Simon BrookeI wonder to what extent oil industry dark money lobbying is behind the "#ULEZ cost #Labour the #UxbridgeByElection" narrative?
@jackLondon fair. But Labour caved in to this narrative much too easily. Why? Who put what pressure on them to do so?
I mean, you might say that this Labour leadership is so craven and unprincipled that they can be blown off course by the gentlest of breaths; and I'd agree with you. But who breathed?
We need #SignpostsNotWeathercocks .
Tony Benn Talks Signposts & Weathercocks
Loukas (They/Them) 🏳️⚧️@jackLondon @simon_brooke Yes, o think you're exactly right. This is just the labour strategy of hugging the Conservative agenda closely, to make sure the Tories can't create a new wedge issue that will mobilise the gammons. See also their dumping of trans rights. There's probably lobbyists involved in all these cases, but at root this is just the old Blairist policy of triangulation at work.
jackLondonDon't knock it - it works. Which is more than you can say for #labour tactics from 2010 to now.
@jackLondon @Loukas It works in exactly the same way that jumping out of an aeroplane without a parachute works. You do get to the ground quicker.
@simon_brooke @jackLondon I mean, it 'works' in that it gives Labour a better chance of forming the next government with a bigger majority.
But personally I care more about cutting emissions and protecting trans people as an end in itself, so I'd rather political parties pushed harder to shift the overton window, rather than do the most elegant job possible of fitting into the existing window.
@Loukas No, it doesn't. Far more voters in Britain really care very strongly about the #ClimateEmergency than are annoyed about #ULEZ. Far more voters in Britain are sympathetic to #Trans rights than are hostile.
The thing is that while #Labour are desperately trying to jump through the #OvertonWindow, the #Tories are rapidly moving it to the right.