Britain is a nation divided,apparently between the liberal bubble and the rest. But which side are you on?Britain is a divided country. The political beliefs of one half are so distant from those of the other that it’s tough to see how any single party can bridge the gap. But this divide isn’t between the traditional left and right; it’s between … well, it depends who you seek information from. In March, or the Economist’s Jeremy Cliffe identified a chasm between “the cosmopolitans and the rest”; academics Rob Ford and Matthew Goodwin believe pinned the rise of Ukip on a bloc they call the “left behind”. In the United States,former Republican strategist David Frum attributes Donald Trump’s support to “Middle Americans” – a disaffected group of people who wonder how ‘white male’ became an accusation rather than a description”.
This great division – taking in class, culture and optimism v pessimism – is not current. But as traditional party loyalties fracture down, and it is something every serious politician must face. It should certainly be a concern for Labour,which is split between “beer drinkers” and “wine drinkers”, according to political scientist Tim Bale. He defines beer drinkers as those “concerned with maintaining the party’s appeal to the white working class” versus those who “believe the future is liberal, or not regressive”. Jeremy Corbyn appeals to the wine drinkers; the beer drinkers will be a bigger challenge. (This analysis ignores the existence of craft beers,but take it up with Camra.)Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com