The strange death of Labour Britain has a worrying precedent | Martin Kettle

A century ago the Liberal party was destroyed by three factors that seem just as relevant today: nationalism, the labour movement, and democratic reform

Which is it? Are we witnessing the death of Labour, as Tony Blair warned this week? Or is it the party’s rebirth, as Jeremy Corbyn’s followers hope? The truth, as ever, will lie somewhere in between. Something will die, or at least be placed on life-support, if Corbyn wins – the prospect of Labour as a single-party alternative government. That’s a historic change. But Labour will survive in some form if Corbyn wins. A significant number of people will go on voting for it, some with enthusiasm. It will be a strange sort of death.

Related: Tony Blair: Even if you hate me, please don’t take Labour over the cliff edge

As with the Liberals in 1914, Labour in 2003 was already losing its support and its grip for a lot of other reasons

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