Is the Labour Party on the brink of election success?
The Conservatives are doing all they can to overturn unlikely odds of them winning the election this year- but will it all be worth it? The people could be the ones to suffer most… again
2024 will be the year of a general election in the UK, and it is a chance for the nation to take to the polls for the first time in five years. It’s fair to say, a lot has happened since this last happened.
Departing the EU, a global pandemic and three different people have occupied number 10 since the December 2019 Conservative landslide. Over this time, the Tories have repeatedly acted in a way that should be enough to get them voted out of power for the first time in 14 years. Yet whether or not this is the case remains to be seen given the country’s mood.
Labour have been on the fringes of government for years, and many have made the argument that if they can’t defeat the Tories after a run of shocking government decisions, they never will. A lot has happened since they were last in power, with significant political moments shaped by Tory rule.
Rishi Sunak’s government has overseen policies that have reflected those of a cold, cruel regime. They may also become his downfall, with by-elections giving a taste of the nation’s attitude towards the Conservatives. The Rwanda immigration saga has seen Sunak reject rulings from the Court of Human Rights, bet £1000 on national TV during a cost of living crisis, and show the smug face of Conservatism in the UK.
Labour are inching towards victory in a year that needs a political upheaval across the country. If they were to win the next election, they would have a list of issues left by their predecessors, and the last thing they need to do is take a leaf out of the Tory book of excuses and pin the blame on the successive Johnson/Truss/ Sunak government’s.
The mess of the Rochdale by-election was an example of Labour shooting themselves in the foot of what has traditionally been a safe seat for them. George Galloway now occupies the seat after defeating his opponents, including Azhar Ali who Labour removed their support for just two weeks before polling day.
The people of the UK deserve better, and a general election will end a period of political chaos. Three prime ministers, endless cabinet changes, a global pandemic, and the departure from the European Union have compiled to form a tinderbox of a five-year term. In this time, Labour have often fallen short of being an effective opposition, whether that be infighting around Jeremy Corbyn (an issue that seems to rumble on despite the fact the Islington MP is no longer a member of the party) or its weak front under Keir Starmer.
2024 should be a year of significant change for UK politics, but the mood amongst many seems to be that this won’t be the case. Labour used to feel like a genuine alternative to the Conservatives, yet this watered-down answer will likely be in power by the end of the year. A serious change in direction for this country is needed, but that doesn’t feel forthcoming no matter who occupies Number 10 by the end of the year.
