The Lib Dems ran an old-fashioned West Country Liberal campaign in 2010, and not without success: the rural Radicalism of class as it expresses itself in agricultural communities, of chapel versus church, and all the rest of it. Not without success. Yet within a week, they found themselves in coalition with the Conservatives. For whom does that obviously still numerous body of opinion vote now?
And what of the rural Radicalism of the North of Scotland, a very similar affair? If the Crofters' Party had lasted another 10 years, then it would have been an integral part of the emergence of the Labour Movement, rather than being subsumed into the Liberals and then caught up in their decline after the First World War.
If Labour cannot clear up after this - in the West Country, there is no either viable option at all - then yet another item will have been added to the ledger headed "Reasons to forget about the Labour Party and start again".
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God, I wish that you were in the Shadow Cabinet and on the NEC. There are people younger than you in it, and they are so bloody Lahdahn with no understanding of the other country called Britain. You would be a wonderful Deputy Leader.
ReplyDeleteMany moons ago, we tried to get you nominated for the NEC but Hilary Armstrong and her mafia thought it was a joke and would not even consider it. They were completely incapable of taking it seriously. You should be 10 years in or more by now. You really would be in the shadow cabinet, you are easily good enough and reach exactly the people the party needs to and the leader wants to. That woman and her unelectable monkey can burn in hell.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by West Country? Labour has struggled in rural constituencies in recent decades and will be coming from really far behind, though I agree there is an opening. And a few seats there remained Conservative-Liberal contests even in the 50s and 60s.
ReplyDeleteThe historic counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. The ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, Devon and Cornwall. Mr. Lindsay is right, the Tory-Liberal battle here died with the creation of the Coalition. Everything would be up for grabs if anybody could be bothered to try and grab it.
ReplyDeleteBetween eight and 12 years ago, the Lanchester Labour party deprived the national party of its future leader whose time would have come in the next five to 10 years and who would have put them in government for a generation or more. I hope they are very proud of themselves.
ReplyDeleteJames Scott and Lucy Walter in reply to a post with this title and this content. Your readers are obviously as learned as you, Mr L. Almost, anyway.
ReplyDeletePerhaps those really are their names? And perhaps that really is yours?
ReplyDeleteA particularly mad, sad individual who attemtps to post abusive comments under various names, do wait for me to put them up before you reply to them, dear.
On topic, please.