Why Realignments Do Not Happen

The rise of Labour coincided, and more than coincided, with the completion of the franchise.

Once the franchise was complete, then it was complete. There was, from that point of view, nothing more to do.

So Labour has no cause to worry about Left Unity or whatever, which is why it doesn't.

Likewise, the Conservatives have no cause to worry about UKIP, although for some unknown reason they do.

Next year, Labour and the Conservatives will each hold or win hundreds of seats.

But the latest star vehicle on the Outer Left will not win any. Not a single, solitary one.

Nor will the latest star vehicle on the Outer Right win any. Not a single, solitary one.

There is simply nowhere from which their support on that scale might come. The rise of Labour was the end of the process.

We are now in the settled stage. We have been so for practically the whole of living memory.

And we always will be.