(03 Aug 2015, 6:49 pm)Adam wrote I see what you mean. You would think (and rather hope) that there would be some unity between the two, but there obviously isn't in this example. And consequently, it can insinuate possible divisions between the party's members, with many having different directions they want the party to go in.
There was also talk, albeit nationally, that if Corbyn wins with his far leftwing views, there may be a SDP-style breakaway from the Labour party started by those belonging to the centre-left. It was on some show the other week. I think it was the Daily Politics.
Today infact, the Shadow Chancellor (Chris Leslie is it?) said he will not serve under a Corbyn-led Shadow Government.
Those involved in the SDP breakaway in the early-80's weren't exactly missed. Labour managed to survive without them and I think, if there was another SDP-style breakaway, The Labour Party would be able weather the storm and survive again.
The problem with centrist politics, in my view, is that it becomes deeply undemocratic. Politics is supposed to be dynamic and oppositional, representative of all views contained within the political spectrum. If all the main parties drift towards the centre-ground they begin to alienate people originally sympathetic with their core values. Voters become disillusioned in the process creating a crisis where people don't engage because they don't feel represented. Fringe parties, both left and right, may gain a few voters here and there but, ultimately, voters become more apathetic over time, spanning across generations.
A (threatened) split in the Labour Party may be a good thing as it threatens the status-quo and forces the party to question both who it really represents and who are its members.