The centre can hold, but only if it challenges the status quo | Andy Beckett

There’s a sense that centrists are slowly coming to terms with today’s world – and the left should welcome this

Since New Labour lost power in 2010, one of the most distinctive sounds of British politics has been centrists saying what they’re against. Brexit, populism, identity politics, Corbynism, “extremism” in general – all have been loudly and repeatedly condemned.

Much quieter – in fact, barely audible – has been the sound of centrists saying what they’re offering instead. While the Tory right and Labour left have been bursting with ideas about how to transform Britain, the self-styled moderates of both parties and their many media allies have suggested few concrete solutions to the crises in the economy, the climate and Britain’s ever more divided society.

If they’re going to become relevant again, centrists need to come up with some new ideas

Related: The Labour leadership election only matters if the party breaks with the past | Martin Kettle

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