polly toynbee, is your analysis | and what they value. ak as janet's for the labour party? it bleak as janet's for the labour pa ? , , , , .,~ party? it is pretty bleak. toda , party? it is pretty bleak. today. it _ party? it is pretty bleak. today, it seems - party? it is pretty bleak. today, it seems as - party? it is pretty bleak. today, it seems as if- party? it is pretty bleak. today, it seems as if a l today, it seems as if a sinkhole _ today, it seems as if a sinkhole is under —— has opened up. sinkhole is under —— has opened up it_ sinkhole is under —— has opened up it has— sinkhole is under —— has opened up. it has been thinking for awhile _ up. it has been thinking for awhile. certainly, the brexit vote — awhile. certainly, the brexit vote was_ awhile. certainly, the brexit vote was the gut punch to labour support and to labour's position — labour support and to labour's position. where everything has become — position. where everything has become topsy—turvy, we now have a situation — become topsy—turvy, we now have a situation

polly toynbee has penned a column for the guardian for more than 20 years.'s supported labour except for a period in the �*80s when she helped to found the sdp, hoping the break the mould of british politics. and with me in the studio, the bbc�*s chief environment correspondentjustin rowlatt. welcome to all of you, lovely to have you with us again. on thursday, hartlepool, on the north—east coast of england, became the latest brick to be broken in what's become known as the red wall. constituencies which are the moats, the electoral fortifications, if you like, which protect the labour party from being swept away altogether. hartlepool elected a conservative mp for the first time since 1959. when the tories started smashing labour's red wall at the last general election in 2019, the blame or credit, depending on where you sit, was put on labour's then—leader jeremy corbyn and on brexit. but this week, janet, i wonder if it's a case of borisjohnson what won it? yes, it certainly was, by definition. but it's not about brexit, or it is not all about brexit, exc