Labour is getting desperate in Gorton & Denton (where a by-election takes place in less than month), with Lucy Powell (Labour's Deputy Leader) writing to Zack Polanski to tell him the Green Party of England & Wales is being 'played' by Reform to split the Left vote.
Well, if any party is being played by Reform its more likely Labour who have shifted their policy stance in response to Reform's political declarations.
h/t Observer
@ChrisMayLA6 100%. As far as I can see Reform’s target voter is the disillusioned labour voter who finds that labour has become Tory and refuses to vote labour again. They have a pathological hatred of tories so they vote Reform.
It is indeed a shame because their natural home would probably be the Greens.
@ChrisMayLA6
Given Labour's repellent cosplaying of Reform in an effort to woo voters that would prefer a poison pill to voting Labour one really has to wonder who's been being played this past couple of years. It sounds like Labour's soiling its underwear at the realisation that the Greens have become a consolidating point for all the disaffected voters that used to be Labour's natural constituency. Turns out the party can't piss on its chips and eat them too.
Yup, exactly my assessment too....
@ChrisMayLA6 yes. Labour seem very much as if they're trotting along at reforms heels don't they. As do the tories
@ChrisMayLA6 does any sane person still consider Labour as a left leaning worker friendly party? Most of our acquaintances have decided green over Labour already
@ChrisMayLA6
Labour are practically Thacherite. Didn't win last election; it was simply the Tories lost. Should have reversed toxic Tory policies in 1st week.
Relatives in UK are not happy.
@ChrisMayLA6 The only reason I can think of for Labour writing that letter is that they have decided that Reform are going to win and have decided to blame the Greens before the Greens can blame Labour.
yes, which is in itself depressing...
@ChrisMayLA6 Translation; we're shitting ourselves about the possibility of losing our deposit, and we don't like tactical voting if it goes against us.
@ChrisMayLA6 the Greens are not being played. Greens have come quick oout of the blocks and have the momentum. It's labour who risk splitting the progressive vote. If they had any shame about their awful track record since 2024, they would stand down in G&D and spend time developing a better overall political strategy. Which should include scrapping FPTP.
Yup, I'd agree with that
So if Starmer goes is Lucy Powell the prime minister?
at least until there is a formal leadership contest.... or, actually, no more likely David Lammy as Deputy PM, until the leadership contest
Tactical voting within the first past the post system has never been clearer.
If they don't 'lend' their vote to the most likely winner (I don't know who that is, but my guess is Labour) they will pay the price locally, but we can all learn from it nationally.
@HRCH @ChrisMayLA6 If the betting odds are anything to go by, the most likely winner is the Green Party.
The anti-Reform tactical voting choice seems pretty clear: Labour supporters need to lend their votes to the Greens to stop a Reform win.
Or to Reform to stop a Green win, really. Depends on their preferences, which is not so obvious given the current direction of Labour.
The problem with tactical voting & the Labour Party, they always want people to give them their vote, but never seem willing for the tactical voting to flow in the other direction - then you get Powell's splitting remark
The Workers Party pulled out for this exact reason, since they had a reasonable vote share in the area.
If Labour were the serious grown-ups they claim to be, they'd look at the data showing Greens on the rise and them plummeting, and do the honourable thing.
But they won't (although I'd be happy to be proved wrong)
I'd be champagne-popping ecstatic to be proved wrong.
@ChrisMayLA6 @HRCH Ah, looking inside from the outside, the problem with Labour and tactical voting is more their behaviour?
They might consider in the future, perhaps, a tactical voting deal with the Tories and REFORM?
@ChrisMayLA6
Claiming someone else is splitting the vote is very much a Labour 'look over there's.
@ChrisMayLA6 Will Labour and the Tories lose their deposits?
Watch this space.
@wood5y @ChrisMayLA6 Is it wrong of me to wish for that?
Not at all - its a good democratic message.. which may or may not be heeded
@ChrisMayLA6 Also.....
She used to describe herself on her website and flyers as a Moss Side lass.
She was born and lives in Didsbury. It's where the posh rich folk live.
She's just another sack of lying manipulative careerist shit.
In my opinion most of them need to go.
I'm seeing a theme.... like a lot of us you've clearly lost patience with the Labour Party - the problem is that Labour don't seem o ave really appreciate how this has undermined their 'normal' support
@ChrisMayLA6 Reply: "Dear Lucy... You may have a point. So please don't field a candidate, and tell your people to vote Green. Problem solved!"
@ChrisMayLA6 It’s cute that anyone still in Labour thinks of it as “Left”. Starmer would have expelled them if they were “Left”.
@ChrisMayLA6
Maybe some Labour MPs should stop being played by Reform and move to the Green Party instead. They are, after all, the ones in government, the ones with the actual responsibility to lead, a responsibility they are failing in carrying out by continuing to support by consent the many draconian policies and stances that the regime has enacted.
@ChrisMayLA6 Sheer entitled arrogance, as usual.
@ChrisMayLA6 Maybe the next Labour leader after Keir will be a bit more friendly to the Green Party, as they might be having to form a coalition with them after the next general election 🙂
@ChrisMayLA6
I'm puzzled. Which other party of the "Left" might she be worried about?
@ChrisMayLA6 she might be right IF labour were a left wing party....
