http://www.tmponline.org/2007/06/09/getting-left-behind/ The online political magazine and forum Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:39:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://www.tmponline.org/2007/06/09/getting-left-behind/#comment-54 B4L Sat, 09 Jun 2007 23:37:06 +0000 http://www.tmponline.org/?p=102#comment-54 The short answer is that both the stereotypical groups may be mistaken over what policies are for the best. While it's idiocy to castigate "lurches to the left" per se, it may be that the most likely kind of "lurches to the left" would be damaging. Our politics moves so slowly that some can only think in terms of unilateral disarmament (which was only very briefly - if at all - a past commitment), higher taxes, higher public sector wages, etc. Intellectually, left-wing ideas have moved on a great deal, it's our politicians and members who are stuck in the past and who have therefore been unable to put up a credible challenge to, what we'll call for simplicity's sake, 'New Labour'. The short answer is that both the stereotypical groups may be mistaken over what policies are for the best. While it’s idiocy to castigate “lurches to the left” per se, it may be that the most likely kind of “lurches to the left” would be damaging. Our politics moves so slowly that some can only think in terms of unilateral disarmament (which was only very briefly - if at all - a past commitment), higher taxes, higher public sector wages, etc. Intellectually, left-wing ideas have moved on a great deal, it’s our politicians and members who are stuck in the past and who have therefore been unable to put up a credible challenge to, what we’ll call for simplicity’s sake, ‘New Labour’.

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