Corbynism isn’t gone – there’s still hope it could shape the UK’s future
JVL Introduction
Paul Rogers expresses his surprise at the ongoing popularity of Jeremy Corbyn, still highly admired by so many in Britain today, as shown at the recent Bradford Literary Festival.
He remains one of those rare political figures who talks open and honestly about what he believes in – and these beliefs are widely shared by the hundreds and thousands who still turn out regularly to hear him wherever he speaks.
Here Rogers offers hope that the relevance of Corbyn’s approach will come into its own when a Starmer government finds it has so little to offer on the burning issues of the day.
RK
This article was originally published by OpenDemocracy on Fri 7 Jul 2023. Read the original here.
Corbynism isn’t gone – there’s still hope it could shape the UK’s future
Could Corbyn’s reception at events like Bradford Literature Festival say anything about the future of British politics?
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Interesting article about Rachel Reeves in today’s Guardian.
This exchange between its reporter and Reeves is very informative:
Simon Hattenstone:
“I tell her that I am Jewish and that I agree with a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism, but the party is so gung-ho that it is now labelling people antisemitic who simply aren’t—and there is a danger of destroying lives in the process.”
Reeves mentions Ken Loach in her response.
Hattenstone then challenges her:
“That doesn’t make him antisemitic, I say.”
Reeves:
“You don’t think Ken Loach is antisemitic? OK. Well I think we might have to agree to differ.”
Well done to Hattenstone for this.
P.S. Pudsey constituency is in Leeds. In fact, boundary changes will impact on Rachel Reeves constituency.
Support for Corbyn also evident at the Durham Miners’ Gala last weekend. Corbyn wasn’t speaking, but sat on the platform, but mention of him by another speaker got rapturous applause.
To save the labour party, Starmer and his whole front bench must be forced out, sacked!
Corbyn might not quite be his own worst enemy, but he was far too weak in allowing the claim that anti-Zionism was antisemitism, allowing many good people to be banished for supporting Palestinian fundamental human rights
Has Brought a tear to my Eye And Smile on My Face, Thanks
as Liz Truss would say”I knooooooooow!”
Very, pleased to see Paul Rogers come to the same conclusions other journalists, like Peter Oborne, came to three-and-a-half-years ago.
Let’s hope that will become a growing realisation among many more journalists.
Rachel Reeves’ – car-crash – interview, with Simon Hattenstone, in yesterday’s Guardian, certainly, helped it along.
More of the same, please.
‘….in conversations with those who have been forced out or marginalised in Labour Party circles, I have come across a shared view that goes something like this: The elite vision for the UK is long-term Tory rule punctuated by occasional short periods of safe centre-right breathing space when the Tories get a bit jaded. Starmer fits the bill perfectly – provided the party is properly cleansed of anything progressive – as will Wes Streeting in due course.’ This is exactly it. Starmer will get elected because those who own the press and dominate the media and right wing opinion formers like David Aaronovitch will support him. This is the state of British politics.
One of the problems for people who control the media is that they start to believe their own propaganda. In this instance they have suppressed all reference to public support for Jeremy Corbyn and have now convinced themselves that there is none.
There are many hostile replies to this article on Twitter, thus bearing out the assertion in the article “Perhaps the most interesting aspect of his continued popularity is that it comes amid a backdrop of hostility from the Labour Party leadership.” An indication that all the hostility, all the purges, all the broken pledges and all the trashing of the magnificent manifesto, is far from having the desired effect Starmer intended.
Let’s hope. As one of the people who organised a screening of The Big Lie in Sheffield I echo Paul’s observation. The film has now been screened twice in Sheffield, and there is already a large waiting list for a third. And all this despite both the BOD and the CAA trying to stop the screenings by bullying centre managers, throughout the country.
Very encouraging indeed. I just hope Corbyn has a strategy for getting back on the national stage in time for the next General Election.
Jeremy is outstandingly good. Conservative establishment mediocracies within the English media and within the Labour Party persistently told big lies to do Jeremy down and to steal democratic choice from us. I observed that Starmer was useless in his Shadow Brexit role. Now Starmer is worse than useless as Labour Party leader. Starmer is duplicitous, nasty and highly hypocritical. A Starmer led government would of course be disastrous.
The BBC Is a total disgrace, if it was Starmer getting rapturous applause, it would be a main feature on its News Programmes. I maybe reading this wrong about Streeting but he’s another liar, he talks a good talk when he’s on programmes like Question Time but he’s shoulder to shoulder with Starmer. He’s taken money from a Health Company and says he will bring more Private Health Companies into the NHS. I now see him as a Parliamentary Gravy Train Rider, in it for himself.
I hope JC stands as an Independent at the next GE, thousands are saying they will be travelling to London to campaign for him and I’ll be one of them. Holborn and St Pancras is only a walk away from N. Islington, so I’ll be doing some campaigning along with others, against Starmer!!
I am a Canadian socialist, a pro-Palestinian Jew, and great admirer of the courage of Corbyn. I am very heartened by this account of his enduring popularity. He is the future, Starmer is the Blairite past, temporarily erected, Zombie-like. A toast to Corbyn and his inspiration.