“Labour has never really needed enemies. Its members are perfectly capable of tearing each other apart.” Andrew Rawnsley’s astute observation captures the cyclical relationship between the Labour Party’s left and centre factions, which is a defining feature of its history. From Clement Attlee to Keir Starmer, the party has repeatedly swung between left-wing radicalism and centrist pragmatism, each phase sowing the seeds for the other’s resurgence.
This pattern is not just a tale of ideological struggle, but one of electoral fortunes, where the Labour Party’s left becomes so out of touch with mainstream voters that it leads the party to electoral collapse. Then, when the centre reasserts control, its often heavy-handed suppression of the left inadvertently sets the stage for the next radical resurgence.
Attlee’s post-war consensus and the rise of the left
Clement Attlee’s Labour government (1945-1951) marked the party’s greatest achievements: the creation of the welfare state, the NHS, and the nationalisation of key industries. Attlee’s government was both pragmatic and visionary, consolidating the party’s centrist appeal after the war. Even then, tension was present. The centrism of the Attlee years led to discontent on the left, who felt that the government hadn’t gone far enough in pushing socialist reforms.
As Attlee’s government lost power, those tensions began to simmer. In the following decades, figures like Tony Benn emerged, pushing for a more radical, left leaning policy. Benn’s vision of Labour as a socialist workers’ party reflected disillusionment with the cautious centrism of leaders like Harold Wilson. However, this alienated many voters, culminating in Labour’s devastating defeat under Michael Foot in 1983. During this election, two new MPs—Tony Blair and Jeremy Corbyn—took their seats. Both men would eventually find themselves caught up in this cycle.
The Kinnock and Blair eras: centrist resurgence and suppression of the left
After Labour’s 1983 collapse, the centre underwent a period of soul-searching. Neil Kinnock, leader from 1983 to 1992, sought to move the party back to the centre, recognising that Bennite radicalism was alienating voters. His purge of Militant Tendency – a Trotskyist faction within the party – was emblematic of the centrist backlash against the left.
Tony Blair’s ladership victory in 1994 marked the peak of Labour’s centrist transformation. New Labour, with its market-friendly policies and ‘third way’ politics, secured landslide victories in 1997 and 2001, bringing Labour back to power. Blair and his Chancellor, Gordon Brown, believed this centrist approach was the only viable path to win and retain power. However, in doing so, Blair marginalised the left and drove them underground.
While Blair’s New Labour succeeded in neutralising the left, his policies – particularly on Iraq and public-sector reform – disillusioned large portions of the Labour base, laying the groundwork for the left’s eventual resurgence.
Corbynism: the left’s radical return
Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader in 2015 was a reaction to years of centrist dominance. Corbyn, a figure from Labour’s old socialist tradition, represented the most significant leftward shift since Michael Foot. His rise reflected frustration among the grassroots who felt betrayed by Blairite compromises.
Corbyn’s policies on nationalisation and public services appealed to a vocal section of the electorate, but his leadership, or rather lack of it, became toxic to mainstream voters. In the 2019 election, Labour under Corbyn suffered its worst defeat since 1935, losing large swathes of its traditional heartlands. His perceived radicalism, particularly on Brexit and national security, left the party disconnected from the electorate.
Starmer and the return of the centre
Keir Starmer took over in 2020 with a clear mission: to restore Labour’s electability by shifting back to the centre. Like Kinnock and Blair, Starmer distanced the party from its radical left, suspending members associated with Corbynism to solidify a centrist identity. His leadership has focused on making Labour more electable. He won a landslide victory this July. However, Starmer’s crackdown on left-wing dissent, such as the suspension of MPs who opposed an amendment to the King’s Speech, caused discontent within that faction of the party.
The perpetual Labour cycle
We are now witnessing this familiar cycle play out once again. Starmer’s effort to restore Labour’s electability by reasserting centrist control echoes the actions of his predecessors, as does his crackdown on the party’s left.
It’s been successful. But who will be the next radical waiting in the wings? Zarah Sultana? Rebecca Long-Bailey? The cycle shows no sign of ending.
Unless Labour can permanently unite its warring factions, another left-wing resurgence seems inevitable. Sooner or later, a new radical leader will emerge, ready to challenge the party establishment and reignite the struggle for Labour’s soul. And cast it once more into the electoral wilderness.
More from East Anglia Bylines
