Thomas Frank is absolutely right to say that liberal complacency has cost the Democrats this election (Donald Trump is moving to the White House, and liberals put him there, theguardian.com, 9 November). Whoever said “the route to the summit lies through the centre ground” really misread the state of world politics right now. (It was Blair.) A lack of any serious political conviction one way or another cost Ed Miliband the 2015 election and explains the Lib Dems’ decimation. It also goes a long way to explaining why Jeremy Corbyn can’t be beaten for the Labour leadership. The electorate craves politicians who actually stand for something. Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson have recognised this on the right, but the establishment left’s complacency has meant they’ve utterly failed to read the public mood, for which we all now have to pay the price.
Matthew Kaner
London
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