Blairites from both parties should unite... So we can defeat them for good

By: Isaac Ross (@IsaacRossUK)

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The (old) Labour Shadow Cabinet

With the political carnage of the last few weeks acting as a stark reminder that nothing is impossible, a rather interesting article popped up in The Guardian on Saturday quoting a 'cabinet minister' who claimed Tory and Labour MP's have held 'informal discussions' about establishing a new centrist political party had Andrea Leadsom emerged victorious as the new leader of the Conservative Party and Jeremy Corbyn remained as the leader of the Labour Party. Additionally, The Sunday Times reported that 20 Tory MP's would quit the party had Leadsom become the leader and indeed prime minster.

Whilst most deemed unlikely either the possibility of such a scheme coming to fruition or indeed the criteria of a Leadsom victory and Corbyn clinging on further for this to come about, this would have at last meant the coming together of Blairites from across the Commons divide.

The utter dilution of conservative values and beliefs in the so-called Conservative Party, has left genuine conservatives on the peripherals of the party, jeered at as antiquated and backward and wondering how to regain control of the now socially liberal movement. Andrea Leadsom is certainly no authentic conservative; she is more of a libertarian Thatcherite. Yet, this was deemed as apparently ample extremity for the centrist Blairite faction in the Tory Party, evoking the possible departure of some if this would have happened.

The Blairite model has been effective for the Tories. David Cameron's 'compassionate conservatism' was an appeal to all across the political spectrum. The assumption of Blairite convention has converted the Tories into a highly pragmatic and ideologically eclectic body. Much of Cameron's legacy will be his social reforming activities which succeeded in large measures. He maintained the flow of mass immigration introduced in the Blair years aimed originally at irreconcilably changing the dynamics of Britain via forwarding the multicultural, egalitarian project. It brought the Tories six years in government hitherto, if relatively unchallenged by Labour, after a lengthy and seemingly endless spell in opposition. Theresa May will only further continue this.

The Tory hijack of Blairism rendered the Labour Party utterly redundant in both previous general elections. It was blatantly apparent in the TV debates in the run up to last year’s election that Ed Miliband was anxious to portray himself and a potential future premiership as a radically different one to David Cameron's and failed emphatically to do so. They were both reading from the same hymn sheet, yet desperate to prove their distinctness.

This contributed largely to Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader. Labour required something different; to once more become an actual adversary of the Tories. Yet, Corbyn's seemingly inevitable end as Labour leader will not signal a return to New Labour. It isn't Corbyn's far-left views which have been his undoing; it has been his leadership incompetence which has prompted the Labour MP's to attempt to do away with him; something that could conceivably have been avoided had a more skilful politician, perhaps John McDonnell, been in the hot seat instead.

Yet it is time for the Blairites from the Tories and Labour to unite so that this genetically mendacious movement can be smashed down swiftly and conclusively. The Iraq War ultimately poisoned Blairism like nothing else. However, it was basic attacks on liberty and democracy such as the proposed introduction of identity cards and the seniority assigned to unelected persons such as Alastair Campbell which should have had the country seething in rage without mention of the unethical invasion of Iraq.

The Blairite contempt for democracy was exhibited once more recently when David Lammy ludicrously proposed that parliament should ignore the vote to leave the European Union. This insouciance to a democratic majority is beyond appalling although hardly surprising considering the New Labour attitude in viewing the general public as mere irritating obstacles which have to be cynically brushed away via the employment of fundamentally dishonest media manoeuvres.

Blairism is a creed of power; a cult for the democratically reluctant. With the Chilcot Report finally at our disposal bringing forth the raging indignation regarding the Iraq War, there exists an opportunity to permanently end this fraudulent, cynical movement once and for all.