Will the Co-op party become the official opposition?

CLAPTON

DiggerUK wrote: »

It may come to pass, that the Coop MP's are joined by the Labour MP's, and become the opposition party in Parliament.

As the SNP have 54 MP's, there is also the possibility that they might end up as the opposition party, especially as they could grease the palms of many with a chance to sit on the opposition front bench. I have found no precedent of a coalition opposition in Parliament, but if a coalition can form a government, then what is there to prevent a coalition opposition.

The funding for the Coop MP's has been a way of sorting out a big financial problem for Labour. But as the Coop is not the financial powerhouse of yesteryear, it is not a sound basis for setting up as a major Parliamentary grouping.

Careerist Blairites will do whatever leads them to ermine, gongs and cash. That means getting elected again by a party with a lot of members throwing contributions in the hat, and union bureaucrats with money, and a similar hankering for ermine and gongs.

So I would expect that many of those PLP'ers who passed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn, to suddenly be enthused by the democratic decision of the leadership ballot, and declare their undying love for the result.

'The Cooperative Opposition' will not be headlining a newspaper near you any time soon..._

it seems that Corbyn is happy to nominate the faithful for ermine too.

DiggerUK

CLAPTON wrote: »

it seems that Corbyn is happy to nominate the faithful for ermine too.

The gift of prime ministerial patronage, is a tool of governance as old as the office of 'First Minister of the Treasury' itself.
It is also a gift of patronage that the leader of 'Her Majesties Opposition' also has to a lesser extent.
Your statement of the blithering obvious is duly noted..._

CLAPTON

DiggerUK wrote: »

The gift of prime ministerial patronage, is a tool of governance as old as the office of 'First Minister of the Treasury' itself.
It is also a gift of patronage that the leader of 'Her Majesties Opposition' also has to a lesser extent.
Your statement of the blithering obvious is duly noted..._

I misunderstood you.
I thought that like me, you would disapprove of handing out ermine.

DiggerUK

Corbyn is a die hard 'Social Democrat' not the second coming of Che Guevara.
Like all Social Democrats, his purpose is to protect capitalism, not introduce communism...._

.string.

"Cooperative" could be the basis of an attractive mindset for a political party; I remember when Labour split before and the SDP was formed, there was a very large surge of support, poll wise, for the SDP and the same could happen here; including Scotland by the way, since it's come up, where a "new beginning" of non-Tory lineage could attract a few. But we will probably never know, the timing of elections being what it is.

I doubt that the Labour Party can survive another pro-Corbyn election. Smith is less toxic in tone and demeanour, but his policies are not going to win over the public centre ground which is so crucial in winning the election that really matters which is the General Election.

I too reckon that Corbyn will win his new election but hope that, indeed, that means a new beginning is achieved, whatever the name of the new political party is called. I want an alternative to the Conservatives but it has to be one that has a foot firmly on the centre ground, not slanted irredeemably on the left of politics.