Could Corbyn lead to a renewal in the Liberal Democrats?
Corbyn recently took gold for the far left of the Labour Party, thanks to the support of a convincing majority of Labour members and possibly one or two mischievous Tory members urged on by a little magic dust from the Daily Telegraph. It seems that Corbyn intends to take Labour to the far left of politics leading to almost certain defeat at the general election. It’s a simple fact that parties in the centre win elections. That's just the way it is. For example, many Tories and liberals voted for Blair because he was in the centre ground and really most people want things to stay moderately the same and so tend to vote for the centrist option.
Never, since Thatcher, has a party won an election by moving further to the extremes of politics, yet this is what Corbyn and the Labour Party have done.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats continue to sit in the centre left. The party have always been cast aside because they're ‘not electable’- because of the first past the post system – and their crushing wipe-out in May certainly hasn’t helped either. The dominant logic is, you either vote for the Tories or you vote for Labour because no other party will win.
However many would argue that the election of the anti-austerity, anti-nuclear, anti-monarchy Corbyn leaves a gaping hole in the centre-left of politics. Perhaps this is the opportunity the Liberal Democrats need; perhaps they will become the new centre-left opposition in the UK.
This idea of the Liberals rising all depends on Corbyn remaining far left and losing the election in 2020 as a result and this in turn depends upon him remaining in office. Many would argue that in actual fact he’ll be lucky to last the year because he quite simply doesn't represent the MPs he's been elected to lead. In all likelihood, as demonstrated by the number of Labour MPs who defied Corbyn and abstained when asked to vote against George Osborne’s fiscal contract, the Labour party will most likely rebel and possibly fall into ruins. Whether what emerges will come from the remains of the party itself, or from the Lib Dems taking the lead, remains to be seen.
Tom Guyton-Day, Year 13. Autumn Issue 2015
Never, since Thatcher, has a party won an election by moving further to the extremes of politics, yet this is what Corbyn and the Labour Party have done.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats continue to sit in the centre left. The party have always been cast aside because they're ‘not electable’- because of the first past the post system – and their crushing wipe-out in May certainly hasn’t helped either. The dominant logic is, you either vote for the Tories or you vote for Labour because no other party will win.
However many would argue that the election of the anti-austerity, anti-nuclear, anti-monarchy Corbyn leaves a gaping hole in the centre-left of politics. Perhaps this is the opportunity the Liberal Democrats need; perhaps they will become the new centre-left opposition in the UK.
This idea of the Liberals rising all depends on Corbyn remaining far left and losing the election in 2020 as a result and this in turn depends upon him remaining in office. Many would argue that in actual fact he’ll be lucky to last the year because he quite simply doesn't represent the MPs he's been elected to lead. In all likelihood, as demonstrated by the number of Labour MPs who defied Corbyn and abstained when asked to vote against George Osborne’s fiscal contract, the Labour party will most likely rebel and possibly fall into ruins. Whether what emerges will come from the remains of the party itself, or from the Lib Dems taking the lead, remains to be seen.
Tom Guyton-Day, Year 13. Autumn Issue 2015