Gransnet forums

Chat

Why Labour is haemorrhaging

(88 Posts)
thatbags Wed 06-Jul-16 19:09:40

Insightful article from Quillette. Comments interesting too.

An extract:
"In Britain, the task is to marry metropolitan modernity with English small-c conservative culture, and to fuse them into a common sense of national purpose. This would mean acknowledging and incorporating all the things both London and Brussels elites have dismissed as anachronisms: tradition, a respect for settled ways of life, a sense of place and belonging, a desire for home and rootedness, the continuity of relationships at work and in one’s neighbourhood."

trisher Thu 07-Jul-16 09:08:15

There has always been a section of the "poor", "working class" call them what you will, who have held right wing, conservative (with a small 'c')views (remember Alf Garnett?). They have never played any part in the Labour party, indeed in many cases there was open conflict between them and Labour supporters. Nothing in that article persuades me that the Labour party needs to appeal to these sort of people, indeed it should be opposing the sort of language and invective being used now against immigrants and foreigners.

thatbags Thu 07-Jul-16 10:02:15

What about those thongs that article claims that the London and Brussels elite have dismissed as anachronisms, trisher? Are they bad values too? They are what the article was really about. It was not about prejudices and invective against foreigners. If it had been I'm sure it would have condemned those as roundly as you have.

thatbags Thu 07-Jul-16 10:02:28

things!

DaphneBroon Thu 07-Jul-16 10:09:31

You are one of those posters, DaphneBroon, I was right

Help ma boab , that's me tellt! sad

obieone Thu 07-Jul-16 10:41:51

I hadn't realised until a few days ago, that gransnet too has many Labour elite[exceptions may be Anniebach and Eloethan, and Tegan.].

There is now an obvious split and the link in the op describes the situation very well.

DaphneBroon Thu 07-Jul-16 10:45:31

Tell us more!! Who are these labour elite?? Why are they splitting and why are there too many?

trisher Thu 07-Jul-16 11:10:42

How would I know what the London and Brussels elite have condemned? I have never heard anyone from the Labour party condemn such things indeed most of the people I know who are linked to the Labour party are also active in local organisations, supporting and preserving the very things they are supposed to be destroying, running foodbanks, women's support groups and youth groups. It's easy to say something producing real evidence for it is different.

Anniebach Thu 07-Jul-16 11:30:26

labour elite? Who on earth are they

obieone Thu 07-Jul-16 11:35:13

Read the link in the op. Says it all.

thatbags Thu 07-Jul-16 11:53:51

Your comments do suggest that you haven't read the article, trisher. There is a link in the article to a report done after the Labour vote losses in 2015.
I think the reference to the Labour Party elite is because the writer thinks Labour MPs and MEPs have lost touch with the needs and wants of traditional Labour voters. Other opinion piece writers have mentioned the same disconnect.

POGS Thu 07-Jul-16 12:05:02

Thatbags
K
Labour MP's and commentators admit this is the case.

The proof being the Labour heartlands who voted in droves to leave the EU. They did not toe the party line because the Party was felt to be lacking in understanding of the lives of the working man. It is another reason Labour votes in the last two General Elections didn't secure a Labour win.

DaphneBroon Thu 07-Jul-16 12:07:16

Why don't YOU say it though obieobe? It is easy to refer to a link, but you have given very little evidence of having read or understood its relevance.
As they say in PMQs "Answer the question!"

DaphneBroon Thu 07-Jul-16 12:08:01

Accidental gong there, obieone of course. Maybe you're hoping for one though hmm

rosesarered Thu 07-Jul-16 12:09:53

trisher the Labour voters you speak so disparagingly of ( Alf Garnett) are the very electorate that Labour needs to win any future GE.

POGS Thu 07-Jul-16 12:15:39

DaphnBroon

May I ask are you a new member? .

My reason for asking is I have a feeling you are getting very cross with Obieone on various threads and it is unusual for a new member to be so critical of another poster so quickly.

I apologise whole heartedly if you have been a member for a while, I have only noticed your User Name recently hence my asking.

DaphneBroon Thu 07-Jul-16 12:17:46

Easy to get impatient cross (?) when one is referred to as one of those posters smile

obieone Thu 07-Jul-16 13:13:23

It is easy to work out who she is POGS. The name that is missing and the one who follows me around on a regular basis.

Anniebach Thu 07-Jul-16 13:24:10

I am curious, what difference does new or not new poster make ?

trisher Thu 07-Jul-16 14:04:59

No rosesarered they are not. As I said there is a long history of right wing, conservatism in the working classes that has sometimes swung as far as fascism. Labour needs to emphasise its core values of equality, opportunity, internationalism and cooperation. These are the things it was founded and built on speaking out against right wing views has always been part of this. If it needs to pander to the Alf Garnetts it may as well cease to exist. Oh and Alf Garnett was never a labour voter staunchly Conservative!

DaphneBroon Thu 07-Jul-16 14:53:56

Anniebach clearly a probationary period must be served before one is allowed to comment on members who fail to answer when asked to explain or comment on their posts.
hmm

Anniebach Thu 07-Jul-16 15:36:21

Thank you Daphne , so really - know your place

mcem Fri 08-Jul-16 10:55:41

Yet more naive and ingenuous posts/questions made the identity of one recent name-changer obvious but I haven't sussed daphne.

Anniebach Fri 08-Jul-16 11:30:11

Surely it's wrong to suss out posters ? Are we not equal with the right to leave and come back, come as a new poster , choose our user names, change our user names ?

thatbags Fri 08-Jul-16 11:42:29

Why is it wrong? Especially if it's easy so it just becomes clear rather than being sussed by deliberate effort.

Anniebach Fri 08-Jul-16 12:15:34

Why the need too thatbags?