Oh, yes, of course. The Gang Of Four just defected coz they were feeling a bit bloody-minded that morning coz their breakfast bacon was a bit overcooked. Nothing to do with their noticing that poor old Foot's antediluvian and long discredited doctrinaire lefty bum was alienating the electorate in geometrical progression with every minute that passed...

Have none of you really ever noticed that any party going to the country with genuine socialist policies has ever got elected in UK? -- Except maybe Attlee's with all those idealistic returning servicemen. Only to be sabotaged by that nasty puritanical sadist Cripps, whose idea of socialism was austerity austerity & then a bit more austerity: becoz he was a natural puritan rather than a true socialist. Which rather turned off an electorate who'd just had 7 years of it, thanks; and won; and thought a bit of triumphant relaxation might be nice. And he carried poor old Attlee along with him, to his eternal shame. And you're surprised that we've never wanted another dose of self-righteous wealthy upperclass lefties telling us that we were naughty children and mustn't touch and doing without was good for us!

Or that no left-wing government anywhere has ever got power by the simple democratic expedient of winning a free election?

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