George Monbiot’s article in The Guardian (27 May 2025) will resonate with many on the progressive side of politics, and especially with those who are involved in street campaigns to counter the alarming rise of the far-right. When we talk to people on the streets of south Devon’s towns, we consistently pick up a growing sense of despair and betrayal from people for whom Labour was both ‘their tribe’ and a beacon of hope… no more.
Of course, on the other side are those gleefully celebrating Labour’s fall from grace and revelling in their acknowledgement of Reform UK as the opposition, supplanting Badenoch’s Conservatives. Amongst democracy campaigners and pundits, there’s a growing sense that Labour are creating the ideal conditions for Reform UK to scoop up those muttering ‘why not give them a go; we’ve nothing left to lose, given that all politicians are the same’, adding this cohort to the angry and nationalistic who believe in Reform’s pernicious, snake oil solutions and relish the normalisation of ‘free’ (hate) speech and views once considered too vile to be said out loud, let alone espoused by a political party..
But wait! Why are we on the progressive side so worried? Recent polling has revealed that the majority of voters would prefer any leader (even Badenoch) over Farage. And do most people really think like Tice and Farage? Not if our street surveys are anything to go by. In fact, even a seemingly dyed-in-the-wool Farage-fan will concede that we should have legal, safe routes for would-be immigrants and that immigration is NOT the cause of all our woes.
As Monbiot points out, citing Compass analysis published in December 2024,
“the UK is an overwhelmingly progressive nation: in all but one election since 1979 most voters have supported left or centre-left parties. Of 15 nations surveyed, the UK has the extraordinary distinction of being both the furthest to the left and the most consistent elector of right-wing governments. Why? Because of our first-past-the-post system, which is grossly unfair not by accident, but by design. Labour refuses to change it, as it wants to rule alone. The result is that most of the time it doesn’t rule at all.”
As people on the left get ever more disillusioned and disenfranchised, knowing that their votes largely go to waste under our broken electoral system, the clear and present danger that faces our democracy is that very same voter apathy and disengagement. Reform UK could, conceivably, get a majority because voters from the left and centre stay away, disgusted with both Labour and the Conservatives. And it’s a vicious circle, of course, as people decide there’s no point in voting for parties which rarely win under first past the post. Turnout down, Reform UK vote share up.
Absent (essential) electoral reform, there is an option open to us, but it requires us to take our heads out of our hands and DO something. As a co-founder of the South Devon Primary, which Monbiot cleverly re-christened ‘The People’s Primary’, I am seriously excited by the prospect of grassroots, community groups all over the UK adopting our process to pool their votes behind one progressive candidate who shares the values and supports the policies of progressive voters.
Some will say it won’t work because the parties will refuse to participate (as Labour and the LibDems did with the other primaries that followed in our wake and had to be radically adapted – East Wight – or modified to tactical voting). Like George Monbiot, we say why let the parties (whose membership is a tiny, tiny percentage of the electorate) hold us hostage by refusing to play ball? They work for us, allegedly. So, if they won’t support the Primary process, why don’t we set out what we want and then interview the best candidate for the job?
But while that model of a policy-driven primary is a workable option, we would much prefer to replicate the South Devon Primary – a tremendously positive experience for all who took part. The constituency now has an MP who is supremely conscious that many lent her their votes (and their shoe leather) to secure the win. The town halls were upbeat, optimistic, constructive events. Attendees were heartened by the candidates’ willingness to embrace common ground between Green and LibDem values and policies, rather than point-scoring. They appreciated conscious and non-cynical efforts to reach out to Labour and one-nation Conservative voters. They emerged from the sessions, uplifted by the prospect of being able to vote positively, rather than ‘merely’ tactically.
South Devon’s Caroline Voaden works extremely hard and communicates clearly and regularly through a variety of social media and direct mail. She honours the promises made at the town hall events and has lived up to the hope and expectation that was created by the Primary process. There is a real sense of community and country first, not party – because Voaden knows she owes the margin of her victory to people (from all progressive parties and none) who desperately wanted to have their faith in politicians’ altruism, honesty and service restored.
Contrast this with the sorry fate of Clacton, with its absentee, fossil-fuelled, hate-generating, Trump acolyte and grifter, Nigel Farage.
Reform UK may well supplant the Tories as the party we need to unite against, but Labour are making it a frighteningly hard battle absent any alternative strategy. And that is why the adoption of the People’s Primary is absolutely essential. We need to take back our power, refuse to continue to be abused by toxic party-political wars fought behind closed doors where ‘wins’ for the party are all too often losses for the country.
An insider told us that Labour would rather lose to the Tories than let a third party – especially the Lib Dems – get a foothold. In what crazy, messed-up world is that any good for people and the country’s well-being?
As George Monbiot concluded,
“It will be a tragedy if, as seems likely, Keir Starmer has destroyed the Labour party as a major political force. But it will be a blessing if he has also destroyed the two-party system.”
But there’s hope for our democracy if we take back our power. Hold a primary! It works! And if you want to avoid waking up to a Trump-style regime in 2029, we need to get cracking laying the foundations for a voter revolution right now. Millions of us got the importance of tactical voting in 2024. It was enough for Labour to be ‘not the Tories’ back then. I can’t see that even vaguely working for them in 2029 unless they stop posing as Reform-lite and make a major shift back to the centre left, at the very least. Most of us do not want to go into yet another election saying ‘Not that…’ We want to be able to proclaim, with enthusiasm and determination: ‘THIS!’
The book ‘The People’s Primary’ is in development. Presented as a graphic novel, it will recount the story from concept to victory (and all the drama in between!) and explain how to run one in your constituency. Sign up to be informed re the publication date.
I also strongly encourage you to sign up the Movement Forward – the people behind StopTheTories.vote and StopReformUK.vote
