Left, Right and Centre

Where the Real Middle Ground of UK Politics Can Be Found

With regard to politics, the terms 'Centre' and 'Centrist' are thought of as representing a moderate, sensible, and pragmatic stance. Those happy to wear the label portray themselves as standing in opposition to the extremes of both left and right wing ideologues.
But this is because the mainstream media, representing the interests of their rich and powerful owners, want it that way. The United Kingdom, and its Westminster parliament, has long been conservative. During the Thatcher years it played a major role in dragging the whole Western world rightward, and its media seized this opportunity to drag the Overton window along with it.
The Liberal Democrats are often thought of as the most Centrist of parties. But the policies they, under the leadership of Nick Clegg, allowed the Tories to usher in during the coalition years betray the real position of their politics. Our brand new party, Change UK, also position themselves in the Centre, while boasting the most ironic of names: opposition to change is their raison d’être. While recognising the dangers of the far-right, they fear Labour are no longer afraid of being labelled socialist; they are a party of the status quo.
As a population we need to understand that the 'Centre' most commonly refers to the middle ground between the mainstream rightwing party, the Tories, and Labour, the major party to their left. This is key: to their left, but not necessarily of the left. Under Tony Blair, Labour were undeniably a rightwing…