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| Labour too weak to win election alone, Fabian Society says | Labour too weak to win election alone, Fabian Society says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour is "too weak" to win a general election alone and should consider working with rival parties, a left-of-centre think tank has said in a report. | Labour is "too weak" to win a general election alone and should consider working with rival parties, a left-of-centre think tank has said in a report. |
| Andrew Harrop, the Fabian Society's general secretary, said there had been a "complete meltdown" of support in Scotland. | Andrew Harrop, the Fabian Society's general secretary, said there had been a "complete meltdown" of support in Scotland. |
| His study also cited party leader Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity and a "muffled" approach to Brexit. | His study also cited party leader Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity and a "muffled" approach to Brexit. |
| Mr Corbyn's spokesman said he was an alternative to "failed" UK politics. | Mr Corbyn's spokesman said he was an alternative to "failed" UK politics. |
| Mr Harrop said Mr Corbyn's unpopularity was "just one factor in the Labour Party's troubles". | Mr Harrop said Mr Corbyn's unpopularity was "just one factor in the Labour Party's troubles". |
| The Fabian Society, which has close links to Labour, warned the party was on course to win fewer than 200 seats for the first time since 1935. It currently has 231. | The Fabian Society, which has close links to Labour, warned the party was on course to win fewer than 200 seats for the first time since 1935. It currently has 231. |
| 'Terrifying thought' | 'Terrifying thought' |
| Based on current opinion polls, the total could be as low as 140 MPs because Labour traditionally does worse than its mid-term polling suggests, the report added. | Based on current opinion polls, the total could be as low as 140 MPs because Labour traditionally does worse than its mid-term polling suggests, the report added. |
| Mr Harrop told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme it was a "pretty terrifying thought" for most Labour supporters. | Mr Harrop told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme it was a "pretty terrifying thought" for most Labour supporters. |
| "The 2015 election led to a huge meltdown in Scottish support and the rise of the SNP and that's stopping Labour making progress," he said. | "The 2015 election led to a huge meltdown in Scottish support and the rise of the SNP and that's stopping Labour making progress," he said. |
| The Fabians said Labour could gain 30 extra seats by aligning with centre-left parties in the next election. | The Fabians said Labour could gain 30 extra seats by aligning with centre-left parties in the next election. |
| It would remain by far the largest opposition party, the report said, adding: "The party does not face oblivion and will be able to rebuild." | It would remain by far the largest opposition party, the report said, adding: "The party does not face oblivion and will be able to rebuild." |
| Analysis - by Iain Watson, BBC political correspondent | |
| The Fabians have rather stated the obvious - based on current polls, Labour is in deep electoral difficulty. | |
| And it has the tricky task of trying to appeal to both Retain and Leave voters - while its message remains "muffled". | |
| Some of the Fabians' potential solutions to Labour's problems, though, might simply compound their difficulties. | |
| They say that, as the party can't possibly hope to win the next election on its own, its MPs will have to work with other "progressive" forces, such as the SNP and Greens. | |
| Cast your mind back to 2015 and remember the difficulties Ed Miliband had trying to persuade voters in English marginal seats that the SNP tail wouldn't wag the Labour dog. The Fabians' approach would at least make a virtue of necessity and end any ambiguity. | |
| But Leave voters in what are currently Labour seats might not warm to the message that Jeremy Corbyn would work closely with a party that will vote against triggering Article 50. | |
| The Labour leader prefers to think he will win back lost support by catching the anti-establishment zeitgeist. Many of his supporters don't believe the polls. | |
| Well, Mr Corbyn's strategy will be tested in front of real voters early this year at the Copeland by-election - a seat Labour has held since its creation in 1983. | |
| Current MP Jamie Reed is standing down at the end of the month and the party's elections chief Jon Trickett is predicting a "difficult" contest. | |
| If Labour fares badly, that is likely to underline the strength of the Fabians' diagnosis - but the cure for the party's problems may continue to be elusive. | |
| The report accused the parliamentary Labour party of being "barely audible" compared with the "sound and fury" of the first year of Mr Corbyn's leadership. | The report accused the parliamentary Labour party of being "barely audible" compared with the "sound and fury" of the first year of Mr Corbyn's leadership. |
| "The Corbynite left has won the big internal battles but it seems to have no roadmap for winning back lost voters," it said. | "The Corbynite left has won the big internal battles but it seems to have no roadmap for winning back lost voters," it said. |
| Mr Corbyn's spokesman said it would be a "challenge" to rebuild Labour support after the 2015 election, when it lost 25 seats in Parliament, with heavy losses in Scotland that left it with just one MP north of the border. | Mr Corbyn's spokesman said it would be a "challenge" to rebuild Labour support after the 2015 election, when it lost 25 seats in Parliament, with heavy losses in Scotland that left it with just one MP north of the border. |
| He added: "Labour under Jeremy Corbyn will be taking its case to every part of Britain in the coming months with a radical policy platform." | He added: "Labour under Jeremy Corbyn will be taking its case to every part of Britain in the coming months with a radical policy platform." |
| Mr Corbyn was the "only genuine alternative to a failed parliament political establishment and the fake anti-elitists of the hard right", the spokesman said. | Mr Corbyn was the "only genuine alternative to a failed parliament political establishment and the fake anti-elitists of the hard right", the spokesman said. |
| Remain and Leave | Remain and Leave |
| The Fabians said Labour faced a "Brexit dilemma" because it had failed to gain the support of Leave voters. | The Fabians said Labour faced a "Brexit dilemma" because it had failed to gain the support of Leave voters. |
| "Labour won't win if it doesn't reach out to the many people who voted to leave the European Union," Mr Harrop said. | "Labour won't win if it doesn't reach out to the many people who voted to leave the European Union," Mr Harrop said. |
| The report said the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats could afford to attract "one side only" but that Labour needed support from both camps. | The report said the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats could afford to attract "one side only" but that Labour needed support from both camps. |
| "On Brexit, the greatest political question for two generations, the party's position is muffled and inconsistent," it said. | "On Brexit, the greatest political question for two generations, the party's position is muffled and inconsistent," it said. |
| In marginal seats, it warned that Labour supporters could "scatter in all directions". | In marginal seats, it warned that Labour supporters could "scatter in all directions". |
| 'Full support' | 'Full support' |
| It urged the party to represent the "cultural middle", saying Britain was "not a polarised nation of cosmopolitans and reactionaries". | It urged the party to represent the "cultural middle", saying Britain was "not a polarised nation of cosmopolitans and reactionaries". |
| But it said the threat Labour faces from UKIP was "exaggerated". | But it said the threat Labour faces from UKIP was "exaggerated". |
| Even if it managed to match Labour's share of the popular vote, it would be left with just a handful of MPs, it said. | Even if it managed to match Labour's share of the popular vote, it would be left with just a handful of MPs, it said. |
| On Sunday, one of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's allies, Unite boss Len McCluskey, suggested Mr Corbyn step down if the party's poll ratings fail to improve. | On Sunday, one of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's allies, Unite boss Len McCluskey, suggested Mr Corbyn step down if the party's poll ratings fail to improve. |
| But he later tweeted his "full support" for Mr Corbyn, describing him as a "genuine, decent man fighting for a fairer Britain". | But he later tweeted his "full support" for Mr Corbyn, describing him as a "genuine, decent man fighting for a fairer Britain". |