Labour Slumps to 3rd in poll

[HVC]

For me at least it's because I'm a card-carrying Conservative, and thus empathize with my Conservative brethren across the pond.

That's fine.  I do the same for my Liberal Canadian friends

It's just me, I think, Shelibh. 

And me... though the last two times i voted for the conservatives. the first time becasue the liberals needed a kick in the nuts, and the second time because dion was just too weird.

[Valmy]

Why do Americans hate Labour?

Labour is fine by me.  Tony Blair and co. were just as friendly to the US as Thatcher and co. were.  No real reason to favor one over the other.

[Barrister]

Why do Americans hate Labour?

Labour is fine by me.  Tony Blair and co. were just as friendly to the US as Thatcher and co. were.  No real reason to favor one over the other.

The difference between right and left is as obvious as between right and wrong.

[garbon]

The difference between right and left is as obvious as between right and wrong.

Not here in America.  Our Dems are pretty awful, but the Repubs have plenty of streaks of crazy!

[Sheilbh]

Labour is fine by me.  Tony Blair and co. were just as friendly to the US as Thatcher and co. were.  No real reason to favor one over the other.

To be honest the down periods in post-war relations have been under the Tories, obviously Eden, but also Heath and Major.  Though I think LBJ hated Wilson for not committing anything but moral support to Vietnam.

I think Chris Hitchens was right that one of the best things about Blair was that he was the first leader we've had since MacMillan who was genuinely comfortable and competent in the two big areas of our foreign policy: the US and Europe.  Every previous leader has tended to either prefer one for ideological reasons (Thatcher and the US, Heath and the EU are the extremes) to the exclusion or the other.  With Blair we punched above our weight in the US and Europe

[Alatriste]

The difference between right and left is as obvious as between right and wrong.

Well, actually we talking apes have been debating what's right and what's wrong since... like 1.000.000 B.C. and we have got nowhere in most fields.

Just consider pro-choice and pro-life. Not to mention dreadnoughts. 

[derspiess]

That's the only kind of right winger anywhere

BS.  You're stuck on the Bush years.  There's been a backlash within the right against big government conservatism, not that you'd bother to notice.

[Alatriste]

That's the only kind of right winger anywhere

BS.  You're stuck on the Bush years.  There's been a backlash within the right against big government conservatism, not that you'd bother to notice.

Really? I wonder... Because I would say that's what always happens when they are in the opposition. And usually the day they return to office big government is all the rage once again.

[Monoriu]

My father lived in the UK for more than 10 years.  He keeps saying that everybody in university is a labour supporter.  Until they get their first tax bill 

[Monoriu]

The only other option is that there are clearly defined differences between the three terms - but then what are they?  Are why can the three happily co-exist in the sam umbrella organization?

Some of it's to do with history and some of it's ideology.

The difference between Labour and the Socialists, Social Democrats is that the former parties (such as in the UK, Norway, I believe, Australia) were founded by the unions.  They are a far better bridge of working class unionism and intellectual Fabian style socialism than the Socialists and Social Democrats.

Well then all the more reason to like the NDP. :nelson

The NDP us a successor party to the old Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.  The CCF was pretty explicitly socialistm but had no particular ties to organized labour.  The CCF formed in the 1930s and probably had it's greatest success at that time, then slowly fading over time.

In the early 1960s however the CCF formed a formal alliance with the Canada Labour Congress, and the two then formed the New Democratic Party, which gives a formal role to organized labour within the party.

The Liberal Party of Canada by contrast has never had any such formal connection, and while occasionally it has picked up endorsements by individual unions it is much more traditionall been identified with certain large corporations (example the first, Power Corporation).

As for your second comment:

Interesting.  I used to support the Lib Dems and still find some of it's stuff attractive.  But I'm drawn to the Labour left of politics by, of all things, a certain social conservatism that isn't at home in the Lib Dems.

How much of that 'certain social conservatism' still exists in the Labour party, as opposed to its history?

The NDP here used to have that tradition.  Many of its earliest leaders and members came straight out of various church social justice movements.  J.S. Woodsworth being the primary example, but that tradition continued right up to Bill Blaikie, an ordained United Church minister.

But at least as an outsider looking in, I just don't see it any more.  The party has been more and more closely aligned with various NGO / protest group movements that 'social conservatism' is a detested word in the party.

When I was in Vancouver, my parents loved to listen to the local Chinese radio, and therefore I was forced to listen too.  Basically, they described the major political parties (federal level) as follows -

NDP - communists
Reform - Chinese haters
Bloc QuebecsomethingwhichIcanneverspell - traitors
Liberals - angelic beings as they named a Chinese MINISTER (out of the 200 they have)

[garbon]

Really? I wonder... Because I would say that's what always happens when they are in the opposition. And usually the day they return to office big government is all the rage once again.

I've never been a fan of big government...but then I've never been in charge.

[Alatriste]

My father lived in the UK for more than 10 years.  He keeps saying that everybody in university is a labour supporter.  Until they get their first tax bill 

In Spain I have seen examples of both transformations. Rabid leftists becoming acquainted with paying taxes and deciding big government isn't so great an idea after all, and rabid rightists becoming acquainted with having a real job, a boss, etc. and becoming in love with trade unionism, social subsidies and state regulations. There is a reason young people and students are far more radical, on the left and the right.

[Duque de Bragança]

The world is going down the tubes fast.

No, wait. Portugal just elected socialists, I think.  Knew IKK was good for something.

Tony Blair wannabee socialists though.

[Agelastus]

My father lived in the UK for more than 10 years.  He keeps saying that everybody in university is a labour supporter.  Until they get their first tax bill 

In Spain I have seen examples of both transformations. Rabid leftists becoming acquainted with paying taxes and deciding big government isn't so great an idea after all, and rabid rightists becoming acquainted with having a real job, a boss, etc. and becoming in love with trade unionism, social subsidies and state regulations. There is a reason young people and students are far more radical, on the left and the right.

I can understand this.

I've been a Conservative voter since I was old enough to vote, and have never had much time for trade unions.

However, several times over the last few years I've been infuriated enough with the man who was my boss to contemplate the merits and benefits of a workplace trade union; the man was a charming sociopath when it came to his workforce.

[Sheilbh]

BS.  You're stuck on the Bush years.  There's been a backlash within the right against big government conservatism, not that you'd bother to notice.

Well in terms of a Republican President actually running a small government and not increasing the size of it you'd have to go back to Nixon.