Could a new party of the left enter the race in Wales?
Jonathan Edwards
To say we are living in interesting political times would be an understatement. Three successive polls have suggested that our country for the first time in over a century is about to turn its back on the Labour Party. Furthermore, if these polls are correct, Labour will fall to third.
Yet, as if to confound any expectations, a fourth poll undertaken by Beaufort Research for Nation Cymru has reinstated Labour to the lead.
At UK level, a year on from a crushing General Election victory, the Labour Government seems out on its feet already.
Devoid from a clear narrative about what it wants to achieve, it has lost control of its backbenchers despite the detailed sifting of prospective candidates in advance of the election.
Such is the state of panic it is rumoured that potential challengers to Keir Starmer are already mobilising with next years elections seen as pivotal.
Hyper focus
There is going to be a hyper focus on events in Wales next year therefore, not only as it appears Reform could well win the election, but if the polls are replicated the PM could find himself in a world of trouble and the factional divides within the UK Labour party could rupture as MPs start looking at a fast approaching General Election.
Added to the mix of events was last weeks news that Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, had resigned from the Labour party and intends forming a new party with ousted former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Starmer has gone out of his way since assuming the leadership of his party to purge Labour from openly socialist MPs. It was mostly tactical so that he could portray to the country a changed Labour party narrative in advance of the last General Election.
It was also for some of his backers an opportunity to settle scores and an attempt to ensure that the left of the Labour party never won control again.
He also wanted to make a statement that dissent within the Parliamentary Labour Party would not be tolerated. The climbdown on his welfare plans indicate that this part of the strategy hasn’t quite gone to plan.
Resigned
This is the first time a Labour MP has resigned from the party to form a new party of the left – one dedicated to serve the interests of working-class people. Traditionally when Labour MPs leave it is from the right of the party.
The left of the PLP have always viewed the party as the only viable vehicle for their objectives, wary of splitting the vote and hence supported a strategy of change from within no matter how rightwards the leadership of their party drift.
Leading left MPs such as Clive Lewis, Dianne Abbot and John McDonnell have already ruled out joining the new enterprise.
However, some on the left of the political spectrum are delighted with developments. The Morning Star led with an article ‘We finally have Britain’s new left party’.
For many on the left of the wider labour movement, the actions of the current UK Government have been the final nail in their faith in the party.
Corbyn and Sultana speak for a sizeable chunk of the electorate, traditionally Labour voting, those completely disillusioned with politics as it stands.
It would therefore be foolish to underestimate what the new party could achieve in the years ahead, especially as the growth of Reform indicates the electorate have given up faith in the traditional parties.
Even if they don’t get to a position where they could win swathes of seats, the influence of their vote share on results could be critical.
Furthermore, a party standing on an unambiguous left wing platform would have a considerable impact on the framing of the political debate, especially in the age of polarising social media.
Which brings us to Wales, could the new party put up candidates at the Senedd election next year?
On the face of it the existence of a Labour party in Wales that places itself to the left of their Westminster colleagues and Plaid Cymru fills a void a new challenger party would seek to occupy.
Platform
Listening to Beth Winter the former Labour MP for the Cynon Valley on the BBC on the weekend however gave an indication of the sort of platform such a campaign could be based upon. Ms Winter has been organising valleys community assemblies with former Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood, and both must be thinking about how to react to developments.
If Winter and Wood were to make a bid for the Senedd under a common branding they could well win seats under the new Senedd voting system.
It would certainly liven matters up during the campaign as both are excellent communicators and campaigners. In doing so they would surely capture votes in spades from both Labour and Plaid Cymru.
More importantly, if they were elected, they would run the expected Plaid – Labour Government ragged by providing a challenge from the political left.
It would also provide a potential new home for disillusioned Labour and Plaid Senedd Members, and defections could become the big story of the next Senedd.
Jonathan Edwards was the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr from 2010-24
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Rather than being a straight line from left to right, we need to remember that the political world is not a flat earth, but a globe where both extremes disappear round the back to meet up in a darkness of totalitarianism politics. Considering how far left Labour and Plaid are in Cymru, a more extreme party would be so far round the back that they’d meet up with Farage circumnavigating the other way. So maybe a Corbyn – Farage pact, similar to the Molotov – Ribbentrop Pact where communists and fascists met up to carve up Poland and start another… Read more »
You write a truth that most commenters on here don’t want to confront –
Rather than being a straight line from left to right, we need to remember that the political world is not a flat earth, but a globe where both extremes disappear round the back to meet up in a darkness of totalitarianism politics.
Fascists of the left are not one bit nicer or more palatable than those of the right.
Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/ FASH-iz-əm) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement that rose to prominence in early-20th-century Europe.[1][2][3] Fascism is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived interest of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.[3][4] Opposed to communism, democracy, liberalism, pluralism, and socialism,[5][6] fascism is at the far right of the traditional left–right spectrum.
Far right is fascism.
Far left is communism.
Both are equally dangerous and as bad as each other
Hope they are up and running by May 2026. Pinch enough votes of Labour to keep them out.
Yep and help Reform.
Far left does not work same as far right does not work for the people
Correct Dai, but 1930s Germany and 2020s Britain are very similar, where tough times make people want to believe the usual extremists propaganda that others are to blame for everything, rather than progressing with politics that should be fair for all.
And both former empires that haven’t come to terms with their new diminished status. As with Spain, perhaps a few years of fascism is unavoidable to finish the transition to imperial has-been.
Correct for the UK, with its free loading royals and vile class system in England.
Maybe not Germany, a republic who have the 3rd highest GDP in the world, amongst countries with much larger populations.
The comparison was with 1930s Germany.
And yet you tow the party line of the so called present centerist government.
It’s ‘toe’ the line Tucker.
Firstly, the Nation.Cymru poll amounts to noting more than ‘asking around’ and is a complete irrelevance. If people now want nothing to do with the Starmerist left, where on earth does anyone get the idea that they’d be drawn to the preposterous fossil that is Jeremy Corbyn, and Sultana – who’s possibly the most ridiculous person in politics? It’s over folks: nobody wants to live under a commie political system
‘Starmerist left’? What’s that?!
Middle managerial ‘clipboard’ socialism. A woman isn’t a woman unless the paperwork says so…that sort of thing.
In my younger days I spent twenty-five years in active local politics – ten of them in a local authority area in which Labour had been absolutely dominant, in local government and in terms of members elected to Westminster, for decades and where there’d been a strong ‘hard left’ bias among local councillors. By the time that I was living in that local authority the hard left influence had diminished somewhat, but it was still around within their party. And I can say without any equivocation that Labourites of that political complexion – who’d unequivocally claim to be socialists –… Read more »
Oh look its adrain showing his polical illiteracy by thinking Starmer is left wing.
Do some reading: focus on Starmer’s early adulthood. I’m sure there are web sites with lots of pictures.
Er Leanne Wood’s former leadership campaign manager (jonathan edwards) should know there is no way she would leave plaid cymru for a brit left project led by people who have zero interest in Wales and who are ideologically opposed to both Welsh and scottish indy.
We already have a party of the left, its called Plaid Cymru.
Good point, and with a bit of strategic working we need to see off Reform and the carpetbaggers.
not Sure whether the author is suggesting that beth winter and Leanne wood should join this party? If that’s the case, it would be incredibly naive of them. Unfortunately, this party is likely to attract a minority of voters and candidates who will seem repulsive to the average citizen. Some of these figures openly sympathise with regimes like Iran, despite those entities holding deeply illiberal views on democracy and sexual orientation. i can’t help but feel parties such as plaid and the SNP in Scotland hold progressive viewpoints that are often credible and supportive of an agenda of economic justice.… Read more »
Hi P, how’s Labour central office today?
Does this party actually exist or is it only a press release?
presumably it’s not a Limited Company?
Corbyn was a great campaigner but a terrible leader, unwilling to face the complexities of government. A moral crusader unsuited to making difficult choices. He might peel off some votes from Labour enough to let Reform have a few wins.
If I was a foreign actor looking to stoke division in the UK, this party would be a great vehicle to do this by
If I was a hostile state, I’d be looking Right not Left, like the US, much more traction there.
10 years ago, that would be correct. For the past 2 years, places like Iran and Russia have focused misinformation and social media in support of the hard left across Europe. They’re always looking for the softest target
Because they have them right right where they want them.
The UK like to do a lot of that too. They did so in the indyref and Brexit vote. Using the 77th Brigade of the British Army.
The Russian used the leave campaign to sow division and usually back and fund right wing misinformation.
Your obsessed with the hard left. Who this party certainly wouldn’t be. At best they’ll be left wing alternative to vote instead of the increasingly right wing Nu New Labour 0.2.
A new Student Protest Party (SPP) would transform democracy by giving those on the left who can’t deal with the unpleasant compromises of government a new home. They could even enter a future coalition with the Tories so they can resume their anti-Tory campaigning that’s sadly on hold, and they do miss it so.
Unpleasant compromise of government? What like attacking the sick and disabled? Or children with special needs? Or supporting and arming an apartheid state and helping in genocide?
Those sort of compromise?
Your plan to double their support, bankrupt the UK state (which depends on the willingness of the markets to buy bonds just to pay the bills) and get the IMF to make all the difficult choices instead in return for a Greek style bailout, isn’t a bad one. They’d force the UK to rejoin the single market and stop state.pensions being paid to millionaires for a start.
Well I do hope in future nobody in your family falls ill or is born disabled
I see you are making things up. Where have I said anything of that you claim. We already borrow trillions due to the austerity of the past 15 years, of irresponsible fiscal rules by both the tories and blue Labour coupled with brexit inflicting economic suicide on the UK. Or are you incapable of checking facts before posting?
I take you hope us disabled all die off. So the UK keeps fiscally active.
I just hope nobody in your family develops a serious health issues or becomes disabled. As you’d like them refused money to help them live.
I’m sure you know how we borrow money so I’m baffled you think we can ignore the views of those lending it. If they think they won’t get it back because the UK might lose control of the finances they won’t lend it and the UK won’t be able to pay its bills. This is exactly what happened to Liz Truss who committed to huge borrowing without knowing how it’ll be repaid. The lenders ran a mile. But we could fix this in a jiffy by cutting the largest benefits bill of all – state pension benefits. Don’t pay it… Read more »
If you think the benefits bill would crash the UK economy you’re dafter than I thought.
The current benefits bill is so high because of in work benefits. Maybe of the UK government forced companies to pay decent wages and with enough hours to support living costs. Then maybe it could be considerably reduced. Or introduced rent controls. Unfortunately most MPs are landlords and non executive directors of these companies. So regularly vote protections for their business dealings and in reviews to rental laws.
Splitting off from Labour won’t effect change within the Party. It’s significant that John McDonnell is staying, always a more interesting politician with some actual concrete ideas. Like Tony Benn before him, he hasn’t gone off in a huff.