As Tony Blair used to say.
In the last two weeks, Labour Party membership has increased by a third, taking it to 600,000. A million members this year would no longer surprise anyone.
Albeit on a smaller scale, something similar may be said of the Lib Dems, whose increase is specifically and directly in response to the EU referendum result.
Those hoping that that result will lead to the creation of new parties should observe that it is already doing so.
There never really used to be anyone very much at all in the Labour Party. The rules about who could attend most types of its meetings were fairly tight, and even then hardly anyone who was eligible ever bothered to turn up.
That suited down to the ground the people who have tried and failed to stage the most inept coup in history.
If they did indeed proceed to constitute a separate party on that basis, then they would be welcome to it.
As to the people who ask me when I am going to re-join the Labour Party, first I have to concentrate on ensuring that 57 Labour councillors lose their seats next May.
As to the people who ask me when I am going to re-join the Labour Party, first I have to concentrate on ensuring that 57 Labour councillors lose their seats next May.
Those hoping that that result will lead to the creation of new parties should observe that it is already doing so.
ReplyDeleteIt's not already happening.
The idea was that the result would lead to the merger of the two main parties that both campaigned on the losing side.
And the creation of one that actually represents the winning side. Where's that party?
The Leave and Remain campaigns (basically the worldview of the Daily Mail vs that of the Guardian) were a far better reflection of the divisions in the country than our boring pointless General Elections.
For once, isues that actually matter, were actually debated by two sides that actually disagreed-from uncontrolled immigration to national independence itself.
No wonder the turnout was far higher than our meaningless General Elections and no wonder the majority that won were those that rejected the instructions of both the dead old parties.
The two losers should merge.
Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.
DeleteThis is what is happening. That is not.
If there is no Article 50 notification by Friday, two weeks after the referendum result, Remain is the winning side because there is never going to be one. MPs have voted to let EU citizens stay unconditionally, with only two votes against. Farage has resigned again and Ukip's only MP has practically left the party. Ukip's main donor has pulled out. Theresa May is going to be Tory Leader and PM. The huge increase in Lib Dem members means the new party created by the referendum is the one that is fanatically pro-EU as a first principle, expecting enormous gains at the next Election and designed to keep Labour and the Tories faithful to Brussels.
ReplyDeleteEven Carswell voted in favour of protecting the EU citizens in Britain. The only two votes against were the Ulster Unionists, anybody know why?
DeleteThat is a very good question. Especially since the UUP was pro-Remain.
DeleteAnon 01:03 is right-the only "new parties" are precisely the same as the old ones, fanatically europhile.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point of that?
If you want europhile parties, we already have the two main Blairite parties.
What those of us seeking to create a new party are aiming for, is to get Parliamentary representation for the majority that voted Leave, not the minority that voted Remain.
This seems to be lost on Lindsay.
Apart from the large number of Remainers joining the Lib Dems and the huge number planning to vote for them, the EU, as an issue, has nothing to do with party politics. It exists entirely outside all of that. Ask Nigel Farage, resigned in every sense. Or Dirk Hazell. If you need to, then look him up.
Delete