

To be fair, I think we’ve been in the midst of a political crisis for some time.
Although, I agree - I think Andy Burnham winning Makerfield would be the flashpoint for the leadership contest that has been looming for the past few months.
Maybe this is the only way things will settle down.






The truth is that, by any normal definition, Republicans are far right and Democrats are centre right.
If you actually wanted to run a progressive platform, then running as an Independent might be your only choice.
In the UK at least, most Independent candidates run single-issue platforms. Hartlepool famously elected a guy dressed as a monkey as mayor, he ran on a platform of “free bananas for school children”. He did so well as mayor, they elected him two more times.
Another costumed independent, Count Binface (an intergalactic space warrior who wears a dustbin on his head) beat the far-right Britain First party in the London Mayoral election (although sadly didn’t win the actual mayorship).