It seems the Left could be on the way back because of Keir Starmer’s failures.

Take a gander at the following, by Owen Jones:

The formation of the Independent Alliance is the latest manifestation of the left’s refusal to die. A formal working arrangement between the purged former Labour leader and four independent MPs who stood in the vast expanse to the left of Starmerism, the new formation is now the same size in parliament as Nigel Farage’s Reform party (albeit with a fraction of the media interest). With greater coordination, they hope to increase their visibility inside and outside parliament.

Combined with the four Green MPs, this is the biggest parliamentary grouping elected on a left-of-Labour platform in British history. Already the nine parliamentarians have worked together to table early day motions on the need for public ownership of water – here, Ellie Chowns, the Green MP, led the charge – and an immediate recognition of the state of Palestine.

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In practice, the Greens and independents have much in common: from public ownership of utilities to drastic action on the climate emergency; from opposition to Israel’s genocide to workers’ rights; from tax justice to public investment. With the right amount of give and take between the two – and with leftwing Labour MPs who have had the whip withdrawn perhaps joining its ranks – an extremely influential coalition can be formed. The formation could even act as kingmaker in the event of a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party, with progressive Green and independent MPs demanding transformative social change, and a proportional electoral system that no longerconservesour ailing two-party state.

The future is full of possibility for the left. Starmer won with a share of the vote normally associated with severe defeat (33.7%), and the worst ever ratings of a successful leader of the opposition; a divided right-of-centre vote proved critical to his triumph. Now his ratings are dropping further, and a fifth of Labour voters are already dissatisfied with him. The lowest ever turnout in a democratic British election speaks to the lack of enthusiasm: Greens and independents should assiduously court those who abstained last time.

The truth is that Britain is afflicted by acute crises for which Starmerism has no answers. The new left may be fragmented, but with discipline and focus, the foundations could be laid for a historic political breakthrough.

Overoptimistic? Katie Jones on Facebook thinks not. She reckons the Independent/Green alliance could be boosted with suspended Labour MPs, and writes

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the vote [to strip most pensioners of their Winter Fuel Payment] on Tuesday. If enough Labour MPs vote to stand up for their constituents rather than toe the party line, will Starmer dare to withdraw the whip from them all?

The more authoritarian he tries to be, hopefully the more the left alliance will grow.

What do you think?

Source: Think the left is finished? Look to the Greens and Independent Alliance – and think again | Owen Jones | The Guardian

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