‘Progressive coalitions – a traditional heresy in a modern setting’

The gaggle of commentators calling for a Progressive Alliance is very much a case of traditional heresies in a modern setting. It’s an unfortunate but recurring feature of politics that when Labour support drops certain groups try to avoid thinking about how we get back popular support but rather call for a Popular Front. To pull together a disparate group of supposedly ‘progressive coalition’ parties (currently Lib Dems, Greens, Corbynistas and Welsh or Scottish Nats). 

Their basic premise is that Labour can never recover, which was the fundamental fallacy of the Jenkinsites and the SDP and which was comprehensively refuted by the 1997 landslide.  Rather than compromise with the electorate they would rather compromise with parties whose prime purpose is to replace us as the alternative to the Conservatives. Basically, the Greens came in second place in 40 constituencies, 18 of which were in London. In all but one of these seats the party was second to Labour. Green Leader Zack Polanski has boasted that he is talking to both Corbynites and possible Labour defectors. Polanski was also brutally frank  on his view of Labour “My message to Labour is very clear. We are not here to be disappointed by you. We’re here to replace you.”

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Those calling for a ‘progressive alliance’ also conveniently forget the 2010 not-so progressive Coalition of the Lib Dems with the Tories – the consequences of which are still damaging our economy and society today (BTW I still can’t work out why we are giving George Osborne such an easy time).

Furthermore, the Coalitionists ignore our century old history as an internal progressive alliance combining a wide range of opinion; trade unions and socialist societies along with some elements of liberalism. This has enabled us to present a party of government with a credible programme to secure an electoral majority and to govern. 

Indeed it is enshrined in Clause 1 of our Constitution which clarifies our purpose “to organise and maintain in Parliament and in the country a political Labour Party” and goes on to “promote the election of Labour Party representatives at all levels of the democratic process”  

Incidentally those fostering the notion of coalitions at a national level may also be putting at risk the election of many Labour councillors who face very different scenarios locally.

The alternative offered is endless and circular discussions which are so attractive to many on the far left and the chattering and pamphleteering classes, but have little appeal to the British people. 

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It is also fundamentally dishonest. Government is about policies and priorities and events, so the public need to know what the purpose, shape and personnel of an incoming government would be before they cast their vote. They also weigh up the performance of an outgoing administration to compare it to their opponents. To have 57 varieties of a misnamed ‘progressive alliance’ horse trading in a backroom somewhere is a transparent move to frustrate the clarity of those decisions. 

Furthermore it is a self indulgent attempt to avoid making hard choices and tough decisions which has been the besetting problem of the British state in recent decades and the root cause of public disillusionment with politics. It is avoiding the requirement to create an election winning majority and the essential prerequisite which is to include and appeal to those in the centre. Indeed our past history tells us that when we broaden our appeal we win – often big time. 

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When we neglect these lessons and follow the vacuous hard left approach of “no compromise with the electorate”, coupled with ignoring the realities facing our country, we crash and burn. That is why Social Democracy is not only the morally correct approach for Labour, it is the only electorally credible path. Any other approach is doomed to failure; is an existential threat to our great party; and is a betrayal not only of our proud past but also of our elected representatives at all levels and of the genuine progressive future we can offer our country.

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