One thing we’ve learnt is the opinion of the general public ultimately counts for more than opinion of the Labour membership. Before the vote there’ll be polls showing who the public prefers and who it mistrusts. To disregard them will be the most unforgivable self-indulgence.
We can’t keep pretending the general public is a mirror of Labour membership or that because Labour membership is enthusiastic about someone the general public will feel the same way. The Tories only won when they learnt that lesson. Labour will keep losing till it does the same.
In 2001 Tories had choice of centrist, pragmatic Ken Clarke and swivel-eyed dogmatist Iain Duncan Smith. They chose man Labour wanted.
In 2005 they had choice between hardliner David Davis and ostensibly moderate, modernising David Cameron, and chose the man the country wanted.
In 2005 they had choice between hardliner David Davis and ostensibly moderate, modernising David Cameron, and chose the man the country wanted.
That’s not to make any kind of substantive comparison between Jeremy Corbyn and the gruesome IDS. It’s simply to point out that the Conservative membership chose ideological purity over popular appeal and paid the electoral price, and didn’t do it again the next time.
