,
7 tweets,
1 min read
Read on Twitter
I know Twitter is not a representative sample of the population, but if it is any clue, Labour is in trouble right now.
This has always been the pitfall of continuing the triangulation strategy to placate Leavers and Remainers. It worked because the government was getting on very nicely with destroying itself and there was no genuine urgency. No longer.
This is a European election, which is only happening because Brexit hasn’t, and the country - Leavers, Remainers, engaged, switched off - want to know WTF is happening.
Repeating the conference message in all its clever ambiguity just isn’t going to work this time.
Labour has a chance to knock this out of the park. It’s not just about Brexit, it’s a sense the country is on its knees, overrun by chaos, saddled with a gov which has no ideas and doesn’t care, and after 11 years of austerity we need change. But first we need clarity on Brexit.
Right now it’s only appealing to its core base. Many (most?) energised Leavers will go to Farage. Many (most?) energised Remainers will go Green, LD or Change.
Labour Leavers who prioritise Brexit above all else are a minority of that group, and a tiny minority of Labour’s supporters overall. Most of them won’t even support Lab’s customs union. Why is the party prepared to sabotage the election - perhaps even itself - to placate them?
