Surely these folk are simply 10 (or 28) years behind us. Labour had 400,000 members in 97. If the french socialists win then we'll have to see how their first ten years goes in terms of membership and also mistakes. But for now all they can teach us is how to emerge from a long time in opposition into electability - and we knew that 15 years ago.

My worry is that all the chasing of a small number of voters perceived as in play is putting core support off here. More staying at home. Some lending their support to opponents in sometimes rather badly calibrated protests.

I don't want to find out whether Dave/id Cameron is a case of Same Old Tory or not. And I honestly think Labour needs to get back to its original purpose in a more real way than current rhetoric and triangulation.
 

The logic of FPTP is that only the swing voters in the marginal constituency's count. This is not a great situation for democracy.
 

With the deputy leadership contest underway expect a revival of the use of socialist.