Labour Gobbledegook
Some people say that Jeremy Corbyn is not being a 'fair shake' by the media by the media who are constantly doing him down or making fun of what the Labour leader has to say.
Well here's an example of Jeremy doing this all by himself, with no help from anyone else, as he tries to explain what Labour policy in on the 'internet of things and big data'.
If you can understand what in God's name Jezza is banging on about, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
Corbyn Unplugged (13/01/17)
The Guardian's Suzanne Moore doesn't pull her punches in this hard-hitting column about Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party.
"This is painful to watch. Labour now dwells in a kind of limbo. Nothing can move forward until he goes, and he will only go in an electoral wipe out. This is the ultimate selfishness from someone who we are told by his groupies is some kind of saint. Labour can’t regenerate with him in charge and, indeed, Labour’s problems are far bigger than this one personality. He is now a bed-blocker – yes, this is a horrible, ageist metaphor – in terms of renewal. The merry band who preach with revolutionary zeal that we are on the verge of overthrowing the elites seem to be having some sort of flashback. In reality, people are joining the Lib Dems, Wales is no longer a heartland, the NHS is in meltdown. What there is left of the party when Corbyn is gone may not even be leftwing."
Unleashing the 'real' Jeremy seems to be making things worse.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/11/labour-jeremy-corbyn-reboot-shows-why-he-has-to-go-populism
Labour’s Corbyn reboot shows exactly why he has to go
By Suzanne Moore - The Guardian
This was the week that we were given the ‘real’ Jeremy. But for populism to work, it has to be popular in a way Corbyn can never be
This was the week that we were given the ‘real’ Jeremy. But for populism to work, it has to be popular in a way Corbyn can never be
Jeremy Corbyn 2.0: the same as the old one, but ‘populist’. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Jeremy Corbyn has had a “speak your brains” day trip this week and it seems to have achieved something quite unthinkable. He has managed to alienate some of his hardcore support, who have, until now, stuck with him despite the fact that he is Jeremy Corbyn. Being Jeremy is indeed the new strategy – let him be, it can’t get any worse – and who knows, the pure, unspun essence of Jeremy may cut through and inspire the doubters. We all need to be “woke” in the days of fake news and “populism” – a word that is often used, but little understood. The “real Jeremy” was to be unleashed. This presumes that the real Jeremy is something we are all equally enamoured with and want to see more of. Some do – but where others see kindness, I see only repressed anger. Where others see principle, I see a refusal to think and to learn. But then we all know I am guided by lizards, am a Tory, a Blairite, evil or just a stupid woman or any one of the multiple-choice insults for the unbelievers. Yadda yadda yadda.
So, rebooted and resuited, Corbyn reappeared, somewhat confused about a policy on pay differentials and then upsetting some of his core support who certainly do not want a hard Brexit or for freedom of movement to be compromised. Quite a feat. Was he sacrificing a principle (freedom of movement) for power – to appeal to leavers – to shore up power? If so, then surely he must feel power ebbing away.
Tom Watson is not on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's strategy committee
Tom Watson: I am not on his strategy committee.
Alastair Campbell: Who is then?
I don’t know.
What? That’s incredible.
That is how he is going to lead. That second election means he is the established leader. I am in the NEC (Labour's National Executive Committee) and in the shadow cabinet but nobody should be in any doubt it will be his manifesto. He will lead in developing those policies and I will support him...
Tom Watson thinks Jeremy Corbyn will lead the party at the next election
Photography by PA
Is it settled Corbyn will lead the party at the next election?
Yes.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It doesn’t matter; that is the situation. I made my position clear, gave private counsel, based on the fact it was difficult to lead without the confidence of a majority of MPs, but he took a different view, the membership backed him and we have to respect that.
A recent YouGov poll makes sombre reading Jeremy Corbyn and the leadership of the Labour Party
YouGov 'state of the parties' poll end of 2016: Con 39, Lab 24.
Same point in last Parliament end of 2012: Con 39, Lab 41.
Which means that Labour are now fully seventeen points behind where Ed Miliband stood in the Westminster political cycle.
The latest YouGov poll asked the public how they thought Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were doing their jobs, as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
The most surprising figures are those showing that more Labour voters (22%) think their man (Corbyn) is doing badly - compared to the net number of Labour voters (19%) who believe Theresa May is doing badly.
In other words, Jeremy Corbyn can't command the respect of even Labour voters never mind the wider public.
Jeremy Corbyn has had a “speak your brains” day trip this week and it seems to have achieved something quite unthinkable. He has managed to alienate some of his hardcore support, who have, until now, stuck with him despite the fact that he is Jeremy Corbyn. Being Jeremy is indeed the new strategy – let him be, it can’t get any worse – and who knows, the pure, unspun essence of Jeremy may cut through and inspire the doubters. We all need to be “woke” in the days of fake news and “populism” – a word that is often used, but little understood. The “real Jeremy” was to be unleashed. This presumes that the real Jeremy is something we are all equally enamoured with and want to see more of. Some do – but where others see kindness, I see only repressed anger. Where others see principle, I see a refusal to think and to learn. But then we all know I am guided by lizards, am a Tory, a Blairite, evil or just a stupid woman or any one of the multiple-choice insults for the unbelievers. Yadda yadda yadda.
So, rebooted and resuited, Corbyn reappeared, somewhat confused about a policy on pay differentials and then upsetting some of his core support who certainly do not want a hard Brexit or for freedom of movement to be compromised. Quite a feat. Was he sacrificing a principle (freedom of movement) for power – to appeal to leavers – to shore up power? If so, then surely he must feel power ebbing away.
Shaping the Future? (08/01/17)
GQ Magazine scored a bit of a coup after landing an interview with Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson, conducted by no less a figure than Alastair Campbell.
Tom and Jeremy were both elected at the same time, in the wake of Labour's catastrophic 2015 general election defeat and the slogan behind the town men reads:
YOUR CHOICE.
SHAPE THE FUTURE.
Yet the GQ interview revels that Tom Watson (who was elected deputy leader in his own right) is not on Jeremy Corbyn's strategy committee and doesn't even know who the members are.
As Alastair Campbell says - "What? That's incredible."
You can say that again and it's further evidence that Labour's high command is looking more like the Keystone Cops with every day that passes.
TOM WATSON'S TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP WITH JEREMY CORBYN
Read a preview of our interview with deputy Labour leader Tom Watson in the latest issue of GQ, conducted by our arch interrogator Alastair Campbell
Tom Watson is not on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's strategy committee
Tom Watson: I am not on his strategy committee.
Alastair Campbell: Who is then?
I don’t know.
What? That’s incredible.
That is how he is going to lead. That second election means he is the established leader. I am in the NEC (Labour's National Executive Committee) and in the shadow cabinet but nobody should be in any doubt it will be his manifesto. He will lead in developing those policies and I will support him...
Tom Watson thinks Jeremy Corbyn will lead the party at the next election
Photography by PA
Is it settled Corbyn will lead the party at the next election?
Yes.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It doesn’t matter; that is the situation. I made my position clear, gave private counsel, based on the fact it was difficult to lead without the confidence of a majority of MPs, but he took a different view, the membership backed him and we have to respect that.
Reality Check (06/01/17)
A recent YouGov poll makes sombre reading Jeremy Corbyn and the leadership of the Labour Party
YouGov 'state of the parties' poll end of 2016: Con 39, Lab 24.
Same point in last Parliament end of 2012: Con 39, Lab 41.
Which means that Labour are now fully seventeen points behind where Ed Miliband stood in the Westminster political cycle.
Ed has his own image problems with the media as well, so there's no point in Jeremy Corbyn blaming a hostile press.
Maybe the Corbynites are not interested in winning elections, maybe they're happy at having won control of the Labour Party?
Seems that way to me, but who would have though that a Corbyn-led party could have fallen so far in such a short space of time.
Labour Rebels (05/01/17)
The latest YouGov poll asked the public how they thought Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were doing their jobs, as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
The most surprising figures are those showing that more Labour voters (22%) think their man (Corbyn) is doing badly - compared to the net number of Labour voters (19%) who believe Theresa May is doing badly.
In other words, Jeremy Corbyn can't command the respect of even Labour voters never mind the wider public.
