Yep. Labour lost touch with what is needed to capture the enthusiasm of the electorate. After 3 terms in office this is almost unavoidable, because to change anything is feared to be disruptive.Right, but the reason people were disillusioned was because of the existing situation at the time, which is why those who voted Brexit for reasons of controlling immigration did so in the first place. They were duped, of course, but they were voting for an option which appeared to address their situation more than the alternatives.
As we’ve seen - using your Brexit example - and I’ll add to that the then-rise of UKIP - people will vote for a party who is at least pretending to listen to them.
If a party outright ignores a very large, but quiet number of people - people living ordinary lives in unglamorous places, who aren’t protesting or ranting and raving on social media - they are doomed to fail. Because these people have a vote too. And when ignored go to dangerous extremes - like Brexit, UKIP or worse.
Taking Corbyn’s campaign, and an overall complacent attitude generally starting from Brown (remember “ignorant woman”?) - it’s easy to get lazy right from the seat of power to erm, here, so whack everyone who thinks differently in the same bracket.
But disruptive technology (ideas) is how we move ahead.
However, when Call Me Dave came up with the disruptive Brexit referendum wheeze he did not expect 'leave' to win. So we moved on, and disruptive change, wot the pipple wanted, arrived.
I was vehemently remain, but predicted that leave would win. That was the way it was. I also predicted Trump would win. I then blew it all by predicting Jezza would win. Only two out of three things I never wanted coming to pass was little comfort. Johnson, in fact, was more disruptive than Jezza would ever have been, as it happens, so maybe my instincts were correct.
My point is that complacent labour under Brown and the Wallace was a bit sad, but anyone who thought that the subsequent tory misadventure saved us from fudge and mudge needs a lobotomy. Or, more likely, had one many years ago.