2007 weblog awards

[DanaC]

So you would consider the English Left to be more accepting of a smattering of socialism in society?

No. I would consider the left to be, broadly, more supportive of the social state. The right I would consider to be, broadly, more supportive of a marketised state, in which such things as health, education and security are commodified. It's about degrees and also about identification. People who are politically engaged, will usually, in my experience, self-identify as left, right or centre. Or, they may self-identify with a party.

What makes things slightly tricky though, is that changes have occurred within the leadership of the major left party (Labour) which means that most of the grassroots members are much to the left of the leadership of the party. Blair was economically right-wing, not just by my party's standards but by the country's standards.