Labour rightwingers could unite with discontented Conservative remainers and Lib Dems. But only hardcore Tory Brexiteers would benefit
Is a spectre haunting British politics, the spectre of a new “centrist” party? A note on terms, first, if I may: centrism is a deeply misleading term, conferring an image of moderation on a party that would combine social liberalism and anti-Brexitism with support for cuts, privatisation and a pro-corporate agenda. A Labour breakaway party has been mooted since Jeremy Corbyn became odds-on favourite to become leader, two and a half years ago, and was revived as a nuclear option after a disastrous general election showing. After Labour at the last election achieved the greatest vote surge since Clement Attlee in 1945, this rumour seemed to die a death. But flames flicker in the embers. Rumblings of discontent in Tory Remainia have revived chatter about a new political force linking together certain Labour rightwingers, the hapless Liberal Democrats and liberal Tories. It would sacrifice political careers on the altar of delusion and vanity, and it’s unclear whether a split would damage Labour or the Tories more. But it could still prove the greatest single obstacle to a Corbyn government.
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