Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Vasily Egorov
[REGNUM] The British political system is undergoing profound changes. This thesis is most confirmed by the current preferences of the population, which have changed the party landscape and the long-established system.
It's hard to believe that not long ago, in the 2017 election, Labour and the Conservatives together won more than 80% of all votes. Today, these once systemically important parties together claim only 35-40%.
There are many reasons for this decline. But first of all, they are rooted in the fact that real alternatives have emerged in every political field.
The right flank is now dominated by Nigel Farage and his Reform Party. The left flank is more complicated: too many forces are laying claim to a similar electorate. And yet, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has decided to create a new party.
In different countries there is a phenomenon of socialists who continue to fight "for everything good", and a core of supporters is formed around them. In the US it is Bernie Sanders, in France it is Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and in Great Britain it is Corbyn.
He has been a lifelong Labourite, and has always been on the left of the party. The left had gone through the difficult times of Tony Blair's premiership, when it was relegated to the farthest reaches of parliament. Its golden age came in 2015, when Corbyn became Labour leader after an internal primary.
But the happiness did not last long. From the very beginning, the party apparatus worked against him, perceiving the old leftist as the main threat. Many feared that the party would face huge purges, but in the end, Corbyn's moderate faction outplayed him. The veteran of British politics resigned after the disastrous 2019 elections.
Then came more difficult years for him: the current Prime Minister Keir Starmer expelled him from the party. Moreover, in the 2024 elections, Labour nominated another candidate in his home London constituency.
However, Corbyn's rating there is much higher than in the country as a whole: the politician was defeated, and in the renewed parliament he began to form an alliance, which in many ways led to the creation of a new party.
These are independent Muslim candidates who have won seats in constituencies that have been held by Labour for decades. They have banded together to form a group of independent MPs with predictable demands.
The new faces of British politics came out in support of Palestine, and also against any cuts to the "social" budget items. Later, Zara Sultana, who was elected from the Labour Party and had long been in conflict with the party's leadership, joined this party . If we continue the comparisons, we can find her similar to the overseas Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Finally, in July, the party was officially announced. More than half a million people signed up for the new project's newsletter in two weeks.
The party focuses primarily on left-wing youth, who are sharply opposed to the current policies of the Labour Party.
Too many people think that Starmer is a Blair clone, but without the charisma.
| Nahhhh. He’s closer to a smooth Corbyn clone, it seems to me, getting to the same place for political expediency instead of driven there by hate. |
In addition, many on the left are unhappy with the attempts of the prime minister and his team to bite off part of the electorate from the Reform Party and tighten the immigration laws. We should not discount the Muslim street either – this disciplined electorate used to traditionally vote for Labour, but is now ready to join the new force.
According to the latest polls, Corbyn's party could well claim 10-15% of the vote. And the traditional electoral system of Great Britain will help it in this. The party will focus on the electorate, which is concentrated in university cities, as well as cities where a large number of ethnic minorities live.
However, the new political force will have to solve a considerable number of problems. First of all, the issues of competition with the Greens, who are also trying to squeeze the Laborites from the left flank. It is quite possible that a forced tactical alliance of the two parties will be formed.
Within such a motley coalition, there are also contradictions: the Muslim electorate and progressive British youth differ too much in their attitudes towards social issues. In this regard, the content of their future program on topics such as abortion, school education and the like is of great interest.
The one person you definitely don't envy in this story is Keir Starmer. As soon as he tries to take over the Reform Party's agenda, the left flank will start to sag. And vice versa.
Moreover, the emergence of a left-wing party is forcing the prime minister to take steps that were impossible just a few months ago. Among them is the promise to recognize Palestine as an independent state by the end of August. And there’s more to come! Now Starmer’s main task is to retain at least some of the electorate for the big local elections next year.
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