(1)Anneliese Dodds is in a bit of a "Soft Left" trap of wanting left wing policies without radical means : Of believing leftish policies are 'sensible' and can be won by 'reasonable' means, of 'putting the case forward' rather than needing agitation, education, organisation
(2)Kind of think this is a key "Soft Left" weakness - so defined by distancing themselved from the (perceived) "Hard Left" rather than fighting their own corner - or understanding corners have to be fought for
(3)Dodds has plenty in her hand to play : McDonnell was more popular - so she can argue for being More Like McDonnell Is Good - for pushing some big left-wing economic demand. Starmer wants to restrain her, but he can't easily sack her (yet), he has some vulnerability
(4)But I suspect she will just slowly let herself be sidelined until Starmer can replace her - because her "Soft Left" instincts don't include an idea that you win through struggle, rather than seminar-style politics.
You can follow @SolHughesWriter.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:
Those who think consciousness raising & movement building are disconnected, or even a distraction from electoral politics have not paid attention to the history of social change.In this thread, we
Read more
The 2020s will be known as the Remote Work decadeA few predictions of what is likely to emerge[ a thread ] Third Space: Office and Working from Home will
Read more
1/29: Have you ever had a concept explained to you that helps frame complex issues you’ve been wrestling with and opens your eyes to new possibilities? A concept that I
Read more
By continuing to use the site, you are consenting to the use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy to improve your experience.