I am unreservedly delighted at Jeremy Corbyn’s election. He made a quite excellent speech, specifically rejecting an attack on Syria, marketization in the NHS and the new anti-union legislation. Hopefully the scale of his victory will give pause to the Blairites who will realise they are not as all-important as they thought.
There is no doubt whatsoever that the vast majority of the Labour establishment, as represented by the people in that hall, are hostile to Corbyn. The question now is whether Corbyn can overhaul party mechanisms in such a way as to bring the opinions of the membership to bear on policy and override that right wing “elite” who have been in charge of the party.
The first few weeks are key. Most Blairites are above all careerists. If they think Corbyn can carry through his personal dominance into control of policy and party mechanisms, then many of the Blairites will look at their constituency members and suddenly discover they had left-wing principles after all. If the Blairites think that a resistance and undermining campaign against Corbyn will succeed (and there will certainly be one), they will go for that. In short, most “Blairites” are out for themselves and will join what they perceive will be the winning side Corbyn’s winning margin, and the fact he won overwhelmingly among full members, gives him a very strong base.
I have shared anti-war and pro-Palestinian platforms with Jeremy, and have the greatest respect for him. I also expect that he will have the strength to stand against both the smothering blandishments and the attacks of the neo-con establishment. The “Corbyn’s election is a disaster” narrative is being pushed by the BBC relentlessly in every question and comment – for example they just asked Ed Miliband “In retrospect was it a mistake for you to resign the day after the election?”, the clear sub-text being that Corbyn’s election was undesirable.
Ever since I realised that Blair’s New Labour was entirely subservient to the neo-con agenda I have regarded Labour as the enemy, as a fake opposition so close to the Tories as to make no difference. I viewed its leadership as utterly unscrupulous careerists fully signed up to a vicious pro-wealthy agenda at home and completely subservient to US/Israeli foreign policy abroad. This new careerism tied in very nicely with a pre-existing rotten borough corruption in Scotland and Northern England. I utterly detested the Labour Party.
So it is difficult for me to find the Labour Party led by a man whom I know, nuch respect, and with whom I disagree on almost nothing except Scottish independence. I also continue to believe that once consolidated, Jeremy will make it clear he has no hostility to Scottish independence and will support a second referendum whenever the Scottish government wants it.
But the problem is that the Labour Party hierarchy, and particularly their parliamentary party, is still full of people who are neo-cons, Red Tories, appallingly corrupt, careerists and in several cases war criminals. To know what attitude to adopt to the Labour Party must depend on how the battle for control of the party pans out. The scale of Corbyn’s victory, and the total rejection of the direct interference of Tony Blair, give Corbyn a great start. Those Blairite bastions – the Guardian and the BBC – are spluttering incoherently.
Jeremy Corbyn has just won the battle for party leadership. But the battle for control of the Labour Party just started.
I would expect Labour membership to swell even more than it has this past month.
I have spoken to two people this afternoon who said they plan to join.
Any port in a storm. Hope inspires hope, but nope. I wish I could get giggly about someone like Corbyn or Sanders, but as always, the exception proves the Rule. Good day and Good Luck.
The following is presently the most read international story on the Washington Post. I found the reader’s comments somewhat surprising:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/leftist-jeremy-corbyn-elected-leader-of-britains-labour-party/2015/09/12/abbee19e-5678-11e5-9f54-1ea23f6e02f3_story.html
“Let us await the coming apology for the Iraq war!”
Agree, that should very be meaningful. Of course apologizes can’t make up, nothing can. But I think it reflects the sentiment of a hell of a lot of people. And should be the start of some actual amending of the causes, and some kind meaningful reparations to them. Ones that actually don’t make things worse. like bomb-helping. Or usurp government helping.
You have to admire they way Andy Burnham overcame his monumental internal struggle to hold back the tears. His petted lip was trippin’ him. I have absolutely no doubt that Liz Kendall will now be going to where she regards her natural home is; the Tory Party.
FIRST item on a Corbyn to do list, prevent £3 billion of potential NHS funding being wasted on bombing “murderer” assad, just because the habbas and east europeans are baying for his blood.
test
The Tories have been quick off the mark in reacting to Corbyn’s victory…
http://x.mail.conservatives.com/ats/msg.aspx?sg1=2b08caaaed2e20d512fb1f012c095546
Another Project Fear, it seems; and the target of their bile is taking part in the London rally this afternoon in support of refugees. From the photos of it that I’ve seen, a huge number of people are attending this rally:
http://twitter.com/markriceoxley69/status/642686153716535296/photo/1
There is also quite a large demo going on at the Excell Center in the City, where the world’s largest arms fair is underway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjc8w26IOTE
(no idea if this post will get through, since Craig’s site appears to have been hacked)
The Labour Party website does not show the percentages, so I have calculated them, but I do not seem to be able to post them as a table here. Corbyn received 49.59% of members’ votes, 83.76% of registered supporters’, and 57.61% of affiliated supporters’ votes.
I thought that they would all show a clear 50%+ majority for Corbyn, but they did not. However, he still would have a comfortable 50%+ majority even if the registered supporters were all cancelled.
That being so, I am pretty annoyed by these Shadow Cabinet members saying they will only stay if Corbyn changes his policies. The results clearly show that his are the most popular policies among the Labour Party membership at the moment. Who are they to tell him he needs to think again? They should resign straight away rather than do that.
Contempt for democracy emerges very clearly at a time like this.
Kind regards,
John
Members, then registered, then affiliated.
No % No % No %
Burnham 55,698 22.69% 6,160 5.83% 18,604 26.00%
Cooper 54,470 22.19% 8,415 7.97% 9,043 12.64%
Corbyn 121,751 49.59% 88,449 83.76% 41,217 57.61%
Kendall 13,601 5.54% 2,574 2.44% 2,682 3.75%
245,520 100.00% 105,598 100.00% 71,546 100.00%
“I am pretty annoyed by these Shadow Cabinet members saying they will only stay if Corbyn changes his policies”
I find their assumption that they will be invited to join Corbyn’s first shadow cabinet amusing rather than annoying.
I too am happy that Mr Corbyn becomes Labour leader for reasons which I have explained several times on recent threads.
In particular because if he maintains his positions and can carry the party with him the electorate will be offered a clear political choice at the next election.
++++++++++++++++
May I take this occasion to deliver a very well-earned kick up the backside of those foolish commenters on this blog who were prophesying on here dirty tricks from the “Establishment”, MI5 and MI6, the CIA and God knows whom else intended to ensure that Mr Corbyn would not get elected?
I am delighted that their foolish, alarmist and paranoid ravings have ONCE AGAIN to be shown up for what they are – namely, a pile of steaming manure.
Glad to see the blog back up. What happened?
The Con hierarchy have been issued with this for a soundbite. I have heard three of them mouth it including that disgrace of a woman, Pritti Patel, one of IDS’s henchpersons.
‘Labour are now a serious risk to our nation’s security, our economy’s security and your family’s security.’
For instance, Mr Mark GOLDING on the previous thread:
“Think Jeremy Corbyn will win? – Not a chance; the caretaker Labour leaders have been hustled with influence peddling by the elite so that:
..a purge which saw well over 100,000 (largely left-wing) registered supporters barred from voting in the Labour Leadership election.”
etc, etc, etc…
What a king-size chump! 🙂
Let us hope the door will not hit their butt on their way out!
What do these luminaries bring to the table that is so indispensable?
As one Gianni Agnelli (just the guy for the red Tories) used to say; “cemeteries are full of indispensable people”!
John these specimens have no regards for any kind of a system that they cannot game.
RobG has a graphic of the words of the soundbite.
http://x.mail.conservatives.com/ats/msg.aspx?sg1=2b08caaaed2e20d512fb1f012c095546
Now if only the rumours of Coulson and a high level ex-NOWT executive ratting on Cameron re hacking GB inbox for Conservative Central Office during the 2010 GE are true, Corbyn could be the next PM much faster than we think.
I also expect that he will have the strength to stand against both the smothering blandishments and the attacks of the neo-con establishment.
That prediction is somewhat optimistic Craig and can only be assured I believe by a strong collective consciousness, a mutual intention to transform, to educate young thought, to break from false democracy, to gain trust and foster confidence in the minds of the majority.
Habba, the character assassination of Corbyn by the ‘entire’ mainstream media is perhaps some indication that we do not live in a functioning democracy. It’s ersatz democracy; inverted totalitarianism. As such, the vermin who pull the levers would not hesitate to wipe out Corbyn, in the very real sense, because he is such a threat to them. They wouldn’t dare do it at the moment, though, because they know they’d have a revolution on their hands. That said, I still predict an ‘event’ of some kind sometime soon.
In the meantime, here’s a lovely piece from the Daily Telegraph, reacting to Corbyn’s leadership victory. I’m sure you could have written it yourself…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/11859233/The-day-the-Labour-Party-died.html
Ahh, back to functioning blog.
RE. Mog
“I would expect Labour membership to swell even more than it has this past month.
I have spoken to two people this afternoon who said they plan to join.”
This could matter, but i’v real problems with membership to party’s. Government’s meant to represent the people, not members interest. Members often the more wealthy in society as it’s not just about joining fee, it’s getting to meetings, etc etc etc, getting snubbed because you don’t power dress.
And again, this leads to all kind of divisions and specific interests being served while the rest get shafted. I was very suspect hearing him saying he would give more members input, on the face of it it sounds better than not. But I think the issues are clear.
And how are they going to react to people who are going to go outside the system and start organising independent of the usury system of dept traps and government regulation? As i’v had enough being abused by them, the social security system, the health care system and alike, there disciplinary punishment mechanisms that can go to hell. I’d really rather die, all my life i’v had it on and off, i’v had enough so i’m not re-joining the system any time soon.
Not for me, there most be tons of people with similar experience, and what are they going to do about that? The sate as a tool for persecuting the poor in particular.. .
Mark Golding
“I also expect that he will have the strength to stand against both the smothering blandishments and the attacks of the neo-con establishment.
That prediction is somewhat optimistic Craig and can only be assured I believe by a strong collective consciousness, a mutual intention to transform, to educate young thought, to break from false democracy, to gain trust and foster confidence in the minds of the majority.”
_________________________
With your powers of prophecy having been shown up as a pile of steaming manure, I should have thought you’d want to shut the fuck up for a while. At least on the prophecies.
These are the tossers Craig was on about in a previous post, already throwing their rattles out of the pram. Six front-benchers will not serve in a Shadow Cabinet under Jeremy Corby. The important thing they overlook is it is doubtful with their past records that they would even have been asked.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/12/labour-frontbenchers-rule-out-serving-in-jeremy-corbyn-shadow-cabinet
‘Influence peddling’ requires a negative response (two negatives make a positive) -only ‘King-size chumps’ can deliver that insight.
Corbyn
Habbbakuk (down wirh cant) and (down wirh spelling too Noddy). 🙂
The state* as a tool for persecuting the poor in particular.. .
….And have people been following David Harvey’s recent reflections, meetings..?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8-Oew0_4vQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx2Epp37NNI
The ‘deep state’ are not resting are they.
Mr Goss
“We’re not Yanks. A lot of dissilusioned people have become happier today.”
__________________
“Dissilusioned”, Mr Goss?
You wouldn’t be trying to get a rise out of me, would you? 🙂
Good man Mark Golding..Honor to ye.
And Are changes also afoot with Ch 4 news.. I predict with 100% accuracy.. that i do Hope over Fear So –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P80pGS3CKjI
O/T but rather interesting.
The UN is to fly the Palestinian flag, at its New York headquarters. In a “symbolic” move, Palestine was granted non member observer state status of the UN in 2012.
The symbolic and that’s all it is, resolution was backed by 119 members with 8 voting against it and 45 abstaining which included Britain.
Israel spoke out against the decision to fly the Palestinian flag Israeli UN ambassador Ron Prosor said “It was a blatant attempt to hijack the UN” he also accused the Palestinians of trying to score points.
Prosor then, attacked the UN assembly saying “The assembly would vote to declare the earth is flat, if the Palestinians proposed it.”
Meanwhile Mark Toner of the US State department condemned the flying of the Palestinian flag, as “unproductive.”
Among the countries to oppose the symbolic gesture are, America,Israel, Australia and Canada.
Among the abstentions you have Britain, Germany (the supposed humanitarian country) Singapore and the Netherlands.