Its only been 24 hrs, but it’s very difficult to come to a different conclusion that Starmer’s 'vision' of careful nationalism mixed with a form of fiscal conservatism just isn’t going to cut through the thick fog of the culture war created by the Tory-media industrial complex /1

Grace is absolutely right here – yesterday there were no gains made by Labour outside of a socialist, socialist-lite agenda: Wales, Preston, Manchester, even the leafiest part of the Surrey Tory heartland, Egham, elected a Labour union activist. /2 https://twitter.com/graceblakeley/status/1390938068346183680?s=20

Seeing all the tweets from those people whose opinions have been spot on for the last few years (and I trust), it seems that Tory support has grown from a very English rural and periurban nationalism that cuts across class boundaries and Brexit has completely solidified. /3

“Brexit” is the wrong portmanteau: its a very English ‘exit’ mired in a misty-eyed nostalgia for an imperialism coloured by an outdated rural English idyll. Potential Scottish indy, Welsh Labour wins & the large urban centres rejecting the Tory Brexit battering ram proves it /4

So to quite Hudson from Aliens: “now what the fuck are we supposed to do?” The Tory victories have been won by bluster and sloganizing. With the attention economy vying for every second of our mental bandwidth, this is the only thing that cuts through. /5

The Left are terrible at this: if it takes two paragraphs and a working knowledge of Foucault to explain why the police need to be defunded, of course the message will get lost (I exaggerate, but you get the point!) Sloganising is a vital skill. /6

Also, the stranglehold of the mass media needs loosening. Any hint of progressiveness gets pummelled, even by the "neutral" BBC. A network of media outlets that amplifies the sloganized messages will be crucial. Which is why the likes of @novaramedia help shift the discussion. /7

Finally, as Clive Lewis said, a progressive alliance that can force through PR is needed in the short-term. This is not an easy pill to swallow, I get that: but it will bring a better, more discussive political arena; one where sloganizing – and the lying – can be scrutinized. /8

No doubt this thread will fade away, but I can’t stomach continuing to watch the Tories decimating our fragile institutions; people are dying because of it. This is a battle that can be won if we compromise. If we do, we bring everyone with us: no one will be left behind! /end