Labour. The way forward.

Starmer could be Wilson.

 

The Hartlepool result was 100% down to Labour's (non) stance on Brexit. The red wall falling for the same reason. If Labour had told their MP'S to vote depending on the result in their seats it might now be saving the day, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Things will be very tough in the next few years, the poor will get squeezed even more. Labour needs to go more to the left to pick up these votes, not extreme left, but balanced. We have the most right wing Government right now - there will be a reaction, and Labour needs to offer a different alternative - not Tory lite.

 

I think unless Labour come back to the left they're a spent force.

It might be true that a majority of the electorate will say they don't want socialism. However, a lot of them don't understand what certain political terms actually mean. I often promote socialist principles and have so-called 'centrists' agree enthusiastically with me, but if I dare say the 's' word - or God forbid the 'c' word, they're instantly turned off and don't want to hear more.

 

I know climate change is a massive issue. However, now Brexit is on the back pages. I think the next big issue will be manufacture and industry in the UK. Regardless of climate change I think the party that wants to get the economy moving again will prosper. People used their vote to speed up Brexit and that's the only reason the Tory's were voted in.

Labour just need to find an agenda Joe Public feels staunchly about, embrace it and they'll get the votes.

 

The public need to make a choice. They can have either manufacturing in the UK - and pay more for the privilege - or have manufacturing overseas - and pay less. For most "mass produced" manufacturing, it is not currently financially feasible to bring mass manufacturing back into the UK. Unless you are willing to pay £3-5k for your next tv or phone.

Manufacturing (except niche areas) is not what we are good at. We are good at doing things with stuff - designing, implementing, selling. Less good at working 12 straight hours on a production line doing the same repetitive tasks.

 

The Hartlepool result was 100% down to the changing demographics within the UK. Areas such as Hartlepool (and most of the Red Wall including Barnsley), have been allowed to wither away so young people with an education up sticks for university and stay in cities, while those that are left behind are generally lower-educated and older people - who are more likely to vote and vote Tory.

Cities, such as London, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool are all going more Labour as they fill and attract younger, more educated workers. Places such as Hartlepool will go more blue as these demographic shifts take affect while the cities and outlying suburbs - see parts of Oxfordshire and Kent going to Labour last week - will go red. The election map in 20 years will be quite different from the one today.

It doesn't help that in most/all working age groups, Labour are the most popular (especially with the youngest workers), while only in the retired age groups is there a Tory majority.