Jeremy Corbyn

[Smollet]

Anyone see Diane Abbott on the Andrew Marr show this morning trying to defend him? Didn't make good viewing for those who want Labour to be a serious creditable force in UK politics again.

[NoNeed]

Smollet said:

Anyone see Diane Abbott on the Andrew Marr show this morning trying to defend him? Didn't make good viewing for those who want Labour to be a serious creditable force in UK politics again.

I thought her comment about rail nationalisation interesting as she said when you poll on the subject it is very appealing to middle England, just like I had already said.

[Halb]

AJS- said:

It is rather reminiscent of the way William Hague was treated by the media when he was leader of the bruised Tory party post 1997. I get the feeling that the media make this a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Whether this is consciously decided upon or just a herd mentality of the press is not so clear.

I think there is something in that. People like to talk, people like to be pundits, people like to waffle. Something that is nothing gets a toehold, and then is talked up to the nth degree to death and beyond, until it has a force of it's own. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it hinders.

The Torys threw all kinds of things at the wall to stick ten years ago, Labour are now in that position.
The talking heads won't stop...ever.

[davepoth]

272BHP said:

Voter apathy will naturally see an end to Governments, 10 years of the Conservatives and the nation will fancy a change I would expect.

But who to?

If the Tories do get around to boundary reform and assuming the SNP remain as popular as they are then Labour don't have a route to a majority. A leftist coalition will be unstable and will only serve to reinforce the idea that there's no point voting for them.

Events will always get in the way of course, but in my view it's going to take a fundamental change to Labour before they get back into No. 10 on their own.

[Smollet]

NoNeed said:

I thought her comment about rail nationalisation interesting as she said when you poll on the subject it is very appealing to middle England, just like I had already said.

It won't be very appealing if it goes back to how it was run in the 70s. Cheap tickets but no service to speak of. Beware of what you wish for.

[NoNeed]

Smollet said:

It won't be very appealing if it goes back to how it was run in the 70s. Cheap tickets but no service to speak of. Beware of what you wish for.

I'm not wishing for it, I haven't been on a train for 20 years. I was commenting on what I see is a real threat from Corbyn.


An argument fro nationalisation is quite easy when we look at the most successful transport system we have (transport for london)and see that it is still in public ownership.

The left could be significantly different to make them appealing yet not so bad as to be a threat was my point earlier in the thread.

Edited by NoNeed on Sunday 19th July 10:58

[Halb]

He is campaigning on the Sunday Politics now.

[Smollet]

Halb said:

He is campaigning on the Sunday Politics now.

All four of the candidates are. I wonder if the BBC would afford the other parties the same facility?

[RYH64E]

It's easy to see why Corbyn is popular with the Labour left, he says what he thinks without letting practicality or reality moderate those views. He'd bankrupt the country in a single term if he ever gained power.

[Halb]

Smollet said:

Halb said:

He is campaigning on the Sunday Politics now.

All four of the candidates are. I wonder if the BBC would afford the other parties the same facility?

I would think so. These head-to-head debates are popular now.

[Smollet]

Halb said:

I would think so. These head-to-head debates are popular now.

The current one is rather amusing for the short period I watched it. Have they not realised that money doesn't grow on trees and that people should be responsible for their actions. Their comments about limiting child benefit seems to confirm they are out of touch with reality still.

[davepoth]

NoNeed said:

An argument fro nationalisation is quite easy when we look at the most successful transport system we have (transport for london)and see that it is still in public ownership.

Buses are privatised.

https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-do/...

Overground is privatised.

http://www.atoc.org/train-companies/london-overgro...

Trams are privatised.

https://uk.firstgroupcareers.com/company/firsttram...

DLR is privatised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-303685...

The only reason Labour didn't privatise the underground was the union. It has nothing to do with quality of service.

[otolith]

Seems I only ever hear about the nationalised bit striking.

[gregf40]

Is it just me or does the man look like a bird watcher?

[Smollet]

gregf40 said:

Is it just me or does the man look like a bird watcher?

Depends what sort of birds you're referring to

[dandarez]

gregf40 said:

Is it just me or does the man look like a bird watcher?

What, you mean like Christopher Jefferies 'looked' like a murderer?

[Johnnytheboy]

otolith said:

Seems I only ever hear about the nationalised bit striking.

Funny that.

[allergictocheese]

At least if Corbyn led the party, Labour would be being honest about what it really wants for the country.

The veneers that were Blair, Brown and Miliband were only ever the 'acceptable' front for a left wing organisation.

I don't think it would make Labour more likely to be elected next time, but it would possibly re-engage those who've lost faith in politicians and think they all tell lies.

[Mr_B]

The other 3 were all trying to twist and turn all over the place and revisit what they said and stood for in the past and change it to fit. I can see how he is ahead on at least just being more consistent and standing on what he believes. The 3 others were vague and leaving everything open to change on a revisit.

[RYH64E]

It's easy for Corbyn, the other three are at least trying to put on a show of fiscal responsibility, Corbyn's old school Labour and lives in a world where money's free and no one needs to work.