Jeremy Corbyn becomes new Labour Leader

[aelf]

All the best to him. The Left just got a drubbing in still-conservative Singapore in the elections this weekend, with the ruling party grabbing back almost 10% of the popular vote and 1 seat in parliament (out of the 7 the opposition had previously). The Right will play on people's fears, and it usually works. Hope the UK can prove that it is a mature democracy that is not beholden to corporate overlords.

 

[Joecoolyo]

The opposition have seats in Singapore?

 

[Tahuti]

It is.

My respect for him has waxed sky high!

 

[Kyriakos]

Corbyn ftw


Link to video.

 

[gay_Aleks]

The opposition have seats in Singapore?

Well, seats with spikes.

 

[sherbz]

We hope that the electorate have been left behind. Otherwise this really is electoral wilderness stuff. But i'm optimistic, based on my understanding that Labour had a huge lead in the polls before Blair was voted leader back in 1994, that all the received wisdom about Blair and his shift to the centre/right being what made Labour electable is a historical fiction post hoc ergo proctor hoc

Of course since the political paradigm presented in the media has gone with that questionable assumption for so long it may be hard to show the fiction for what it is to the electorate.

Edit: looked at the headlines this morning and it's all 'RIP the Labour party'...

I agree with this. But politics in the UK basically boils down to the press slinging as much mud as they possibly can through established channels (basically every newspaper), until it sticks. This in general has worked for the last 50 years, especially against Labour leaders. Because they usually are the ones who challenge the establishment.

So thats the bad news for Corbyn - he has 50 years of one way traffic to try and reverse. So whats in his favour? I would say that its his adept ability in the online arena, and in particular in young people. Who are in general more insulated from the established press because they get much of their information online and are much more widely read than the average joe, who buys and reads the daily mail every day. Will it be enough? I dont think so. But to his credit this is the same man who has managed to pack out conference halls and have people literally climbing in through windows to listen to him. Which is something that has not happened in a very long time. I still tend to think that when it comes to voting, people will do the usual and mark a cross next to the conservatives.

I think the discourse that will run over the next few years will be interesting though. Cameron may well find himself in some very dodgy territory. He was sort of banking on Labour support being a given in the EU debate. With Corbyn in charge, he might decide to campaign for withdrawal, which would put Cameron in a very dodgy position. Corbyn will also oppose him every step of the way and actually have a viable and clear alternative on virtually every other policy decision. The jury is open as to whether this opposition is credible though.

When all is said and done, i think the balance of it will look something like Corbyn picking up large numbers of disaffected left wingers who have abandoned labour, a smaller proportion of people who have never voted, and he will lose some moderates and those on the right of the labour party. The net effect will be a marginal increase in the vote for labour. He will still lose, get booted out, and who knows after that. But in the process it will be an interesting few years. I think if Labour MPs get rid of him prematurely, then the party will split.

 

[Borachio]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34240869

Uh-oh. Things are already beginning to look a bit sticky.

John McDonnell's avowed intention is the overthrow of capitalism. So he doesn't lack ambition, it seems. But is he realistic? And more importantly is he credible?

The difficult trick is to harness the beast of capitalism in the service of the people. Not completely destroy it so that people are dying in the streets.

 

[Kyriakos]

^ Corbyn rules

And it seems the shadow chancellor chosen is Richard Dawkins

 

[Mise]

Sigh... I'll probably be voting Lib Dems at the next election. Although, if Corbyn is still leader by 2020, the only election that matters is the one for the next leader of the Conservative party.

 

[filli_noctus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34240869

Uh-oh. Things are already beginning to look a bit sticky.

John McDonnell's avowed intention is the overthrow of capitalism. So he doesn't lack ambition, it seems. But is he realistic? And more importantly is he credible?

The difficult trick is to harness the beast of capitalism in the service of the people. Not completely destroy it so that people are dying in the streets.

He appears to have relevant experience. He was GLC Chair of Finance in the 80s and according to Ken Livingstone managed to balance all of his budgets, which is a damn sight better than George Osbourne has managed.

 

[Truronian]

The Tories are doubling-down on the the whole Corbyn wuvs Bin Laden angle...


Link to video.

Not sure this is a particularly smart move given that there are other unpopular opinions that Corbyn actually holds that might proves better material that this out of context quote.

Sigh... I'll probably be voting Lib Dems at the next election. Although, if Corbyn is still leader by 2020, the only election that matters is the one for the next leader of the Conservative party.

I think he has as good a shot as any Labour leader. If the economy avoids blooping then the Conservatives be likely be a shoe in regardless of who is opposing them in 2020, while if it goes south then Corbyn arguably has a better shot of winning back Scottish seats and UKIP voters (depending on his EU stance) than a Blairite.

 

[EnglishEdward]

The Tories are doubling-down on the the whole Corbyn wuvs Bin Laden angle...


Link to video.

Not sure this is a particularly smart move given that there are other unpopular opinions that Corbyn actually holds that might proves better material that this out of context quote.


I think he has as good a shot as any Labour leader. If the economy avoids blooping then the Conservatives be likely be a shoe in regardless of who is opposing them in 2020, while if it goes south then Corbyn arguably has a better shot of winning back Scottish seats and UKIP voters (depending on his EU stance) than a Blairite.

That is my opinion too.

A point I make is that Jeremy Corbyn has volunteered (and been elected)
to lead the Labour party in campaigning into the general; election in 2020.

He will be 70 then and not necessarily the person Labour is putting forwards for Prime
Minister; so all this talk about him not being suitable to be Prime Minister is premature.

It is not inconceivable that he might continue as leader of the Labour party while a
younger person is designated as the Labour candidate for Prime Minister in 2020.

 

[brennan]

Still a chance for Liz Kendall then?

 

[sherbz]

I think out of everything i have read, this is probably the funniest, and also demonstrates how hysterical the right wing press are being. The daily fail has been relentless the last couple of days. In terms of describing the situation (and Corbyn), the prize goes to the New Statesmen with this rather hilarious description:

"Corbyn, however, has been re-elected by the people of Islington North consistently since 1983 and, like Bernie Sanders in the US, seems as surprised as anyone to suddenly be reaping the rewards of a lifetime of sticking to his principles - principles that once put Corbyn on the moderate left of Labour and now make him look, at least in the estimation of much of the press, like the nightmare offspring of Che Guevara and Emma Goldman dressed up in a Stalin costume."

 

[sherbz]

The Tories are doubling-down on the the whole Corbyn wuvs Bin Laden angle...


Link to video.

Not sure this is a particularly smart move given that there are other unpopular opinions that Corbyn actually holds that might proves better material that this out of context quote.



I think he has as good a shot as any Labour leader. If the economy avoids blooping then the Conservatives be likely be a shoe in regardless of who is opposing them in 2020, while if it goes south then Corbyn arguably has a better shot of winning back Scottish seats and UKIP voters (depending on his EU stance) than a Blairite.

This is typical tory scaremongering. I would like to say that it doesnt work. But unfortunately, it does (witness the whole SNP thing during the election).

I agree though that any Labour leader will come under this sort of pressure. Thats why tories were saying out of the candidates they would fear Liz Kendal the most because she is so like them, so they wpouldnt have much ammo to throw at her as essentially they would be criticising themselves. As for Corbyn, they have an arsenal the size of China's with everything he has said and done. But, that doesnt necessarily hold true that he will crash and burn. Fundamentally people care more about health, education, transport, the cost of living, the economy and the NHS than they do about anything else. So we shall see.

 

[EnglishEdward]

Still a chance for Liz Kendall then?

I do not know.

I believe that the Blairites time is over and I doubt that those who simply
decline to serve under Jeremy Corbyn, in a huff or hope of a coup, will prosper.

The problem with powerful leaders such as Churchill, Thatcher, Blair
and Brown is that they inhibit the development of their successors.

Hopefully Jeremy Corbyn will allow the flowers to blossom.

Worth watching his deputy who seems to know how to disagree with him.

 

[sherbz]

I do not know.

I believe that the Blairites time is over and I doubt that those who simply
decline to serve under Jeremy Corbyn, in a huff or hope of a coup, will prosper.

The problem with powerful leaders such as Churchill, Thatcher, Blair
and Brown is that they inhibit the development of their successors.

Hopefully Jeremy Corbyn will allow the flowers to blossom.

Worth watching his deputy who seems to know how to disagree with him.

Seems to me as though that is kind of the point in Corbyns cabinet. He seems to make a point about having lots of people who dont necessarily agree with him. Seems like he is not going to be the sort of person who toes the line of tradition.

 

[brennan]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2015/sep/14/corbyn-appoints-labour-shadow-cabinet-with-john-mcdonnell-as-shadow-chancellor-reaction-politics-live

Jeremy Corbyn has selected a Shadow Cabinet featuring 16 women and 15 men, although there are some grumblings about women not getting 'top jobs' - but then the top female candidate, Yvette Cooper, is one of the party top dogs throwing a strop.

Talk about a purge has been quickly squashed with the announcement that selections will not be touched.

The first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party appears to have gone well:

— Pat Glass (@PatGlassMP)September 14, 2015

@jeremycorbynsurvives his 1st PLP unscathed & leaves them laughing. No mean achievement

 

[sherbz]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2015/sep/14/corbyn-appoints-labour-shadow-cabinet-with-john-mcdonnell-as-shadow-chancellor-reaction-politics-live

Jeremy Corbyn has selected a Shadow Cabinet featuring 16 women and 15 men, although there are some grumblings about women not getting 'top jobs' - but then the top female candidate, Yvette Cooper, is one of the party top dogs throwing a strop.

Talk about a purge has been quickly squashed with the announcement that selections will not be touched.

The first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party appears to have gone well:

I agree with McDonnel. The big jobs are only big because of historic reasons. The modern jobs of importance are health and education - both given to women. Not the foreign office. Foreign office is the easiest job in the whole cabinet.

 

[Truronian]

The only thing that makes me slightly apprehensive about the shadow cabinet in John McDonnell as Shadow Chancellor. He has a knack for presenting his views and opinions in a somewhat un-digestible manner (eg. the whole assassinate Thatcher comment from a while back), which make me worry he might alienate people. Time shall tell.