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Politics are moderating in the U.K.

(217 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Thu 16-Feb-23 06:07:54

According to an article in The Economist, who suggests after a decade of populism that the U.K. suffered as bad as anywhere in the wealthy world, the pendulum is now swinging back - with Johnson and Corbyn gone and Sturgeon resigning, pragmatism in politics a quality for which the U.K. has always been known for is creeping back in.

“The U.K. is discovering the lost virtue of moderation..”

I think that we are only at the very start of this road, and have a long way to go yet, because until we finally get rid of this government, moderation will never be a concept we can use with them in power.

argymargy Thu 16-Feb-23 06:29:18

That may be so, but they’ll have to convince the electorate, who seem anything but moderate now.

Galaxy Thu 16-Feb-23 06:42:23

The electorate were very moderate in terms of Corbyn and tired of Johnson despite it being a time of national crisis so maybe the electorate is moderate. I generally think the electorate is centrist.

Oreo Thu 16-Feb-23 09:50:07

I think this is true, big dominating names in politics is over for now and hopefully for the long term.
We need them to be quietly getting on with governing.

DiamondLily Thu 16-Feb-23 09:57:50

I'm glad if it has finished.

I think the British, overall, prefer more moderate and centrist politics than all this yelling and shouting from those with extreme views.👍

With Johnson and Corbyn effectively out of the loop now, hopefully common sense will return

Whitewavemark2 Thu 16-Feb-23 10:06:48

I might add that Brexit was seen by The Economist as part of the populist extremism.

Wyllow3 Thu 16-Feb-23 10:10:48

Generally in agreement, although i would say the Conservative Party are considerably more to the right than they used to be, they are losing the middle ground atm.

Voters, that's a different matter. so many are totally disillusioned. Our local labour party are out and about door knocking to find out what people want locally and often people are grateful someone has bothered to actually ask, and will engage on local issues.
Nationally however, its a very different picture. People are fed up to the back teeth with politicians, although feel local MP is "OK enough" and this troubles me a great deal because we need participation in a democracy to make it work. there's a lot of work needing doing there.

Glorianny Thu 16-Feb-23 10:23:24

As the only extremism I've ever seen is from the right I suppose moderatism is better than nothing. Some of the policies at present in place still shock me like the Rwanda deportation policy and the inability to introduce a system that enables asylum seekers to work. Restriction on them working is still maintained in spite of much advice and requests from businesses for it to go.There's much more of course.

The idea that Corbyn was ever far left is laughable. He didn't propose or support any of the things the far left really want. He was just a bit further left than some.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 16-Feb-23 10:26:53

I think I am what is described as a centrist

I am politically homeless at the moment, I await the main parties manifesto’s with interest.

A return to gentler politics I must have slept through that parliament…

maddyone Thu 16-Feb-23 10:38:49

Me too GrannyGravy.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 16-Feb-23 10:42:08

Not gentler - but pragmatic and moderate.

Grantanow Thu 16-Feb-23 10:54:01

Let's not get lost in waffling about 'moderation' which often helps the Tories. The key thing is to have a government that introduces practical measures to improve the lot of the people of the UK, especially the cost of living, public services, the NHS, etc. Whether the measures could be described as moderate or not is irrelevant - the question is do they work.

MerylStreep Thu 16-Feb-23 10:54:37

I don’t know why but I watched Kier Starmers speech yesterday.
Ordinarily I would have switched off but there was something different there this time. I don’t know if it’s me or him. Either way, I listened.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 16-Feb-23 10:55:47

I see the ECHR has taken labour off the “ watch list” because they are satisfied that Starmer has done enough to rid the party of the anti-semitism that was so rife.

More moves to moderation

MerylStreep Thu 16-Feb-23 11:03:53

One person I do trust in the Labour Party is Rachel Reeves.
A young trader friend in the city says she passes the sniff test and he is one who couldn’t ever contemplate voting Labour, so she must have something about her.

nightowl Thu 16-Feb-23 11:10:07

Glorianny

As the only extremism I've ever seen is from the right I suppose moderatism is better than nothing. Some of the policies at present in place still shock me like the Rwanda deportation policy and the inability to introduce a system that enables asylum seekers to work. Restriction on them working is still maintained in spite of much advice and requests from businesses for it to go.There's much more of course.

The idea that Corbyn was ever far left is laughable. He didn't propose or support any of the things the far left really want. He was just a bit further left than some.

Exactly this. The right is further from moderating than it has ever been and the left is so far to the centre there is no left any more.
How anyone can believe Johnson was extreme and Sunak is moderate is beyond me. This extreme conservative government scares me and it’s by no means a foregone conclusion they won’t get in again at the next election.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 16-Feb-23 11:18:46

There is nothing moderate about the current government.

MaizieD Thu 16-Feb-23 12:15:17

^ This extreme conservative government scares me and it’s by no means a foregone conclusion they won’t get in again at the next election.^

I just cannot see that they have enough time to drag themselves back to the centre and demonstrate that they care about the issues that concern so much of the electorate at the moment.

I cannot see that the tories can unite themselves enough, either.

It will be interesting to see what is in the revised NI Protocol and how it is received by the right wing of the party. Will it be regarded as a step too close to the EU?

Ilovecheese Thu 16-Feb-23 12:24:58

I agree strongly with Glorianny and nightowl
The centre has certainly moved closer to the right. if by moderation you mean both the Government and the main opposition parties not wanting to change anything very much then yes.
There is no longer any left wing.
Both parties want more private providers in the NHS.
Both parties don't seem to have any willingness to welcome refugees.
Keir Starmer has made it very clear that anyone who would like to see a bit more social justice will not be welcome in his party. (and he does call it HIS party)

MaizieD Thu 16-Feb-23 12:25:00

The idea that Corbyn was ever far left is laughable. He didn't propose or support any of the things the far left really want. He was just a bit further left than some.

I have to agree with you on the whole, Glorianny. I didn't think that the 2019 Labour manifesto was excessively left wing. It was quite reasonable if looked at in the light of the postwar consensus on the mixed economy.

OTOH, I think that most of us knew that he was a Brexiter at heart, as has now been confirmed by Diane Abbot twitter.com/OzKaterji/status/1626026676910972931) , and I can't help wondering if his enthusiasm for that General Election, when Johnson was on the Parliamentary ropes, so to speak, was because he too, wanted Brexit Done.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 16-Feb-23 12:30:09

The left are traditionally anti- EU.

MaizieD Thu 16-Feb-23 12:33:44

Whitewavemark2

The left are traditionally anti- EU.

But 66% of Labour voters voted Remain.

Ilovecheese Thu 16-Feb-23 12:36:28

yes, I think they are rather anti EU, because it seems as if it is there to serve the interests of business rather than to improve society for the majority.
Around the time of the referendum the EU was trying to negotiate a transatlantic trade deal which the left were afraid would introduce lower welfare standards, rather like the deal that Michael Gove was interested in pursuing with Donald Trump. This led some people on the left to vote for Brexit, even though the deal was never brought about. The fear was there.

Ilovecheese Thu 16-Feb-23 12:38:03

I think the left in general wanted "remain and reform".

Urmstongran Thu 16-Feb-23 13:09:43

Gotta love how if the general public get behind something because it appeals to them, the ones who don’t like whatever it is, call their views ‘populist’! And sometimes add the word ‘extremism’ to make the point even more derogatory.
😁