Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

http://news.sky.com/story/parties-ha...ction-10704489

This seat could be the ultimate election problem for joker Corbyn. If he loses this year, compared to the other defeats.

I can see another leadership challenge on the cards

Re: 2017 Corbyns year for another challenge
 

With the exception to Tom Watson, all the Stiff's which currently occupy the entire front bench of the Shadow Cabinet, need to take the hint and go as well.

Re: 2017 Corbyns year for another challenge
 

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"We're right behind you" Brutus advised Caesar.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

This whole nonsense could be put to an end very swiftly if the moderates in the Labour Party elected their own leader and declared themselves as the official opposition. Unfortunately, no-one seems to have the guts to take the lead for such an initiative and so they will have nothing to do but to carry on whingeing and griping for the next five years and possibly beyond.

This bunch of wet blankets don't deserve to lead the country. Perhaps now is the time to change the nature of politics in this country. The Left/Right class divide is now outdated. We need a new focus.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

I agree. The chaos and lack of leadership qualities evident across Labour's parliamentary ranks says it all about them and their party. Unfit to govern.

I don't see why some of the right v left dogma can't be consigned to history and a credible middle ground found.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

We've done that, and it appears the centerists make the least popular leaders think of the last 6 PM's

Thacter Right - VERY popular with the right, reasonably popular with the centerists hated by the left.

Major Center right - wetfish mostly disliked by all

Blair Center left - by the end disliked by all (apart from a small group of blairite center lefts)

Brown center left - disliked by all

Camron center right - disliked by most

May right (but not quite Thacter level yet) - loved by the right, tolerated by the centerists, no real comment from the lefts.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

I was referring to an entirely new centre party. Something which hasn't been done since the days of the SDP. It would be possible but only if those involved were prepared to compromise, ditch some of the old dogma and get on with responding to the challenges of the 21st Century. Unlikely I'll agree but it could be done and it could be home for all of those who currently find themselves voting either out of habit or simply for the least worst option - something which I think a large proportion of the electorate are now reduced to doing having been so badly let down by the mainstream parties.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

And we have that with the Lib Dems, While some people (mostly the right) call them left wing they are in fact a very centerist party, not controled by unions or bankers etc and are willing to compromise (or at least there were untill they saw what that comprimise has cost them). No im not a Lib Dem myself (if anything im a soft tory) though i did vote LibDem at the last GE but only because i refuse to vote for my tory canditate due to his "within the rules" expenses claims in the past.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

Except that the Lib Dems clearly aren't credible or new and in some ways they're left of Labour but that's another debate.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

The problem with the Lib Dems is that their willingness to "compromise" is so complete that you actually have no idea what they're going to do if they get into power.

This is because they're totally sold on the European model of proportionally representative coalition politics, where manifestos are meaningless because the programme for government is decided behind closed doors, after the election, between the single largest party and as many fringe lunatics as it requires to form a working majority.

Re: Parties have everything to play for in Copeland by-election
 

I can't think of many ways they're left of Labour? Certainly not the current Labour party. They're much more liberal than Labour but that isn't hard :p:.

Well compromise is the only way they'll ever get into power. Like 2010 they'll have to compromise on some of their platform as part of getting into a coalition. I think people who vote for them can be sure of two things they'll want which is electoral reform and more liberal approach to human rights. Economically they're much more willing to concede most of that to the larger party.