Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe and asked about her opinion on Corbyn's emerging new left party, the Chancellor said "Jeremy Corbyn has had two chances to be prime minister and I think the country gave their verdict, most recently in 2019 when Labour had its worst result since 1935 ... He tried to destroy my party and he can now go set up his own party ... The country has rejected him twice. The bloke’s got a big ego. He can have another go but I think the country will have the same verdict.”
It's always funny when the likes of Reeves bring up the "worst result" line. Because, as we know, this nadir in Labour's recent parliamentary fortunes still secured more public support than Keir's Starmer's super spectacular victory. It was only the collapse of the Tories and the Reform surge that gave the 2024 election the first-glance appearance of a Labour triumph. She knows this too, and so do all the journalists who've praised Starmer's pragmatism and genuflected to Morgan McSweeney's hyped up genius. It's almost as if there's a conspiracy of silence that refuses to ask questions or acknowledge the problems with the election result.
That Reeves should accuse Corbyn of nearly destroying the Labour Party sounds a bit like projection too. Always a politician who has to get other people to do the organising for her, Reeves kept her head down during the Corbyn years. But she was party to the destructive behaviour that ensured a left-led Labour never got a clear run at the Tories. And, in the summer of 2016, she was on the side of the isolated parliamentary party that not only tried to topple Corbyn, but threatened to split the party with its tacit endorsement of the court case seeking to bar Corbyn from running again. And that's just for starters.
Since assuming office, Reeves has showcased a singular lack of judgement. Coming for the winter fuel allowance, then attacking disabled people, and sapping small businesses through her increase of employer National Insurance contributions, she more than any other front bencher is arguably responsible for the collapse in Labour's polling. Yes, even more than the Prime Minister.
Lastly, Reeves alights upon Corbyn's ego. The Labour right have convinced themselves that he is a preening narcissist, probably because they can't imagine that someone might be motivated to do something about poverty because they're against poverty, as opposed to it looking good for the TV cameras. And this to come from a woman who has better things to do than write her own books, and is so conscious of her place in the history books as the first female chancellor that she can't stop boasting about it, seldom do we see a clearer example of an accusation being a confession.
As you may have noticed, what was absent from her remarks was politics. Reeves can't offer a political critique of a new left party because, for her, there are no politics outside of tailing the Bank of England, doffing her cap to the bosses that might give her a nice post-politics job, and having cosy chats with establishment stenographers. She typifies the Labour right entirely. In recent days, rather than stand up to Nigel Farage's division-stoking "Lawless Britain" tour and the efforts of sundry far right groups to stir up a repeat of last year's racist riots, we see Angela Eagle affirming that those protesting outside of refugee hostels have genuine concerns. And then we had Peter Kyle and Jess Phillips likening Reform's opposition to the Online Safety Act as "enabling modern day Jimmy Saviles". When you look at who was the chief crown prosecutor at the time, I'm guessing they haven't thought about the consequences of dwelling on this.
The Labour right do not have the ability or the nous to take on their opponents to their left and their right, because they got to the top by lying, chicanery, and bureaucratic manoeuvring. That was enough to win them the Labour Party and, from there, an election through fortuitous circumstances. But as Reeves's lobbing of duds at the left have shown, none of them have a clue about how to defend their position. And it's this that will do for them in the end.
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This month saw 67,757 votes cast in 38 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 17 council seats changed hands. For comparison with June's results, see here.
Party
|
Number of Candidates
|
Total Vote
|
%
|
+/- Jun
|
+/- Jul 24
|
Avge/
Contest
|
+/-
Seats
|
Conservative
|
38
| 12,577 |
18.6%
| +3.8 |
-0.9
|
331
|
-2
|
Labour
|
33
| 11,214 |
16.6%
| -0.7 |
-24.2
| 340
|
-5
|
Lib Dem
|
31
| 12,259
|
18.1%
| +0.9 |
+3.3
|
395
|
0
|
Reform*
|
36
| 18,900
|
27.9%
| -3.3 |
+26.3
|
525
| +8
|
Green
|
31
| 6,115
|
9.0%
| -0.9
|
-4.6
|
197
|
-1
|
SNP**
|
0
| |
| |
|
|
0
|
PC***
|
5
| 1,204 |
1.8%
| +1.8 |
+1.8
| 241
|
0
|
Ind****
|
15
| 5,283 |
7.8%
|
+0.5 |
-0.3
|
352
|
0
|
Other*****
|
6
|
205 |
0.3%
| -0.4 |
-1.0
|
34
|
0 |
* Reform's comparison results are based on recomputing their tallies from last year's Others
** There were no by-elections in Scotland
*** There were five by-elections in Wales
**** There was one Independent clash
***** Others in June consisted of Communist Party of Britain (9), SDP (13, 11), TUSC (26), Vectis Party (46), Yorkshire Party (100)
Once again, a set of results that looks like a PeoplePolling survey. Reform are way out in the front with the other three parties scrapping for a distant second. What a pitiful spectacle. But the eagle-eyed might have spotted something interesting in the numbers. Yes, this was the first time Reform lost vote share since its post-election take off started. And it lost the three seats it was defending too. Straws in the wind for those hoping to see the momentum of their local efforts slow down, but it is worthwhile noting in case it becomes the start of a trend.
As for the other parties, the Liberal Democrats performed creditably but the same cannot be said for the Tories or Labour. Both are turning in tallies more suited to third parties than that befitting the traditional parties of government. And while they're knocking around historic lows, it's worth noting the dying Conservatives are at least putting up a fight. They're down overall on seats, yet they still took four from other parties this month - including two off Reform. Labour? When was the last time they won a seat from anyone? A glance at the last several months' worth of voting suggests all Nigel Farage's lot have to do is show up for Labour to hand the seat over to them. As the government party they could do something about this, such as introducing policies that might improve people's standard of livings, renovate public services, and undercut the purchase extreme right wing politics have. But there's absolutely no sign of that happening.
2 July
North Tyneside, Killingworth, Ref gain from Lab
North Tyneside, Longbenton & Benton, Lab hold
3 July
Bath & North East Somerset, Mendip, LDem hold
Durham, Benfieldside, LDem gain from Ref
Gedling, Calverton, Ind gain from Con
Hammersmith & Fulham, Fulham Town, Con hold
Nottinghamshire, Newark West, Con gain from Ref
Powys, Llanidloes, LDem hold
Suffolk, Tower, Ref gain from Con
10 July
Bassetlaw, Ranskill, Ref gain from Con
Hartlepool, Throston, Ref gain from Lab
Isle of Wight, Wroxall, Lowtherville & Bonchurch, Ind hold
Mole Valley, Bookham East & Eastwick Park, LDem hold
Rotherham, Keppel, Ref gain from Lab
Surrey, Woking South, LDem hold
Tewkesbury, Northway, Ref gain from Ind
Vale of White Horse, Botley & Sunningwell, LDem hold
Wealden, Horam & Punnetts Town, Grn hold
Woking, Hoe Valley, LDem hold
17 July
Basildon, St Martin's, Ref gain from Lab
Dartford, Maypole & Leyton Cross, Ref gain from Con
Dartford, Stone House, Ref gain from Con
Denbighshire, Prestatyn Central, Con hold
Harborough, Market Harborough Logan, Con gain from LDem
Liverpool, Sefton Park, Grn hold
Neath Port Talbot, Baglan, Lab hold
Rhondda Cynon Taf, Pontypridd Town, PC hold
Staffordshire, Eccleshall & Gnosall, Con gain from Ref
24 July
Bromley, Bromley Common & Holwood, Ref gain from Con
Cardiff, Llanrumney, Lab hold
Dacorum, Berkhamsted West, LDem hold
Dorset, Swanage, Con hold
Hertsmere, Borehamwood Brookmeadow, Con hold
Lichfield, Alrewas & Fradley, Con hold
Rutland, Barleythorpe, Con gain from Grn
31 July
Barking & Dagenham, Thames View, Lab hold
North Devon, Barnstaple with Westacott, LDem hold
Warrington, Bewsey & Whitecross, Ref gain from Lab
1. The Case for Cautious Optimism
2. The Real Electoral Reform Threat to the Right
3. Circling the Drain
4. What I've Been Reading Recently
5. Five Most Popular Posts in June
Okay, that number five is the very definition of barrel scraping. But the rule that ruled last month was the more recent the post, the more reads it got. Which is a reversal of what normally happens. I wasn't surprised that a few thoughts on the new left party would come out top. All being well, an avalanche of words are wobbling on the precipice ready to thunder down onto the discourse between now and party founding day so it will be good blogging fodder. In at two was the threat none of the right appear to have noticed about Labour's electoral reform plans. While it's good that the Tories, Reform, and their supporters are alienating themselves from the next generation of voters, they're keeping mum on automatic registration - the measure that could make a difference between them getting the most seats in 2029. And not. At three is the return of Tory woe, need I say more? And then there are some musings about a book pile.
It's worth noting that, according to the stats, despite posting next to nothing this has by far been the second most successful month in this blog's history. Almost 400,000 page views! This followed June where, wait for it, there were almost 2.4 million. Nothing to do with burgeoning popularity, except apart from AIs crawling all over these pages and shamelessly ripping off my content. That means Google Stats, which monitor this blog, has become entirely worthless. What a joke.
Anyway, no telling what August might bring. My mojo may return, but if it doesn't the blog will tick over with a few postings here and there. How can I start the new month in the customary way of no posts appear?
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