Labour could well be kicked into the permanent position the Liberal party has spent the past century in. Perhaps in a decade—as they will be competing for the same voters—we will be talking of the Lib-Dem-Lab Party, never to rise above third place again.
For all that has been written about two-bloc politics, there was clearly a lot of movement between blocs in the months immediately after the generally election, as a ten-point lead for the left bloc rapidly dwindled to nothing.
I do think the two-bloc thesis is an oversimplification. Furthermore, since it's mostly progressives that have put forward this idea, it also smells a bit of wishful thinking; if you want the government to lean further to the left, and also get re-elected, then the two-bloc model is a thesis which, if true, means you don't have to trade those two things off against each other.
Yes, agree (as per the previous post I linked to).
Over short periods of time and in any given election, bloc politics is a thing, but over the 2-3 year time horizon parties should be looking to grow their blocs.
Tto is overendowed with 't's.
Love the allusion in footnote 4
Fixed - and thank you!
I loved footnote 6 so much!
Labour could well be kicked into the permanent position the Liberal party has spent the past century in. Perhaps in a decade—as they will be competing for the same voters—we will be talking of the Lib-Dem-Lab Party, never to rise above third place again.
For all that has been written about two-bloc politics, there was clearly a lot of movement between blocs in the months immediately after the generally election, as a ten-point lead for the left bloc rapidly dwindled to nothing.
I do think the two-bloc thesis is an oversimplification. Furthermore, since it's mostly progressives that have put forward this idea, it also smells a bit of wishful thinking; if you want the government to lean further to the left, and also get re-elected, then the two-bloc model is a thesis which, if true, means you don't have to trade those two things off against each other.
Yes, agree (as per the previous post I linked to).
Over short periods of time and in any given election, bloc politics is a thing, but over the 2-3 year time horizon parties should be looking to grow their blocs.