A progressive future?

There's a lot of gloom around concerning the future for the parties of "the Left". The Conservatives seemed to be entrenched in power in Britain. Many wonder whether they will see another Labour government in their lifetime. Right wing nationalism has had an excellent year - Despite their own internal weaknesses UKIP had much to celebrate with the referendum result, the AfD has had its successes in Germany, Many think that Le Pen will be in the second (& final!) round of the French presidential election next spring - and Donald Trump is the Republican candidate in the US Presidential Election.

Does anybody expect (or want) Hollande to win in France? Hillary seems to be attracting votes, not for what she is or would do, but because she is NOT Donald Trump. What do progressives have to offer?

This is the key question that we must face. Working harder to get Labour/the Democrats/le Parti socialiste/ the SPD elected isn't the answer. My colleagues/comrades HAVE worked very hard. Effort is not the problem, but our ideas are. We need to adopt and articulate ideas which can win the enthusiasm of a MAJORITY of the electorate. (OK, enough of the electorate to be able to enter government).

And actually we are doing that. I'm writing this in Manchester -  where Labour has 95 out of the 96 seats on the City Council. There is a Labour Police & Crime Commissioner (& last year Labour won 3 more across the country - including Willy Bach's spectacular win in Leicestershire).

To move ahead we have to get closer to the people we seek to represent. We have to give power back to people - NOT hoard it at Westminster. We should be championing decision making at the local level (and not draining it away by stealth - as the Tories have done with schools and the Regional Schools Commissioners).

But we also need to be talking & working with our neighbours. Rallies are fine - but have nothing to do with enthusing the currently uncommitted. Handing out or delivering leaflets is no substitute for listening to what our neighbours say (and think).

Following the ins and outs of national politics may be interesting (I am an addict), but the problem that requires our greatest attention is how we engage with the only people that will make a Labour/PS/SPD/Democrat Election victory possible - our neighbours.