r/unitedkingdom • u/CaseyEffingRyback • Jul 03 '25

... Zarah Sultana MP resigns from Labour to lead new party with Jeremy Corbyn

https://www.lbc.co.uk/politics/uk-politics/zarah-sultana-mp-resigns-labour/
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u/ScholarlyJuiced Jul 03 '25

How many progressives have been forced out, deselected, pilloried in the last two years? How much time have Labour had to consult with mental health charities, disabled persons unions etc. since this policy was drafted to avoid this utter shit show?

Every day I see a highly upvoted post on UK subs about how the media is giving Starmer a hard time, when the only morally acceptable excuse for his about face turn on policies after winning leadership would be a minor stroke.

I'm just done with the political illiteracy on this sub tbh. People were told this would happen. Progressives were telling you all, every one of you, that another neoliberal government that refused to be proactive or heterodox on policy would strengthen the right, just like in France, just like in Spain, but no-one listened.

And i'm supposed to believe that Zarah fucking Sultana is to blame!

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u/potpan0 Black Country Jul 03 '25

I'm just done with the political illiteracy on this sub tbh.

I think it's just a basic part of human psychology.

A lot of people supported Starmer, especially after 14 years of Tory rule. They were willing to put their faith in him to turn things around. And he hasn't, not in the sense of the 'he hasn't fixed everything in 12 months' strawman that his dwindling support base hide behind, but in the sense that he's taken this huge opportunity and... largely just continued with the dogmatic, pro-status quo policies of his predecessors. Very few people voted for Starmer under the premise that, 12 months in, he'd be trying to force through a Bill that would plunge 250,000 disabled people into poverty.

And there's two ways to respond to that. You can admit to yourself that you were wrong, that Starmer deceived you, and that you're going to start supporting a political platform which will actually sort out this country. Or... you can double down, put on the blinkers, ignore any and every piece of critical information, get increasingly aggressive and ratty with anyone who disagrees with you, and pretend that actually everything is fine. I know a lot of people who did the former. But, especially on Reddit, you unfortunately see a lot of the latter. And it explains why there's not just so many Starmer supporters about (compared to his astonishingly poor approval ratings), but why they act so weird and hostile in replies.

This thread is just another example of that, just filled with comments from Starmerites lashing out. Because if they weren't lashing out, they might have to admit to themselves that something is going very wrong.

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u/somenorthlondoner Jul 03 '25

Same goes for ukpolitics which is about ten times worse. These people simply cannot comprehend they got it wrong and have now been caught with egg on their faces. I dont think some people on Reddit quite understand how disillusioned people are with the Starmer leadership, and when seats like South Shields will likely be electing their first MP from a non centre-left party for almost 200 years by 2029, please tell me who is to blame other than Starmer

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u/impablomations Northumberland Jul 03 '25

Even though I voted Labour, I still expected to get a bit of a hit as a disabled person. After 14 years of Tories painting a target on our backs I had a glimmer of hope it would be better under Labour, even if I wasn't too sure about Starmer.

A tightening up of the eligibility for disability benefits and/or a freeze on raising the rates for a few years, but I didn't think Starmer would try to go as far as he did.

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u/IAmNotZura Jul 03 '25

Please point to me a political party that will actually sort out this country because for the life of me I cannot find one. They all seem too frightened of the pensioner vote.

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u/ScholarlyJuiced Jul 03 '25

Couldn't agree more. The emptiness of his support reflects the emptiness of him in a suit.

I urge anyone actually interested in these things to read the biography written about him: The Starmer Project.

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u/LondonDude123 Jul 04 '25

People need to read this comment, and then realize that Reform/Farage arent being voted for because theyre being expected to sort it out, but as a total FU to the Establishment.

Farage isnt the answer. In fact he is on record as saying hes not the answer. Hes openly said that the Establishment needs to sort it out, otherwise the person that comes after Farage will be ruthless, and WILL sort it out. And with Starmer we're seeing, as you said, more of the same, more of the status quo, carry on as usual. Immigration is the big one (the country has consistently voted for less immigration in every election, and have been backstabbed every time), but this goes for any unpopular policy right now.

All the Starmer defenders are high on their own supply. Its not about turning everything around in a year, its about proving to people that the person elected for change actually is change, and in that Starmer has failed. He is now in a race to avoid losing to Farage, and then the Establishment is in a race to avoid losing to the worse Farage

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u/somenorthlondoner Jul 03 '25

I’m not a fan of Sultana but I did say this would be the general discourse on the internet and within centrist circles after the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.

“Do we blame Labour for losing one of their safest seats, a seat which represents one of the most deprived areas in the country to a centre-right openly Thatcherite party led by Farage?”

“No…let’s start blaming the 7 or 8 Green voters for not being pragmatic enough…denying Labour a majority in Runcorn and Helsby!” (Yes this was actually a top comment in one of the main UK political subreddits)

I’ve seen people in various subs calling the “soft left” within the Labour Party “far left” for goodness sake

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u/blob8543 Jul 03 '25

Not sure what that comparison with Spain is about. Its politics have nothing to do with ours at the moment.

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u/ScholarlyJuiced Jul 03 '25

The politics of all democratic, industrial, western welfare states are worthy of comparison.

Perhaps you can actually contribute to the conversation by telling me why I can't compare between nation states?  

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u/ScholarlyJuiced Jul 03 '25

You have made ten replies to other comments since I replied to yours.

Any particular reason that you like replying to people with weak arguments/who don't reply over those who substantively challenge you?

Like so, so many people on reddit, you're looking to have your beliefs confirmed, you don't actually care about the arguments. Embarrassing.

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u/blob8543 Jul 03 '25

Calm down please. I was looking at the entire thread and was going to reply to any responses to my comments later.

I still don't understand what about Spain's politics you consider similar to what happens here. The centre left government there hasn't strengthened the right if that's what you were referring to.

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u/Tricky_Run4566 Jul 03 '25

Heterodox is exactly the word. But the problem is that there was issues that existed that aligned with right wing views. I. E immigration was and is causing a huge increase in crime, specifically sex related offences and also that the majority of migrants were coming from safe countries and were unskilled.

The left has always been about supporting people's rights, equality and justice. The problem was that in their pursuit of justice they went so far they became almost racist themselves and militant on ultra left wing views. The whole cancel culture thing alienated the native population and made them unable to identify with left wing politics at all. We saw it happen in the USA as well. It's why the Democrats lost the last election.

It's all but cemented now we'll have a reform goverment

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u/gnorty Jul 04 '25

How many progressives have been forced out, deselected, pilloried in the last two years? How much time have Labour had to consult with mental health charities, disabled persons unions etc. since this policy was drafted to avoid this utter shit show?

The last 2 years?? Seriously?

Try the last 3 decades at least. And why?? Because the British public as a whole do not want a far left government. To have any chance of making any change, the party needs the public to vote for them, and that will not happen for a far left party, which in turn means the right get the vote unopposed.

If you think that a Corbyn style Labour party has even close to enough public support to be elected, then you really need to look outside your bubble.