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If Labour wants to get its second wind, it has to abandon Corbyn continuity

The party cannot go forward with confidence to another election if it believes that no major adjustments to its manifesto will be required

Tuesday 17 December 2019 23:42 GMT
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Who will replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader?

In politics, as in martial arts, it’s sometimes possible to use an opponent’s strengths against them.

In 2017, Labour’s tactic of constructive ambiguity helped the party to attract both Leave and Remain voters, and delivered its best swing since 1945. In 2019, the same strategy gave the party its worst Commons representation since 1935.

There is at present a bitter and inconclusive argument about whether Labour’s neutral Brexit stance hurt (in the north and in working-class Leave constituencies) more than it helped (in the broadly richer south, big cities and university towns). Far too much energy is being expended on this issue, one that will be irrelevant come the next election.

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