Should Labour moderates join the Conservative Party?
Toby Young extended an invitation this week to Dan Hodges, which interestingly, was the same one which Corbyn supporters have been making to Dan and any other Labour party member whose views they disagree with.
Except that Toby meant it in a positive way and the Corbynistas don't.
The standard response on social media to any Labour member who says or does something they don't like is
"Why don't you **** off and join the Tories."
Dan has, for the second time, decided that he has had enough of the present Labour leadership and that he will indeed **** off.
Toby Young wrote to encourage him to act on the second half of the Corbynista's advice too, and that he would be welcome in the Conservative party.
Dan has written a friendly and interesting reply which amounts to saying that he knows he has more in common with David Cameron than Jeremy Corbyn but cannot bring himself to do it.
Which is actually a pity.
The Conservative party has gained a great deal from the constructive contributions of people who have previously been members of other parties.
Some of those people have risen to office, and in my humble opinion, they sometimes managed to achieve for Britain as members of the Conservative party part of what they were trying to achieve as members of their previous parties.
The main argument against people like Dan resigning from Labour and joining the Conservatives is that Britain needs a strong and responsible opposition and while the Labour party remains in the hands of its' present leadership there is not a cat in hell's chance of Labour providing it.
The thing is, while destroying a party as with such deep roots and loyal support in many parts of the country as Labour is a very hard thing to do, I am starting to think Jeremy Corbyn may manage it.
I don't think the full extent of the train-wreck Corbyn and his supporters are making of Labour is yet fully apparent to the voters. However, unless he falls under the proverbial bus within the next few months (it would take some such extraordinary event to dislodge him) and is replaced by someone who takes a very different course, Labour is heading for an internal bloodbath that will render the party unelectable outside extraordinary circumstances for at least a decade. And those Labour supporters who want a real alternative to the present government - or who prefer the present government to the shambles their party is becoming - will go elsewhere.
In that circumstance it becomes all the more important that the Conservatives live up to the responsibility to govern in the interests of the whole nation, and it will help us to do that if the people who Labour has abandoned join us.
As George Osborne said at Conservative Party conference
"Do you know what the supporters of the new Labour leadership now call anyone who believes in strong national defence, a market economy, and the country living within its means?
"They call them Tories.
"Well, it’s our job to make sure they’re absolutely right."
Except that Toby meant it in a positive way and the Corbynistas don't.
The standard response on social media to any Labour member who says or does something they don't like is
"Why don't you **** off and join the Tories."
Dan has, for the second time, decided that he has had enough of the present Labour leadership and that he will indeed **** off.
Toby Young wrote to encourage him to act on the second half of the Corbynista's advice too, and that he would be welcome in the Conservative party.
Dan has written a friendly and interesting reply which amounts to saying that he knows he has more in common with David Cameron than Jeremy Corbyn but cannot bring himself to do it.
Which is actually a pity.
The Conservative party has gained a great deal from the constructive contributions of people who have previously been members of other parties.
Some of those people have risen to office, and in my humble opinion, they sometimes managed to achieve for Britain as members of the Conservative party part of what they were trying to achieve as members of their previous parties.
The main argument against people like Dan resigning from Labour and joining the Conservatives is that Britain needs a strong and responsible opposition and while the Labour party remains in the hands of its' present leadership there is not a cat in hell's chance of Labour providing it.
The thing is, while destroying a party as with such deep roots and loyal support in many parts of the country as Labour is a very hard thing to do, I am starting to think Jeremy Corbyn may manage it.
I don't think the full extent of the train-wreck Corbyn and his supporters are making of Labour is yet fully apparent to the voters. However, unless he falls under the proverbial bus within the next few months (it would take some such extraordinary event to dislodge him) and is replaced by someone who takes a very different course, Labour is heading for an internal bloodbath that will render the party unelectable outside extraordinary circumstances for at least a decade. And those Labour supporters who want a real alternative to the present government - or who prefer the present government to the shambles their party is becoming - will go elsewhere.
In that circumstance it becomes all the more important that the Conservatives live up to the responsibility to govern in the interests of the whole nation, and it will help us to do that if the people who Labour has abandoned join us.
As George Osborne said at Conservative Party conference
"Do you know what the supporters of the new Labour leadership now call anyone who believes in strong national defence, a market economy, and the country living within its means?
"They call them Tories.
"Well, it’s our job to make sure they’re absolutely right."
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