'By the strength of our common endeavour, we achieve more than we achieve alone'. To Labour members, this should be a familiar quote, and an even more familiar concept. Labour's core values are based upon solidarity, unity, and fighting for a common cause and a common good (just don't tell the Green Party I said that last bit). Following a crushing election defeat and a leadership election that has transformed the party as a whole, campaigning shoulder to shoulder as one united party is surely now more important than ever before, but instead it is now that we see a chasm emerge in the Labour Party, and if action is not taken quickly, it will never be bridged over again.
The Blairites were never going to be pleased by Corbyn's success; that is not an intuitive observation to make! With Tony Blair himself appearing in seemingly endless interviews and Guardian blogs urging voters to reject Corbyn's shift to the left, backed up by the 4.5% up in arms ; it was the Leadership Election that first stoked the fire that is now blazing through Labour. What emerged from the Leadership Election was not just a new leader and a new direction, but a new party altogether (no, not 'New Labour', rather the opposite). We may now have a clear distinction between left and right in British politics, and this will undoubtedly make up the voters' minds with much ease in upcoming elections, but we are also seeing a clear left and right just in the Labour Party, and this is where problems will occur.
Much like the party under Blair, a polar point of the party attempts to lead a united party, but there is dissent. In 1997, the Progress group were content whilst 'Old Labour' lamented. Now we see a role reversal. You may argue that dissent was not an issue for Blair, but I assure you it will be for Corbyn. Remember, we are comparing a 179 seat Labour majority to a present 232 seats in opposition! It is this sheer contrast of situations that makes unity in Labour more important now than ever before. Following five years being bound by a Lib Dem chain, the Tories now have true preponderance and have unleashed their policy that was once blocked by their Lib Dem 'partners'. And the Tories' sense of superiority means that this new right wing policy is coming at us thick and fast. We need an opposition ready to fight at the same pace and to be able to keep up the pace of a government that, in it's manifesto, stressed it provides 'strong leadership'. Labour need to prove their commitment to fighting a common enemy rather than each other.
The more we see in-fighting in Labour, the more we see the Tories grow stronger. Even amongst threats of dissent on issues such as the EU, David Cameron still prevents the cracks in his party from showing. He has sealed his wounds whilst Labour's are left exposed. But the Tories are simply using the quick-fix treatment; it will soon wear off and the wound will re-open and cause much more pain to them. What Labour must do is choose the most effective treatment, and that is unity. Unity will not patch up this wound, but rather seal it, and Labour will gain a strength that the Tories could never muster. Unity means solidarity and solidarity is strength. The left wing is built upon this ideal, now it must be embraced.
The Blairites and the Corbynites have few areas of agreement, but there are two they must not forget. They are both a part of Labour, and they both oppose the Tories. In times where Labour's leader now praises the dawn of 'straight talking' politics, surely these two agreements are enough to form common ground? It gives me little hope for the future if all my generation is set to see in politics is parties imploding due to factional warfare rather than attempting to prove why they believe their policies are best for us, the people politics is meant to represent.
In-fighting is not an appealing factor in voting for any party, and it is not an effective factor in forming opposition towards a majority government. It is time that in-fighting was exposed for what it really is; useless. It achieves nothing and will doom its party to the fate of nothing. Petty feuds leading to petty politics. I may not yet be in a place to say this, but I shall anyway; I have one message to Labour: make peace with your own, and fight your true enemy as one party. For your sake, and for your voters' sake.