Oh dear… Moderates Never Learn. Returning from a vacation in Eastern Europe where politics is starting to look positively benign in comparison to the UK, I see Farage is on the rampage.
And why not; he has a simple message. The EU is bad, British politics is broken, the 52% have been betrayed. Simple, powerful messages to an electorate who is fed up: fed up of Brexit, fed up of austerity, fed up of nothing getting done, fed up of feckless politicians. The list is endless and they can fight back with Farage.
In the other camps, chaos reigns. The Tories want to ditch their leader and literally loathe each other. Their MPs, even moderate Brexiteers, are increasingly at odds with each other and their membership, some facing deselection. Labour are torn between a customs union solution, Remain and a People’s Vote. Two thirds of Labour supporters voted Remain but this is not reflected by the same proportion of constituencies. They are as split as the Tories, with moderates also facing deselection for multitudinous reasons, but can hide it somewhat as they are not in government.
But the real problem, as ever in this polarised world, lies with the centre ground. Change UK or is it The Independent Group (?), vie with the Liberal Democrats, the Greens (probably on Europe only) and what few moderates there are left in the major parties, for the votes of where most of the public lies. And they are failing.
No single message. No single message even on Europe. They hand-wring intelligently on the nuances of policy whilst the public can’t discern what on earth they stand for. An article from Chuka Umunna in yesterday’s Independent talks intelligently ‘as a pluralist who believes tribalism is overrated’ on why a single Remain party can’t be formed, why candidates from similar minded parties can’t stand aside for each other, etc etc.
They are principled and refreshing; but will lose and lose heavily. In this era of populism the public currently has no patience for cross-party, nuanced messages. Farage will triumph if the EU elections go ahead, Labour will be weakened and the Tories flattened. As for the middle ground…I am reminded of that picture of a black hole…light sucked into oblivion by the force of gravity.
The centre ground is where the country should be governed from. ‘Muscular moderatism’ should triumph. But it won’t as currently presented. We better hope these European elections don’t happen.
Inside Right Politics 