'The centre cannot hold': John Curtice on the collapse of two-party politics – podcast

The traditional two-party politics in the UK may be on its last legs, according to a renowned expert. John Curtice, professor of political science at the University of Strathclyde, warns that the country's electoral landscape is rapidly changing and that the once-dominant Labour Party and Conservative Party are no longer capable of holding a firm grip on power.

Curtice attributes this shift to several factors, including the growing influence of smaller parties like the Brexit Party, Liberal Democrats, and Greens. These newer outfits have capitalized on widespread disillusionment with traditional politics, exploiting concerns over Brexit and the country's place in the world.

The professor argues that Labour's decline is particularly pronounced, with its once-strong local networks and working-class base eroding rapidly. The party's failure to effectively address issues like poverty and inequality has further alienated many voters, who now see them as out of touch with ordinary people's concerns.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives have become increasingly divided between those who support Brexit and those who do not. This split is making it difficult for the party to present a united front on key policy issues, which in turn is allowing smaller parties to pick off votes from both Labour and the Conservatives.

As the UK's electoral system becomes more fragmented, Curtice predicts that the concept of a single, dominant party will lose all meaning. Instead, voters will have to navigate a complex web of alliances, rivalries, and shifting loyalties, which will require them to reevaluate their relationships with politicians and parties altogether.

In essence, Curtice is warning that the UK's electoral landscape is no longer tenable under its current two-party system. As this system continues to unravel, voters can expect a more nuanced and dynamic picture of politics in the years to come – one that will challenge traditional notions of party loyalty and representation.

I'm loving this shift ! The UK's electoral landscape is finally waking up from its two-party sleep . Smaller parties have been quietly building momentum, and it's about time they got some recognition . I mean, who can blame voters for being disillusioned with the status quo? Poverty, inequality, and Brexit fatigue are real concerns that need to be addressed .

It's interesting to see how Labour's decline is partly due to its failure to connect with ordinary people . And the Conservatives' internal divisions on Brexit are a major obstacle . I'm curious to see how this all plays out in the coming years . Will we finally get to see some real representation for the people, not just the party loyalists? Only time will tell .

I'm low-key excited about the UK's electoral landscape changing . It's like, if we're gonna have more parties, maybe they'll actually listen to each other instead of just being all about their own agendas . And can you imagine having some real representation for the smaller parties? I mean, those Brexit Party folk might be onto something with their "do what we say" vibe . Labour's decline is kinda sad tho, they used to do so much good work . But hey, at least it means change is on the horizon , and maybe that's a good thing? What do you think?

I've been saying it for ages - the old ways of politics are so last season ! The UK is finally waking up to the fact that there's more to life than just two big parties. It's about time someone shook things up , and John Curtice seems like a wise bloke who gets it .

Those smaller parties like Brexit Party and Greens have been quietly building momentum for years, and now they're getting their moment in the sun . The fact that Labour and Conservative are both struggling is just further proof that the old system isn't working .

I'm loving the idea of a more nuanced politics where voters can actually choose parties that share their values , not just the party with the most seats. It's time for a fresh start , and I think it's about to get very interesting !

I'm not surprised by this shift . I think it's been brewing for a while now. The younger generation is getting fed up with the same old politics, you know? They want change, but they're not sure where to start . Smaller parties like the Brexit Party and Greens are doing some great work, exposing the flaws in the traditional system . Meanwhile, Labour's struggles are a reflection of the country's real issues – poverty, inequality... it's time for new voices to step up . The Conservative party's internal divisions are another sign that the two-party system is no longer working . It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming years .

The world is changing fast, and we must adapt or perish... but I think it's time for us to be willing to question our assumptions about politics. We need to find a way to make our voices heard in the midst of all this change! "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

This makes sense, smaller parties have been gaining traction for ages, especially with Brexit, but it's crazy how quickly the big two are losing their grip . I mean Labour's working-class base was always a bit shaky, but I didn't think they'd be in such trouble so soon . And the Cons are just splitting hairs now, it's like they can't even agree on what they want to do with Brexit .

I'm not sure about this more fragmented system tho... it might get messy and hard to follow . But at the same time, maybe it's an opportunity for some new voices to come forward and shake things up . I guess only time will tell if voters can handle all these options and alliances .

It's interesting that Curtice is warning about this shift but he's not exactly predicting a revolution or anything . It's more like he's saying the status quo isn't working anymore and we need to adapt .

I think this is super interesting! The idea that the UK's electoral landscape is changing so much that even the two-party system isn't holding up anymore is mind-blowing. I mean, smaller parties like Brexit Party and Greens are really making a difference now. It's like we're seeing a whole new level of politics emerge. Labour's decline is sad, but it's also giving other parties a chance to shine! And the fact that the Conservatives are divided on Brexit makes it even harder for them to lead. I'm kinda excited to see how this all plays out – it's gonna be a wild ride with so many different forces at play

I think John Curtice is totally spot on about the UK's politics . I mean, we've seen how smaller parties like Brexit Party and Greens have been gaining traction, especially among people who feel disillusioned with the main two-party system. It's not just about Brexit either, it's about the bigger issues like poverty and inequality that Labour has struggled to address.

I think this shift is going to be a game-changer for politics in the UK . Voters are going to have to get used to having more options and being able to switch allegiances depending on their mood or issue-based voting. It's not just about party loyalty anymore, it's about what you stand for and which policies resonate with you.

I'm actually kinda excited to see where this takes us . More nuanced politics can lead to more innovative solutions to our problems, but it also means we need to be more informed and engaged citizens to navigate the complexity of it all. Let's get ready to have some real conversations about what we want from our politicians!

so like, who needs stability when you've got a bunch of tiny parties splintering off into every direction? it's not like anyone can keep track of what's really going on anymore... and good luck trying to figure out which ones are just noise and which ones have actual power meanwhile, the parties that thought they were all safe and sound because they'd been around forever are basically getting left behind

The British two-party system is really going down the drain ! I think John Curtice is spot on about smaller parties like Brexit Party, Lib Dems, and Greens being super influential now . They're capitalizing on people's frustrations with traditional politics and it's making waves .

Labour's decline is really worrying - they used to have strong local ties and a solid working-class base, but that's all eroding now . And the Tories are getting super divided over Brexit , it's hard for them to put up a united front on anything . I think we can expect even more fragmentation in the future and people will have to get used to a lot more nuance when it comes to politics .

I'm thinking, like, what's happening to UK politics right now? It's all about these smaller parties gaining traction, you know? Like, the Brexit Party and stuff are really good at tapping into people's concerns over Brexit and the EU. And Labour's like... struggling to keep up with the times, you feel? They're losing that local network thingy, which is a big deal for them. Meanwhile, the Tories are all divided on Brexit, so they can't really present a united front either. I'm not sure what this means for the future of politics in the UK, but it's definitely going to be more complicated than just voting for one party...

omg can u believe it?? the 2 party system is literally DINGED john curtice is like, spot on about this tho smaller parties are killing it & its only a matter of time before we see a whole new ball game in the uk politics scene

man I'm not surprised ... it's like they always say, when the goin' gets tough, the tough get out ... or in this case, the two big parties are just gettin' pushed around by these new kids on the block . I mean, who wouldn't want to vote for a party that's actually listenin' to what regular people have to say? Labour's all but gone, and the Tories are stuck in this Brexit limbo... it's like they're just waitin' for someone else to sort 'em out . And now we got these smaller parties poppin' up everywhere, takin' advantage of people's frustration . It's gonna get messy, trust me

omg just read this article about john curtice saying the 2 party system in the uk is dying i feel like i'm living in a whole different world right now smaller parties are taking over and labours decline is crazy what's gonna happen to politics in general? maybe we'll see more coalitions and less party loyalty

I'm not surprised to hear John Curtice saying that the UK's two-party system is on its last legs. It feels like politicians are just paying lip service to issues people care about, while doing what they want anyway. The Brexit Party and others are probably onto something with exploiting concerns over Brexit – people are fed up with being told what to do and when.

I think it's a shame that Labour's decline is happening because of their own mistakes, not because the country is becoming more left-wing or anything like that. They just need to listen to people's concerns and work on some real solutions instead of trying to pander to everyone. And as for the Conservatives... they're just a mess with their Brexit divide, it's like they can't even agree on what they want!

THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING IN THE UK, IT SEEMS LIKE THE TWO MAIN PARTIES ARE GOING TO BE ERASSED FROM HISTORY! I MEAN, JOHN CURTICE IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY WHEN HE SAYS THAT SMALLER PARTIES ARE CLOSING IN AND CAPITALIZING ON PEOPLE'S FRUSTRATION WITH TRADITIONAL POLITICS. IT'S LIKE THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EVERYBODY'S ANGER OVER BREXIT AND ECONOMIC ISSUES.

AND LABOUR PARTY IS TAKING A HIT BECAUSE OF ITS OWN FailURES, IN MY OPINION. POVERTY AND INEQUALITY ARE SUCH BIG ISSUES, BUT THE PARTY HASN'T DONE ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THEM. NOW, PEOPLE JUST SEE THEM AS OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE COMMON MAN.

THE CONSERVATIVES ARE DIVIDED ON BREXIT AND IT'S CAUSING A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR THEM. SMALLER PARTIES ARE PICKING UP VOTES FROM BOTH LABOUR AND THE CONSERVATIVES, WHICH IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT POLITICS.

I GUESS WHAT CURTICE IS TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THE OLD TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IS OVER. IT'S TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW AND MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF PEOPLE'S VOICES!

This news has me thinking... with all these smaller parties popping up, it's like we're shifting away from this traditional two-party system and into something new . But what does that mean for our politics? Will voters start to care more about issues than party loyalty? I think so . It's already happening – remember the Brexit Party? They showed us that people are willing to support parties outside of the main two.

It's interesting how Labour and Conservative are struggling with their own internal divisions . And yeah, it's no secret that they've lost touch with working-class voters... who can blame 'em? We've seen a lot of income inequality lately, and these parties haven't done enough to address it .

I'm excited (and a bit nervous) about this new landscape . It's gonna require some serious soul-searching from voters and politicians alike. Can we really navigate all these alliances and rivalries without losing ourselves in the process? Only time will tell !