Let there be no euphemism about this much: the UK election results have been atrocious. New Labour was wiped out, but little of this redounded to the advantage of the left.
The only bright spot is that elections across Europe are likely to go much better for the Left.
Left Luggage “The socialist strategy site” continues their thoughtful posting contrasting organizing possibilities between the doctrinaire hard left and the broader-based soft left.
The experience of the US shows how a vibrant, but overwhelmingly middle class, progressive movement can coexist with a political culture that obscures class division and economic exploitation. America also shows us the consequences, as large numbers of working class people are alienated from liberalism and attracted to the Christian Right.
Sections of the hard Left may be associated with some fairly unpleasant and authoritarian ideologies. But as long as the soft Left remains middle class in composition, outlook and orientation, it will remain blighted by the shortcomings of middle class liberalism.