by Richard Finnegan in London

Next British prime minister, Keir Starmer. CNN says he’s “done the hard part. Now comes the really hard part.”

A lively debate has begun over the interpretation of the election with the centre right Labour Party claiming a landslide win and a mandate to do whatever they want despite the fact that the number of people voting Labour went down compared to the 2019 election, with Labour only benefitting from a 1.5% swing.  They only got a third of the vote but they ended up with two thirds of the parliamentary seats, from day one their credibility is in question. Ever the opportunists the Labour leadership have switched to supporting First Past the Post rather than Proportional Representation, leaving the UK vulnerable to a far right take over after the next election in 2029.

The Labour Party lost a considerable number of votes from anyone, Muslim or otherwise, who is disgusted with Israel’s actions in Gaza because Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer, voiced support for starvation tactics against Palestinian civilians. He claimed that he meant something else and he has reigned in his normally forthright support for Israel because most Labour voters are appalled by what Israel is getting up to, they reject Hamas’ October 7th provocation while recognizing that Israel’s deliberate over reaction is a much greater problem. Even Hamas supporters are not entirely convinced about their leadership when you discuss October 7th with them.

As a movement we have yet to fully grasp how social media is helping or hindering us. During this election I believe that we were looking at an electorate that has defined more sophisticated political views because of the influence of social media.  Political belief has become more informed, defined and nuanced with voters often being well aware of the tactical voting strategies that will topple their local Conservative MP.

The worst elements of the British ruling classes go into politics and thanks to that incompetence the Conservative Party lost this election rather than Labour winning it. There was a 20% swing away from the Conservatives but the Labour Party hardly benefited because our political culture has become more diverse. The UK’s socialist left is totally fragmented, despite the popular support for transformative left policies and Labour’s abandonment of those policies they were incapable of cobbling together a cohesive united front brand to take to the

The British Green Party. Unlike their U.S. cousins, they are not riddled with Putin apologists.

electorate.  Consequently the Green Party are now the party of the left in UK politics and they’ve taken left liberalism to a point where it is almost democratic socialism, there’s a huge overlap and they are making it clear that a transformational change is needed. Many scientific and technical knowledge workers who support the Green Party have drawn revolutionary conclusions about the climate crisis and they are open to persuasion when it comes to the revolutionary overthrow of the ruling classes. There’s no way that this savvy crowd are going to be taken in by the crap put out by a fossil fuel dictatorship. The Green Party of England and Wales totally opposes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The European and international Green Party organisations have both passed resolutions that back military and financial support for Ukraine.  Most Green parties are not influenced by the Putinist left because their narrative is contradictory and there is also a cultural factor. Europe has suffered invasions for thousands of years with a pause from 1945. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine struck at that collective memory. Both of my parents, for example, were deeply affected by WWII.

The left movement is alive and well in the UK with the Green Party winning four seats, Plaid Cmyru did well against the Welsh Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn smashed a hard right Labour Party candidate who is an investor in private health care! There is a pleasing internationalism emerging in UK politics, the Green Party made it clear that its radical environmental policies will require international cooperation and Labour lost seats because of its alignment to Israel. Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituency is very cosmopolitan with 20% coming from Eastern Europe, he kept quiet about opposing military aid for Ukraine focussing on Gaza as his main international issue. Opinions about Jeremy Corbyn are often positive with an understanding that he is well meaning and also flawed. [Oaklandsocialist notes that Corbyn is a leader in the “Progressive International” and is an apologist for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.]

Next British prime minister, Keir Starmer. CNN says he’s “done the hard part. Now comes the really hard part.”