Jeremy Corbyn Has Again Won a Decisive Victory to Become Britain's Labour Leader

[Red Terror]

This man could be the next prime minister of the U.K. in several years. You all should know that he is a socialist. He is Bernie Sanders times 10.

Let us remember that Corbyn’s victory today was in spite of a ferocious battle by the Establishment, inside and outside of the party, to unseat him. Everything was thrown at him in a bitter campaign. 130,000 new members were debarred from voting. Tens of thousands were suspended - and even expelled - to prevent them voting. Despite this, Corbyn increased his majority!


http://www.socialist.net/victory-for-corbyn-the-genie-is-now-out-of-the-bottle.htm

[prendrelemick]

Yep , now let's hope there will be a party left to lead.

[Lokasenna]

Indeed he did.

Hearty congratulations are in order... for Mrs May, who at this rate has a good chance of still being PM in 2030.

The Labour Party has moved significantly leftwards (to a substantial degree because of an entryist movement that originated under Ed Milliband), but all the polling evidence suggests this has not been matched by a leftward shift in the British electorate as a whole, who (if anything) are moving slightly rightwards. Mr Corbyn and Momentum's adherence to the primacy of hard-line ideological purity over compromise does not play well on British doorsteps - hence why Momentum members don't do much door-knocking these days.

The simple fact of the matter is that if Labour wish to form the next government, or even simply remain a large presence in the Commons, there are three groups of voters they need to win over: Scottish people who voted SNP, northern English people who voted UKIP and southern English people who voted Tory. Though the SNP use socialist rhetoric, most of their policies are firmly centrist (one or two even quite right-wing), so it is by no means a given that their supporters will re-embrace a harder-left Labour party, nor do Labour have the magic-fairy-dust of nationalism to spread around up there. Some of those who voted UKIP as a protest vote might be swayed, but it's hard to escape the fact UKIP's pro-capitalism-sod-the-poor-and-kick-Johnny-Foreigner-out mentality is pretty much directly at odds with Mr Corbyn's views (except perhaps on his dithering over Europe). As for those floating voters who erred on the Tory side at the last election, the consistent narrative from the opinion polls (which, I grant, might be wrong, but in this case I don't think so) is that they rejected Milliband for being too left wing - and will probably do the same to Mr Corbyn.

The left has always had a voice in British politics, and a reasonable number of parties advocating that ideological position - in recent years, the Green Party in particular has been the main force for the left, not to mention perennial groups like the SWP that have been around for decades. If one wanted to vote for the left, one had opportunity. Electoral success for these parties has been modest, and consequently so has influence. Britain is, fundamentally, a centre-right country.

I believe any government, of whatever colour, needs a strong opposition to hold it to account. And for that reason, I think Mr Corbyn's election (and, more importantly, the death-grip that Momentum now has around the throat of the Labout Party) is a tragedy. I suspect he has slightly more chance of becoming Empress of Russia than he does of being Prime Minister of the UK.

[Emil Miller]

If I were nineteen-years-old I might conceivably vote for Corbyn, but not with the benefit of hindsight.
What seems extraordinary is the number of older people who have voted for him despite knowing his questionable past.
Leaving aside the hard left such as the Corbyn backed Socialist Workers' Party that infiltrated Labour before being expelled by Neil Kinnock, it appears that the intellectual property of the others consists largely of wishful-thinking.

[Ecurb]

British politics has gone downhill ever since Plantaginet Palliser left office.

[Jackson Richardson]

As the Welfare State has been eroded over the last twenty years, we could sure do with a bit of socialism. (Not that nationalised railways do any better at providing enough seats, as I remember.)

The problem with Jeremy Corbyn for me is not he is a socialist. It's that he's incompetent.

[prendrelemick]

A year ago, when he became leader, I wrote (In another place) that his election was like the Charge of the Light Brigade - magnificent, but bound to end in tears.

[MANICHAEAN]

"I believe any government, of whatever colour, needs a strong opposition to hold it to account." Lokasenna.

You have been reading "The Economist." But I agree with you both.

Meanwhile, back States side!!!

[Red Terror]

As the Welfare State has been eroded over the last twenty years, we could sure do with a bit of socialism. (Not that nationalised railways do any better at providing enough seats, as I remember.)

The problem with Jeremy Corbyn for me is not he is a socialist. It's that he's incompetent.

Gee ... for someone who is incompetent, as you say, he was able to get himself elected Labour leader--- not once but twice--- despite the barrage of propaganda emanating from the corporate press and all the political machinations of establishment politicians far more competent than him. Go figure, dude ... Food for thought.

[Jackson Richardson]

I figure it is the Labour Party's root in the evangelical revival - in a wicked, fallen world a charismatic leader inspires his followers that they alone are righteous.

If he was competent, he would let the members of his shadow cabinet know when they are appointed, consult with them and not appoint them when they are undergoing treatment for cancer.

[Danik 2016]

What exactly is a shadow cabinet and why does it exist?

[Jackson Richardson]

What exactly is a shadow cabinet and why does it exist?

From wiki:

The Shadow Cabinet is a feature of the Westminster system of government. It consists of a senior group of opposition spokespeople who, under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the Cabinet. Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to criticise the policies and actions of the government, as well as offering an alternative program.

[Clopin]

I kinda like Corbyn, but given the chance I'd cast a million votes for UKIP.

[Lokasenna]

I kinda like Corbyn, but given the chance I'd cast a million votes for UKIP.

Sadly for the party, I think that pretty much sums up the attitude of most traditional, working-class Labour voters. And Mr Corbyn is going to find it out at the next election.

That being said, Diane James is relatively untested and UKIP's recent internal warfare has been as bad as Labour's in many ways. Without Mr Farage, and with the referendum result being what it was, I think UKIP is going to face an uphill (though not impossible) struggle to remain relevant.

I've always thought the term 'shadow cabinet' was far too cool a phrase for the actual thing it describes.

[Whifflingpin]

By the next UK (or will it only be English) general election I'll have exceeded my allotted threescore years and ten so I'm not making any assumptions about being around to cast a vote. If, however, I am still able to vote, and Jeremy Corbyn still is leader of the labour party, then I will probably break the habit of a lifetime and vote for his party. He is the one decent thing in the sink of corruption, greed, cowardice, malice and incompetence that British political life has sunk to in the last three decades.

[Danik 2016]

From wiki:

The Shadow Cabinet is a feature of the Westminster system of government. It consists of a senior group of opposition spokespeople who, under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the Cabinet. Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to criticise the policies and actions of the government, as well as offering an alternative program.
Thanks for the information, Jackson!
Viewed from the outside it looks like a good institution!Usually the critics of the governement are the media and the opposition, of course.

[Jackson Richardson]

The shadow cabinet are the leaders of the opposition in Parliament

[Clopin]

Sadly for the party, I think that pretty much sums up the attitude of most traditional, working-class Labour voters. And Mr Corbyn is going to find it out at the next election.

That being said, Diane James is relatively untested and UKIP's recent internal warfare has been as bad as Labour's in many ways. Without Mr Farage, and with the referendum result being what it was, I think UKIP is going to face an uphill (though not impossible) struggle to remain relevant.

I've always thought the term 'shadow cabinet' was far too cool a phrase for the actual thing it describes.

Ahahahaha but Farage is back now apparently.

[Whifflingpin]

Now that the Tories have shifted themselves a few degrees to the right of UKIP there is perhaps a need for a moderate liberal leader like Farage

[Jackson Richardson]

Although I have my serious doubts about Corbyn's competence, there's no doubt the Labour Party has no future in continuing the New Labour way. I was at the hustings for the General Election last year and Labour and Tory candidates just spouted cliches. The only candidate who spoke with passion and conviction was the Class War candidate. He polled only a few 100 votes and obviously I wouldn't vote for someone who'd like have me lined up and shot, but it was a pleasure to listen to someone who knew how to speak in public.

[Emil Miller]

Recent events is Strasbourg have damaged Ukip which unfortunately is par for the course with right-wing parties.
In France we have seen Marine le Pen banish her father from the Front Nationale.
The German AfD, which, on account of Merkel's mad immigration policy, has been making significant gains in regional elections has two main leaders who are said to heartily dislike each other.

[Whifflingpin]

Interesting use of the word "unfortunately." The only unfortunate thing about it is that we remain complacent and rely on those parties' innate self-destructiveness instead of actively opposing their anti-humane policies.

[Emil Miller]

Interesting use of the word "unfortunately." The only unfortunate thing about it is that we remain complacent and rely on those parties' innate self-destructiveness instead of actively opposing their anti-humane policies.

If right-wing parties are anathema, it behooves politicians such as Frau Merkel not to create conditions in which they thrive.