No obstacles must stand between Labour and disenchanted Tory voters. But after 13 years of Conservative misrule, the party has to offer something else besides reassurance
Well, that settles nothing. The night of three byelections gave just enough of a split decision for all sides to claim victory. And by all sides, I do not mean the three main parties in England that each chalked up a win. No, I am referring to the factions currently slugging it out within Labour over the best route to power at the next general election. For them, these results offered something for everyone.
Start with the unexpected Labour failure to capture Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emission zone, or Ulez – which imposes a tax on drivers of old, polluting cars – appears to have provoked enough Tory voters to stay loyal. That will embolden those Labour voices, especially in the trade unions, who warn of a “greenlash” – already visible in France, Germany and the Netherlands – among working people reluctant to pay the price for action on the environment.
