What about those alienated by our political system?
JVL Introduction
Perspectives on the General Election (4)
A wonderful intervention by Nesrine Malik captures perfectly the disillusionment so many feel about the political system we live under and about Labour’s strategy to win power
By trying to appear virtually indistinguishable from the Tories on difficult issues, like immigration, asylum, taxation, Gaza and more, Labour disenfranchises all those who want something different.
The messages it sends “are a recipe not just for passive alienation, but active anger” from all whose support is being taken for granted.
This has been shown in widespread public outrage over Gaza and over Diane Abbott.
Malik warns of a “galvanising clarity” across disparate groups:
They understand that the deepening of the political consensus between the Tories and Labour on all the big things that matter to them means there are fewer and fewer benefits to pinching your nose and casting your vote for a party that appears to only take and does not give. Again, dismiss their passions at your peril.”
RK
This article was originally published by the Guardian on Mon 3 Jun 2024. Read the original here.
Starmer? Sunak? Millions know they are different but still feel alienated. Ignore that at your peril
There is no point scolding people who refuse to be part of what feels like a political monoculture. Their stance is as valid as anyone else’s
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It is important to have a more ‘consumerist’ approach to politics.
If there was a product that was no good then you would give it a chance. But then, if there was no improvement, you would ditch it. That is how you have to look at political parties too.
As a lifelong Labour member, and sometime activist, I can no longer support Keir Starmer and I am now campaigning for Andrew Feinstein who is standing against him.
It’s all very well saying “their stance is as valid as anyone else’s” but when their stance is influenced by being under informed ‘low information voters’ as they are called in the US, their stance could have a detrimental effect on all of us. How many voters, for example, realise that when the leaders of the main Parties tailor their policies to suit a foreign country i.e. Israel, Britain is no longer a genuine democracy?
It does seem that the self serving, lying, crooked and corrupt Politicians in Parliament are wearing us down on purpose….Trying to get us totally apathetic, not bothered to vote, so they can keep the ‘status quo’….Their self serving, gravy train rolling into their bank accounts, and continually rip us tax payers off, and demonise those with less, and those who are elderly, those who are mentally and physically disabled….They want us to stop voting.