Chris Bayliss speaks to Fleur Meston about the slow break-up of the British left, and the end of the Labour party’s gauche-domination from Bloomsbury to Sedgefield. In the 21st century, this challenge mostly comes from the socialist ecologists of the Green Party. The Greens have evolved from their 1970s roots as a niche protest vehicle into something more electorally serious, drawing in voters uneasy with Labour in government and making electoral headway from Bristol to Brighton. What was once fringe now serves as a political home for a largely middle-class, self-described radical bloc, energised by Zack Polanski and his five MPs, not much different, in terms of parliamentary seats, from Reform UK.
But who benefits from this fragmentation? Can the Greens turn local strength into real gains, or will they remain influential but limited? If Reform consolidates its insurgent vote, tactical voting could reshape key seats. With Labour under strain in parts of its base and smaller parties sensing opportunity, Chris and Fleur ask whether Britain is moving into a genuinely multi-party era, and what that means as the protest vote becomes a means of tangible political power.
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