British political parties in 2026

[afleitch]

Just for fun

Overview: Blair calls it quits in early 2008 after battling on. Gordon Brown becomes PM but does not hold an election until 2010 where Labour is defeated. The Conservatives, under Cameron are the largest party and 30 seats short of a majority. Lib Dems shore up the government on an issue by issue basis which splits them. Proportional representation is introduced, due to be implemented at the next election. Cameron steps down suprisingly in 2014, and the election next year under PR sees Labour and the Conservatives neck and neck.

Main Parties:

Labour Party - Centre-left economically, becoming increasingly socially authoritarian and populist. Strongest amongst the over 50's, men, retired public sector workers and in the old suburbs. In the inner cities it's support has dwindled since the 1990's. Supports the establishment of a 'cradle to grave' DNA database and efforts to toughen abortion law. It's current leader is David Lammy.

Conservative Party - Centre-right economically with a strong libertarian wing. Strongest amongst students, 30 to 50 something women, retired private sector workers and in the new inner city housing estates and the Thames Gateway. Opposes the DNA datebase and supports withdrawal from the EU and the winding down of the NHS. It's leader until 2014 was David Cameron. Alan Duncan is now leader after an uncontested election.

Liberal Democrat Party - Centre-left economically.  Stongest support in some inner cities and amongst 'old Labour' voters, students and some pensioners. Is the rump of the old LDP, which lost its some of its right wing to the Conservatives during the hung parliament. Sarah Teather is the current leader.

Smaller Parties

BNP - Made a breakthrough in 2010 winning an unexpected 7 seats. It has been boosted by a strong grassroots membership and slick marketing techniques.

National - The old UKIP also containing a handful of de-selected Tory MP's. Tends to support the Conservatives in parliament

Muslim Alliance - Founded in 2010, won 5 seats. Is a left wing radical Muslim Party with unproven links to terrorist organisations. Promotes the establishment of Sharia within Muslim dominated areas, but faces tough opposition from Muslims themselves from the PIA

Progressive Islamic Alliance- founded in response and in opposition to the MA. Picks up support fron non-Muslims in MA dominated wards.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In the inner cities it's support has dwindled since the 1990's.

This seems unlikely; there are quite a few indications that Labour support in inner-city areas is on the rise again (and some others that indicate that it might rise further). O/c it does depend on what ye meaneth by inner-city (I mean the working class/ethnic ring around the city centre, not the city centre itself).

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That's certainly possible... but Labour has never actually had an official policy on abortion. I guess an attempt to play for the votes of new, largely Catholic, immigrant communities might change that.

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Possible, but with Lammy as leader we would most definately not do badly in inner city areas

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You wish

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While there has been some middle-class development in city centres (Manchester city centre is the obvious one) not many people live in them, and not many of them actually vote... and there's unlikely to be much more of it; at least not led by local authorities (it tends to be quite unpopular) who seem to be switching towards more affordable (read: intented for public sector workers) stuff (again Manchester is an example of this). O/c central government might try gentrification-by-force ala the LDDC in the '80's.

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The general plan is for most developments in that area to be of an affordable nature, rather than the affluent developments seen east of London during the past few decades. O/c things do change, and places do move upmarked I guess.

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Very unlikely; they still don't have any real machines in inner-city areas, and it's unlikely that they'll be able to develop them without alienating the inner suburban voters who've become their key constituencies in most cities.

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BNP seats under PR wouldn't really suprise many people. A strong grassroots membership is impossible though; to a greater degree than any other party, the BNP is a top-down party, centred around the leader.

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Very, very unlikely. Only a small minority of Muslims have ever had any interest in non-mainstream politics. It would take active discrimination of a nature worse than that faced during the '60's (it would probably have to be sanctioned by the state) from the rest of society to force more than said small minority to be even interested in voting outside the mainstream.

The new generation of post-biridari Muslim local politicians is almost exclusively Labour, btw.

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Interesting, even though I disagree with most of it.

[afleitch]

It wasn't meant to be entirely accurate, just a bit of fun But I do believe a localised party that wishes to implement Sharia that 31% (new poll for Dispatches on Channel 4) of surveyed Muslims wish for, could form, as well as a Muslim party that is dead against these ideas.

[Michael Z]

That was a fun read. Good work.  

For the sake of being pedantic, Sarah Teather will never ever be LibDem leader, and David Lammy is also a bit of an unlikely choice for Labour leader - I say it'll be one out of Hillary Benn, David Milliband or Jack Straw (for real). I personally would not mind Milliband as Labour leader or Prime Minister one little bit.

I can't see Islamists summoning a major political force. Tbh, I generally view the standing of Muslims in Britain no different to how the Irish were perceived in the 70s and early 80s (ie. at the height of the IRA troubles), but that is something that's bound to change within the next 20 years. I can, however, envise a far left or far right party winning a couple of seats in the Commons.

[afleitch]

or Jack Straw (for real)

Hell hath no fury...

Not that I'm a fan of the Mail on Sunday, they can carry some quite explosive stories. Today they suggest that Blair sacked Straw after pressure from Bush.

'Senior sources close to the US Government told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Straw's outspoken opposition to America's policies on the Middle East was discussed by White House aides weeks before his shock dismissal by Tony Blair in May.

It follows the disclosure that the Bush Administration feared Mr Straw was in the pocket of Muslims in his Blackburn constituency.

And it gives further credence to claims that he was fired because of his refusal to back America's all-out support for Israel.'

If true, it would be a very, very damaging accusation to suggest that the US 'dictates' or at least has great influence in our foreign policy to the extent it can have a minister demoted.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

But I do believe a localised party that wishes to implement Sharia that 31% (new poll for Dispatches on Channel 4) of surveyed Muslims wish for, could form, as well as a Muslim party that is dead against these ideas.

While small local parties (the, now former, JFK/PJP is a good example) do and will crop up from time-to-time (and amongst all ethnic and etc groups) it's unlikely that you'd ever see a serious national party based around those sort of issue, let alone actually winning Westminster seats; it's just not a big political issue for many Muslims.

And if such a party were to form, you would not see a party formed to oppose it; the various Muslim communities just don't work like that. Opposition to such a party would be based around existing (and usually Labour) party machines... this is what happend with the PJP in Brum (sadly certain people went a little too far in opposing them... whatwith the whole fraud thing), and o/c the PJP (feeling shut out from patronage, and my God have they exploited their new patronage powers since becoming LibDems, and power) eventually folded into the LibDems.

Recent voting patterns in Muslim areas have been radically different to anything seen for decades, btw. The old order is losing their seats, and fast.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

or Jack Straw (for real)

Hell hath no fury...

Not that I'm a fan of the Mail on Sunday, they can carry some quite explosive stories. Today they suggest that Blair sacked Straw after pressure from Bush.

'Senior sources close to the US Government told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Straw's outspoken opposition to America's policies on the Middle East was discussed by White House aides weeks before his shock dismissal by Tony Blair in May.

It follows the disclosure that the Bush Administration feared Mr Straw was in the pocket of Muslims in his Blackburn constituency.

And it gives further credence to claims that he was fired because of his refusal to back America's all-out support for Israel.'

If true, it would be a very, very damaging accusation to suggest that the US 'dictates' or at least has great influence in our foreign policy to the extent it can have a minister demoted.

Yeah, I heard. Interestingly enough his popularity had been surging even before this news broke...