JACK Straw has compared Labour’s current plight with the party’s split in 1981 when Michael Foot was leader.
The Blackburn MP said things were “not quite” so bad for Labour as 28 years ago, when its survival was threatened by the defection of senior figures to form the Social Democratic Party.
But the Justice Secretary added that the current political climate was still “very difficult” for the party.
In an interview, Mr Straw said: “I’d compare recent events to 1981, although the formation of the SDP only affected the Labour Party.
"At least the expenses scandal affects all parties.
“In 1981, with the Militant Tendency and the SDP defectors, you felt that the Labour Party was in advanced stages of disintegration.
"The 1983 election wasn’t about whether we would form a government: it was about whether we would survive as a serious political force."
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