The Independent Group

[aguero93:20]

I wouldn't say anything is inevitable, but as I say, I remain sceptical. It doesn't mean I won't be wrong, but it does mean that my view is that youre being over-optimistic on their behalf. Only time will tell though.

I don't know about optimistic, but I do think if anything like this is ever going to succeed in the UK political sphere under the FPTP system, the time is now or never, with Brexit creating splits that don't correspond to party lines, the Lib Dems as weak as they've ever been creating a gap and Momentum and the ERG doing everything they can to alienate the centre vote from the Labour and Tory parties, both of whom have extremely unpopular leaderships.
There usually isn't a vacuum for this, party lines are normally very clearly drawn on every major issue and the one time I can remember that either party hadn't successfully colonised the centre vote, the Lib Dems had done it, who followed up by being a weak and ineffective vassal party to a very right wing austerity Tory government.

 

[Henkeman]

I don't know about optimistic, but I do think if anything like this is ever going to succeed in the UK political sphere under the FPTP system, the time is now or never, with Brexit creating splits that don't correspond to party lines, the Lib Dems as weak as they've ever been creating a gap and Momentum and the ERG doing everything they can to alienate the centre vote from the Labour and Tory parties, both of whom have extremely unpopular leaderships.
There usually isn't a vacuum for this, party lines are normally very clearly drawn on every major issue and the one time I can remember that either party hadn't successfully colonised the centre vote, the Lib Dems had done it, who followed up by being a weak and ineffective vassal party to a very right wing austerity Tory government.

The trouble is that they can't paint themselves as the rational centre when all of them are hellbent on stopping Brexit by any means possible. It's not a popular position to take, and why I think they've been strategically foolish to go down this route. They can be painted as unreasonable extremists, and it'll obscure their wider views and (ultimately) policies.

 

[aguero93:20]

I don't believe identifying with an specific party is unreasonable or immature, quite the opposite tbh and quite natural.

I think it is. Even if you're on one side or other of the spectrum, you should be voting for policies and not parties. They're not football teams. Voting for parties gives you the inevitable eventual option of choosing between a kick in the bollocks or a kick in the teeth, when incompetence from a party fails to lose it votes.

 

[aguero93:20]

The trouble is that they can't paint themselves as the rational centre when all of them are hellbent on stopping Brexit by any means possible. It's not a popular position to take, and why I think they've been strategically foolish to go down this route. They can be painted as unreasonable extremists, and it'll obscure their wider views and (ultimately) policies.

We'll see. It'll depend on where the remain voters are on the spectrum, which none of us really know.

 

[Ban-jani]

Blair was voted in because he was the 1st real option against a utterly dreadful tory government awash with scandal and incompetance.
Adolf himself would have voted for Blair in that election lol.
I don't believe identifying with an specific party is unreasonable or immature, quite the opposite tbh and quite natural.

He won 3 majorities with incredibly high wins.

The prior and following governments to Blair were reasonably Centrist as well.

 

[Henkeman]

We'll see. It'll depend on where the remain voters are on the spectrum, which none of us really know.

Sure, it's an unknown largely. I am being careful to say I'm sceptical, not that you or anyone else is wrong.

 

[Armchair Supporter]

He won 3 majorities with incredibly high wins.

The prior and following governments to Blair were reasonably Centrist as well.

The 1st win was a protest vote regardless of your opinion. I was there. It was quite the event.
He won 2 and 3 because:
A) He is a good politician (regardless of war criminal blah blah blah)
B) The tories continued to be useless.
C) Times were good and centrist policies were tolerated.

 

[BobKowalski]

I don't know about optimistic, but I do think if anything like this is ever going to succeed in the UK political sphere under the FPTP system, the time is now or never, with Brexit creating splits that don't correspond to party lines, the Lib Dems as weak as they've ever been creating a gap and Momentum and the ERG doing everything they can to alienate the centre vote from the Labour and Tory parties, both of whom have extremely unpopular leaderships.
There usually isn't a vacuum for this, party lines are normally very clearly drawn on every major issue and the one time I can remember that either party hadn't successfully colonised the centre vote, the Lib Dems had done it, who followed up by being a weak and ineffective vassal party to a very right wing austerity Tory government.

Brexit is a unique variable that has disrupted the UK political landscape. Whether it creates breathing space for a more centerist party, and one with a pro European identity, I honestly don’t know but I agree that if it is to happen then now is that time.

 

[bluethrunthru]

The logo is secondary mate, you're voting for an MP not a party. There's nothing stopping a party running two MPs in the same seat either.

a what running two MP's in the same seat?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I get that. I just personally think theyre disrespecting their consituents by not having a local election.

What about when MPs routinely vote according to their party whip and not in the best interests of their constituents? Is that disrespectful?