Morgan McSweeney is a fascinating man, writes Tim Stanley. Born in Ireland, he was involved in local government fights against the BNP and the far-Left. He opposed Corbyn but also rejected Blairism as elitist. Blue Labour is more his style.
Under the stewardship of McSweeney and Pat McFadden, Labour has become a class-conscious party that wishes to be seen as understanding and acting upon real-world concerns – even if it contradicts the liberal instincts of Keir’s London circle.
Having dumped the Rwanda policy, for example, Labour has to prove this doesn’t mean it is wet on immigration – which means beefing up border enforcement. Boat numbers must fall.
Put crudely, new New Labour will talk like Justin Welby but govern like Nigel Farage. This is the opposite of the Tories, who frequently spouted Right-wing platitudes – reduce immigration, lower taxes – while acting like the Left.
There are obvious problems. One is that such a large parliamentary majority will contain a wide range of opinions: landslides breed dissent. The 2001 parliament, under Blair and during Iraq, was one of the most rebellious in modern history, with Labour MPs voting against the government 21 per cent of the time.
Tim Stanley’s thoughts (from July): Labour has become a class-conscious party
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