Ellis Beck: That relativistic position was adopted explicitly by Labour during Tony Blair’s tenure (his ‘better than the other lot’ speech). However, it’s really just allowing the opposition’s thought leadership to set the parameters of what’s acceptable.

I am British and excited about our upcoming moderate Left government. There are things I disagree with them on! That’s OK, I can give my all to influencing them and they might actually pay attention, unlike a right wing government which definitely won’t.

Are you talking about the party whose leader said last week that "handouts from the state" don't have the same dignity as working for a wage?

I think they are more likely to be influenced by me and people I agree with than the Tories are, my friend.

Sure, any influence is better than zero influence, unless it's only lip-service influence. I'm not convinced that the party that has excised its left-wing and regularly invokes right-wing shibboleths isn't itself right-wing, though. One of their major pledges is not to raise taxes. Interesting times

here's something about me. this, and the nested posts, are my origin story. my experience and analysis is that it really does weigh with people when you say "I voted for you/I am part of your thing, and please change in this way" bsky.app/profile/naom...

Making arguments from the inside works. Showing that you understand exactly what the priorities of the organisation are works. Pointing out how they’re not living up to their own values works. Finding a parallel example of how to do it better works. Huffing off does not, in fact, work.

what I would say is... as one of the UK's leading feminist writers, I am already thinking about how I can begin some conversations. this is only possible when people I fundamentally support are in power. the Tories would not give me the time of day.

That relativistic position was adopted explicitly by Labour during Tony Blair’s tenure (his ‘better than the other lot’ speech). However, it’s really just allowing the opposition’s thought leadership to set the parameters of what’s acceptable.

In so many ways the battle to define the Overton Window matters just as much as the battle to win an election.

You are entitled to your view, I very much disagree. The kinds of action that are available if actually elected are to my mind orders of magnitude more powerful than moving the Overton window. (Laws in govt move the window. Opposition window moves rarely if ever influence the passage of laws.)

I just think that the moral arc of the universe that we’re all told eventually heads towards social justice doesn’t bend itself. Opposition parties should, by definition, oppose rather than run on a platform of applying the same injustices with greater efficiency.

And indeed I think that is best done by making even one better actual law than the other guys. Everyone is entitled to their view of course. Not much point continuing to share disagreements on Bluesky. Better to write to whatever MP one has. All best.

Of course, I have no wish to draw you into discussions you don’t want to have, I was merely responding to things that you chose to put out there (at some length). All the best to you too.

Post