While I have no direct interest in Party political matters and am consequently not following closely the news coverage of the Labour leadership contest, I am picking up enough in passing to establish the gist of the debates and to note how many people seem to have a misunderstanding of human nature.
The further to the left the Labour Party leadership goes the further away from potential to form government it goes.
The general electorate is naturally self-interested and the majority will always sit just to the right of centre, only voting towards their the left when the alternative is too extreme for comfort or cocks things up spectacularly, as in the 90s when New Labour was pitched left of Conservative but not by far.
Being able to eloquently present and debate a left-leaning opinion is not enough to make it work. If an Opposition proposal is too radical it ceases to be an option for the majority to consider as a viable alternative to a Government proposal and the opportunity to bring about change by diverting votes is lost.
The ideal is to return the country's direction to straight ahead, not to keep swerving it from side to side, to make steady progress rather than boom then bust. Yes, it is dull. The simple administration of an economy should be dull.
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