by George Kendall

On most issues, I agree with social democrats and I disagree with the hard left who now control the Labour party. But not on all.

Paul Wheeler recently warned of Tory moves to entrench their political position by manipulating the political system. He called it “boiling a frog”, a great analogy. The Tories are indeed putting party interest before democracy.

But are Labour moderates much better?

At the last election, the two largest parties received 82% of the vote. If they genuinely represent the preferences of all but 18% of the electorate, that might justify a political system that stops new choices emerging. However, this is clearly not true.

In 2015, the two big parties received only 67%; in 2010 it was only 60%; and many who currently vote Labour or Conservative do so for tactical reasons. This is easy to confirm. Just go on social media and suggest to someone who opposes Brexit that they vote Lib Dem or Green. You will almost certainly be told that would “let the Tories in”, and that the only way to beat the Tories is to vote Labour.

Squeezing the third party vote has been a long-standing feature of British politics. Occasionally, if a third party builds up a bandwagon, they can use it against the Conservatives or Labour. Most of the famous Lib Dem by-election victories were built on persuading supporters of one party to vote tactically, to get the other party out. However, when it matters, in general elections, the squeeze favours the big two.

With the hard left takeover of the Labour party, some moderates must now be thinking the unthinkable, that if they are deselected by Labour, their only hope of staying in Westminster would be to stand as an independent or for another party. Yet they know that the electoral system would then crucify them in a general election.

Even if Labour moderates plan to retire from politics, surely, in their dark night of the soul, they must fear what legacy they are leaving the next generation. Imagine if the country is faced with the choice of a hard right Tory party or a hard left Labour party. Under the present system, the chances of future moderates putting up a viable alternative are bleak. If the extremists take over, I fear the damage to both the economy and the social fabric of our country. Don’t they share that fear?

In the last two years, I’ve made a big effort to get to know moderates in the Labour party. Broadly, I like them, but this one big issue frustrates me. When they had the chance to change our electoral system, far too many resolutely opposed it.

I have no doubt that, if Labour one day splits, most moderates currently in Labour will support reform. How I wish they had the consistency to support electoral reform now, rather than only when it’s in their interests, yet when they lack the power to bring about change.

If they wait till later, it may be too late.

George Kendall is Chair of the Social Democrat Group – http://www.ldsdgroup.co.uk – a Liberal Democrat organisation to build links with social democrats outside the party. He writes in a personal capacity

Tags: centrism, electoral reform, George Kendall, hard left, Lib Dems, moderates, voter registration