown



Oh

 

[clapham_gull]

Something I'm hoping for - a new centre party. Will I vote for them - no idea - but it really is time for a new voice.

Couldn't bring myself ever to vote for New Labour which will probably surprise a few on here who have been subject to nappy terrorism.

Why ? mmm difficult but can be described as urban smugness - really winds me up. I voted remain but I gritted my teeth when faced with their hipster fake cool Britannia ad mans wet dream.

That really why I genuinely struggle to generally vote.

Tories - nasty.
Lib Dems - Falmer - nuff said.
New Labour - Bugger off back to Islington and cook your Gnocchi.
Old Labour - Waiting For The Great Leap Forward - but what's that musty smell ? (obviously attractive to students, it's like finding a shit ironic pub that sells cheap beer)
UKIP - F@@@@ off !

What I need is something shiny and new that I can irrationally hate slightly less than the rest.