Labour leadership contest: Behind the times? No, Jeremy Corbyn may be ahead of the game
For a start, Corbyn actually has a record of being ahead of most political thinking on a number of issues, including the Iraq war and the use of torture. On the “talking to Sinn Fein” issue, it may seem controversial, but at the time he was saying what the government of the day was already doing behind the scenes. Similarly, Hamas may be considered a terrorist group but the criticism of Israel’s recent Gaza war goes well beyond the traditional left.
On wider issues, Trident, Nato and conflicts in the Middle East all come to mind, starting with the assumption that opposing Trident renewal is a vote loser. In reality that may have been the case a few years ago, but a new generation has emerged and it is far from clear that it is any longer a key issue. The idea that international standing depends on being able to kill five million people in 45 minutes has much less traction than it did, and the huge cost of a Trident replacement, at a time of supposed austerity, is another factor that will be easy for Corbyn to highlight.
Please don’t ridicule this young Labour voter’s passion for Jeremy Corbyn
But, as a young Labour member, it’s often hard to discuss Corbyn with – shall we say? – more seasoned voters. It can feel as though an official opinion has been issued. If in doubt, one can, should the topic of the Labour leadership come up, simply pronounce: “Of course, Corbyn is totally unelectable” and feel as if one has contributed something at least. We have reached consensus without giving him an opportunity to disprove it, despite his progress from being eminently electable in Islington to imminently electable as Labour leader.
We’re intoning some ghastly self-fulfilling prophesy, telling ourselves no one will vote for Corbyn to ensure no one votes for him.
On paper NI is like that, we have settled for peace but peace with Loyalists and Republican drug dealers and areas that are a no go to avoid confrontation, Short Starnd, Ardoyne,Tiger Bay (shore road), dialogue sometimes is a complete smokescreen and designed to get people to take theirs eyes off the ball, the arms and the will is still there in the counties and that will never go away.
On paper NI is like that, we have settled for peace but peace with Loyalists and Republican drug dealers and areas that are a no go to avoid confrontation, Short Starnd, Ardoyne,Tiger Bay (shore road), dialogue sometimes is a complete smokescreen and designed to get people to take theirs eyes off the ball, the arms and the will is still there in the counties and that will never go away.
I’ve got a measure of agreement with that, Barry. I lived over there for three years and found that when stuff did happen, the tendency was to underplay it, and you can understand why that is the case. But yes, there are some holdouts and many of the rackets that used to exist still do.
That said, look at where we were thirty years ago. Some of the same people that are in Stormont today were ordering bombings and murders. I agree with you that things are far from being completely sorted, but remarkable progress has been made nonetheless, and it could not have happened without dialogue.
In Corbynomics news however, his policies and theories have been lent a bit of credence by an open letter published by 41 leading economists who are all saying that his economic policy is feasible and implementable. Interesting to see some fairly prominent figures speaking out in favour of this type of economics - especially as Corbyn seems to be vehemently against the Free Market (good on him I say!).
Not really, Mikey. Firstly, they’re not quite making the point you think they are - merely that the ‘barrage of media attention’ calls Corbynomics extreme, and they’d prefer it if Osborne were called extreme. It’s not any more deep than that I’m afraid.
More importantly though, that is far from being a list of ‘leading economists’. A few of them are, certainly.
But I know one academic listed John Roberts (at my old department at Brunel) is a sociologist with a (publishing) interest in subjects like fetishism.
Another name listed is Hilary Wainwright, who is and always has been a Corbynite journalist with a sociologist’s, not ecnonomist’s, background.
Others are ‘adjunct’ this and emeritus that - for example a retired economist at SOAS whose specialism is economics of developing countries. The most striking name there is Mariana Mazzucato, whose specialism is innovation, rather than macro economics, and who’s advised David Willetts (former Tory HE minister) among others.
Some are also going to ask why Richard Werner isn’t on that list.
On paper NI is like that, we have settled for peace but peace with Loyalists and Republican drug dealers and areas that are a no go to avoid confrontation, Short Starnd, Ardoyne,Tiger Bay (shore road), dialogue sometimes is a complete smokescreen and designed to get people to take theirs eyes off the ball, the arms and the will is still there in the counties and that will never go away.
I’ve got a measure of agreement with that, Barry. I lived over there for three years and found that when stuff did happen, the tendency was to underplay it, and you can understand why that is the case. But yes, there are some holdouts and many of the rackets that used to exist still do.
That said, look at where we were thirty years ago. Some of the same people that are in Stormont today were ordering bombings and murders. I agree with you that things are far from being completely sorted, but remarkable progress has been made nonetheless, and it could not have happened without dialogue.
The peace process has made an awful lot of legal gangsters who now own women, drugs, money,land and property and they are untouchable in the name of peace and poor headlines, peace process? Its a silence of guns no more no less, thats not peace.
With all the fears of entry-ism, it is probably worth remembering what Harriet Harman had to say about the new leadership contest format.
We need to see this process as one that is not merely electing a new leader and deputy leader. But one that is helping to rebuild old connections and fashion new connections with a public that rejected us North and South.
So I want to see leadership hustings where members bring non-members. Where someone who voted Labour brings along someone who voted Tory or SNP or didn’t vote at all.
Harriet Harman: "When it comes to elections the public are the boss. We do not question their decision. We heed it."
Entryism is a highly marginal issue. It’s a measure of the fatuously hopeless ‘hard’ Left outside the Labour party that they number, in total, around 12,000. Long live the revolution…so long as it involves emancipating the employees of the Surbiton branch of Tescos.
Not that anyone needs it, but here’s a lesson in why something approaching the whole truth is important. The Torygraph, a paper that doesn’t seem as happy about Corbyn’s potential ascension as it once did.
Jeremy Corbyn will be cheered by racists and terrorists
If you read that shit, please take a look at the details of this excellent open letter from Miriam Margolyes and other members of the British Jewish community.
Your assertion that your attack on Jeremy Corbyn is supported by ‘the vast majority of British Jews’ is without foundation. We do not accept that you speak on behalf of progressive Jews in this country. You speak only for Jews who support Israel, right or wrong.
There is something deeply unpleasant and dishonest about your McCarthyite guilt by association technique. Jeremy Corbyn’s parliamentary record over 32 years has consistently opposed all racism including antisemitism.
Jeremy Corbyn has nothing to apologise for in his meetings with representatives of Hamas and Hizbollah. Hamas was democratically elected in Palestinian elections generally accepted as fair, and Hezbollah also has strong electoral support in Lebanon.
You report Paul Eisen as saying that Jeremy Corbyn donated to Deir Yassin Remembered. So did many people before discovering the existence of antisemites and Holocaust-deniers in the organisation. Many people attended the occasional fundraising concert that DYR organised, without either knowing of or sympathising with Mr Eisen’s views.
As supporters of Israel, perhaps you agree with the racist statements of Israeli government ministers such as Eli Dahan that Jews have higher souls than non-Jews? Or Miri Regev’s belief that asylum seekers are a ‘cancer’? Or, would this be guilt by association, as in your character assassination of Jeremy Corbyn?
Not that anyone needs it, but here’s a lesson in why something approaching the whole truth is important. The Torygraph, a paper that doesn’t seem as happy about Corbyn’s potential ascension as it once did.
I’m fascinated by this development.
At one point it was hilarious that Tory supporters were registering to vote Corbyn.
But now, there’s a palpable weariness about him, such that The Telegraph writes articles like that.
It could just be that this aspect is now the news and they’ve moved on, or it could be that they recognise the potential rekindling effect he’s having on vote on the left.
Did Miriam Margolyes write the letter, or was she just a signatory? It was well put together either way.
Not that anyone needs it, but here’s a lesson in why something approaching the whole truth is important. The Torygraph, a paper that doesn’t seem as happy about Corbyn’s potential ascension as it once did.
I’m fascinated by this development.
At one point it was hilarious that Tory supporters were registering to vote Corbyn.
But now, there’s a palpable weariness about him, such that The Telegraph writes articles like that.
It could just be that this aspect is now the news and they’ve moved on, or it could be that they recognise the potential rekindling effect he’s having on vote on the left.
It started off as a joke that the Tories were going to guffaw for five years over before their inevitable general election landslide. To clarify, the Telegraph was actually encouraging its readers to sign up and vote for Corbyn.
I expect they did so safe in the knowledge that Britain is naturally a centre right country, probably using the results of the last election as their guide. Insane, imo - because the last election was a choice between different versions of austerity.
Did Miriam Margolyes write the letter, or was she just a signatory? It was well put together either way.
I don’t know, and I’ve been looking for a complete, unabridged and unquoted version of that letter and have been unable to find it. However, I agree. It covers all the major points and places the witch-hunt in context.