How do we even win?

Off-Topic and Suggestions
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Many on here will have seen the news today that Ben Habib has launched (rebranded) his new party. It is safe to say that this was less than smooth. For a few hours, the Integrity Party’s old website was still up, the announcement itself was rather lacklustre, and personally, I was concerned that it was a hack of Ben’s social media before I found out that it was indeed real! This is all before we get to criticisms of the name.

Then, hours later, we find out that Rupert Lowe is launching his “Restore Britain” movement, which seems like just another policy platform like this one, but maybe it is paid? Again, this also feels like a bit of a wet squib to me. I guess that there are questions around whether each of them knew that they were both doing this? Was there communication between the teams, or is this just very unfortunate timing?

Ultimately, it all just feels like a terrible time to be a right-winger at times like this. What are we doing? As much as platforms like this are useful for sharpening policy positions and engaging in philosophical debate, they are not representative of the wider public, sadly.

To me, if we cannot get all of these parties on the right to agree to work together, we need to get them to agree to be in the same tent. Perhaps the solution is to run something like Labour and Labour Co-op, where we agree to create an umbrella party that covers all of the parties and is the one which stands MPs, but the individual UKIP, Homeland, Advance, whatever still exist and do their own things?

Basically, I am looking for some glimmer of hope because today has left me very black pilled for our future.

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I also did feel relatively despondent. However, upon reflection, I think I see a path.

I believe what we are witnessing is an emergent political phenomena (which I will call “our side”), which is quite alien in modern Britain. Because it’s unusual in our political discourse and nascent, it will naturally be messy.

Broadly speaking I think there is a cultural divide among “Our side”, in the loosest terms I believe this is between working class, and middle class, which have, in the history of Britain never been aligned politically or meta-culturally.

This is causing tension, where political actors ostensibly on our side have developed public personas that cater to each, some with a working class audience, others for a more middle class audience. We can see this amongst the now multiple parties on “our side”, and even the fractured response to Restore Britain (RB) and Advance UK.

Now, this currently seems bad. However, some form of reckoning needed to happen at some point, between the working class and the middle class factions, and I believe it has at least begun. Currently factions are vying for directorship of “our side”. Which will fail, because they are narrowly catering to a class division (not so much Reform). The factions will either realise this, or its curtains for the whole effort, which none of them want.

I believe, the political figures at the head of these factions are broadly genuine in their convictions, and are genuinely motivated by the dire urgency of the situation in Britain. This, is what will pull us through the reckoning.

A multiple party effort is fine for now, we are 4 years out. We have 4 years to get through this reckoning, for the faction leaders to coalesce and the full weight of our side put behind a singular party. I believe, truly, that this is inevitable, provided we all keep pushing.

There needs to be a singular entity, be it a group, a person, a team - that directly appeals to all factions. I have my thoughts on who I believe that might be, and as a result I joined RB.

This is a biblical level change in politics in Britain, and we are at the start of it. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, but it needs to be. We need to get through these trials, and we will get the country our people deserve, together.

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Yes, I obviously posted this on the 30th and it was stuck in moderation for the past week.

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In which case I hope you are feeling a bit more hopeful now :blush:

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While I’m all for focusing on silver linings rather than a cloud, NJ, I’m still not sure where the current sense of hope is coming from among those on the ‘Right’—as opposed to the ‘wrong’—of politics?
Sure, RL’s non-alignment is a letdown—especially with Restore UK looking like a direct rival—but why has Ben launched solo? Why not come out swinging with a team of specialists, an interim cabinet even, to have spokespeople from day one?
The party structure and accountability model look highly commendable, but to launch as he has leaves him looking a little too ‘Family Guy’ as Dak ‘taking on the Empire all by himself’.

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I entirely understand this position, and even agree with it to an extent. I am sure than Ben would say “I did it this way to demonstrate that this was not an ego thing, that I am not trying to become Prime Minister to spite Farage, and to give the members and people who back my initiative real say and a real voice in policy and what the party looks like”, or words to that effect.

Does that make it the right move? Maybe not. Coming out with a superstar team and a shadow cabinet-in-waiting may have been more credible, gotten more people excited and seen him get the 30k members already. Ultimately, Ben may have miscalculated, but I don’t think that we can deny that he was trying to do the right thing and stick to his principles.

Do I have much hope? Honestly, no. I think that by 2029 it might be too late to reverse the damage, even if we get in. And of course I’m not counting Farage as we, seeing as he won’t even ban Halal meat because “it might cause social issues if we did”. And there is no hope of us getting in before then. It’s important that a credible alternative be made within the next two years and that it come up with a credible plan to undo much of the damage that has happened to this country since, realistically Thatcher, if not before her. To me, it is not just 32 years of damage we will be fixing in 2029, but closer to 120 years of damage. But without hope of a better tomorrow, we have nothing.

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Yes, it’s going to get worse. Much worse. But like an elastic band being pulled more and more, the public response will be greater and greater.

As further evidence indicates the public is becoming more “right wing” (I hate this misunderstood term) over time, the more “right wing” all parties will become, including the Labour government - if they wish to have any chance of any sort of electoral presence post 2029 GE.

The extreme left is a vanishingly small (but loud) part of the electorate. They have no hope, none. They are done. This will be universal evidence that globalist/New Labour neo-liberalism has utterly, catastrophically failed.

The Labour government now has two choices, cut the state, or raise taxes. They will raise taxes and it will be catastrophic. This will turn discomfort and irritation, into rage. This rage, will be expressed in many ways, not least of which at the ballot box.

The hope comes from the opportunity to further demonstrate the public increasingly wants policies we advocate on “our side”. Forcing the Overton window to drastically swing in our direction.

Essentially, it will get much worse before it gets better, but at least it will get better. That said, this is it, it happens now, or never. I think that feeling is wide spread.

Yes it would be great to have a packaged party with all the ducks in a row, but that’s not the cards we have been dealt. So let’s crack on with what we have.

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