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.
Well spotted Noddy wirh the blue hat wirh the little bell on it. 🙂
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127161425@N07/16930425877/in/dateposted-public/
Fecking eck, Jeremy Corbyn and Billy Bragg are singing the Red Flag to a huge crowd in Parliament Square! Here’s Corbyn’s speech at the refugee rally…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ho3nIx_wwE
Saturday 12th September 2015, and Britain is suddenly a different place; that is, until the neo-con psychos start coming out of catatonic shock.
Oh, and quite a bit of violence now going on at the arms fair demo in the City.
The Hague might have shuffled a few feet closer to Blair, Straw, Hoon, et al today.
I wonder how they are feeling?
Kind regards,
John
Labour leadership: Jeremy Corbyn full victory speech
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34233529
21 mins on video
RobG Thanks for that link ..
Re the arms Fair
People are wakening up..at least on this side of the Ocean.. oor Ben being one of the Exceptions. And Lyasis…izat the correct spelling.
The arms Articulate Dude –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P80pGS3CKjI
Arms Fair Articulate Dude.
Mary cheers for the full Speech..Hope you are well.
Reed is a member of the Blairite outfit Progress that recently provided BLiar with an adoring audience.
http://www.progressonline.org.uk/event/in-conversation-with-tony-blair/
Reed in January
‘I don’t care if I am categorised as a Blairite or not, though I’m very happy to be described as such. I’m proud of the record of the last Labour government. It was transformational for our country. It governed in the interests of the overwhelming majority of people in Britain and improved the lives of millions. This is incontestable.
But this progress was only made possible by new behaviours emerging within the Labour party and amongst Labour politicians. These new behaviours were as numerous as they were significant and they changed the Labour party for the better: an understanding that individual aspiration was good for society, that wealth has to be grown before it can be distributed, that business at every level is part of the great society and not its enemy, that Britain should play a leading global role with regard to the biggest challenges facing the planet, from climate change to international development to the combatting of terrorism. The definitive list is long and profound but two other qualities are synonymous with ‘Blairism’.’
http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2015/01/30/the-last-word-a-blairite-writes/
Reed was elected in 2005.
So David Cameron spent yesterday watching a cricket match whilst Northern Ireland teeters on the edge of the “troubles” flaring up again.
Maybe Cameron thinks the people of NI, hate each other as well as everyone else, as he stated about Yorkshire people, you never know with that buffoon if he’s serious or not.
Unfortunately Cameron and his spouse SaCam are in Scotland today, swanning around his 5th cousin removed twice, estate Old Droopy chops HRH. No doubt Cameron will, be congratulating HRH on her momentous achievement, of fleecing the taxpayer, ad infinitum.
Jon Snow, Paul Mason. couple of others maybe, They are not exactly left wing though are they. They seem to hold a central ground that’s very valuable but the juxtaposition against the rest.
My fear of course is that Jeremy will get swallowed up…It is one hell of a mandate. And the seriousness of the attempt is surely what matters.
Anyway, It is a great win for this country. The kind of person he is, I know everyones human but most of em? It’s just the show, the dress, the rehearsed speeches, the loud down your ear-hole shouting. It’s really a bad symptom of the majority.
Commons debates. Really how does anyone expect anything from this odd strange set of rituals? sideshow.
David Cameron was correct. On the surface at least. I think that’s the whole system, to turn people against each-other.
DtP
12 Sep, 2015 – 1:15 pm
I feel sorry for Chukka – no one as taleted as he should be so disrespected.
_________
He’s a wannabe-social-climbing-wimp.
I regret that he withdrew from the line-up. He deserved a good drubbing if he thought his Obama-like-looks and perceived ‘charisma’ would have brought him anywhere near the leadership role.
I guess since Corbyn said he saw no objection to Tony Blair being prosecuted for war crimes, it’s not hard to understand Blair’s remarks about Corbyn.
I do hope everyone saw the latest “Private Eye” cover. http://www.private-eye.co.uk/current-issue
Craig, hats off to you for having called the new JC superstar electable when he was still a shy, tentative addition to the cast.
Here’s something from old Hitchens:
“…very briefly on a busy day, I would say here that I see this moment as a victory of adversarial, adult politics over bland, public relations pseudo-politics and the ghastly, meaningless and closed-minded concept of the ‘centre’, a claim by a narrow political viewpoint to be somehow blessed with moderation, modernity and common sense, when its only real strength is to be in fashion with conventional wisdom.
This is not because I agree with Mr Corbyn about much (though I do agree with him about some things, notably railway nationalisation and several foreign policy issues) . One of the things that is wrong with him is that he shares far too many polices with David Cameron, and isn’t anything like radical enough for me on the European Union, where he is disappointingly conventional, unlike his one-time ally, Tony Benn .
It often puzzles me that the Labour Left have mysteriously abandoned Tony Benn’s consistent and indispensable opposition to the EU, while continuing to revere him.
The right people have been discomfited. That does not, alas, mean that we are on the road to any real change in national politics.”
For me, Corbyn is a sort of breath of fresh air, though the people who are giving him the J.C. Superstar treatment that so many have received before him – Thatcher, Blair, Obama etc. – are making a mistake. He may be a decent enough bloke, but he’s still only a man and it does him a disservice to get too excited.
I like the fact that he favours withdrawal from N.A.T.O., though for me, that is only a job half-done. If he can be persuaded to favour withdrawal from the E.U. too, I might break the habit of a lifetime and vote Labour for once. I would forgive his penchant for mass-immigration (which is going to continue anyway unless Farage wins) for those two gems.
Sturgeon, of course, reserves the right to leave the British union if the rest of the country votes to leave the E.U. – or at least put it to the people north of the border. Well, that’s quite right; the Union isn’t sacrosanct and if sufficient people in one area don’t want to follow the majority on a matter of sufficient import, then they must do what they must do. In that context, however, it makes you wonder what the S.N.P. means when they say “independence”.
Thank’s for the vid link RobG, And thanks Jeremy…Needed to hear this spoken.
You are correct RoS.
‘The Prime Minister will then return to London before travelling to Scotland on Saturday with wife Samantha for his annual visit to see the Queen in Balmoral.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3230804/Cameron-won-t-Northern-Ireland-rescue-peace-process-tickets-cricket.html
11.9.15
Then the Commons push off next Thursday for conferences, returning 12 Oct
Conference 17 September 2015 12 October 2015
November 10 November 2015 16 November 2015
Christmas 17 December 2015 5 January 2016
“(Ghandi)”
For God’s sake can’t you get the man’s name (including the pronunciation right?
John Goss
12 Sep, 2015 – 2:04 pm
“Somebody spotted me on a playing-card so I’ve changed my gravatar.”
__________
What? As a joker?
O/T I think Bibi has now left the UK.
A spot of gloating at Balfour’s betrayal.
PM Netanyahu and his Wife Sara Visit the British Library where They Viewed the Original Balfour Declaration http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Events/Pages/eventBalfour100915.aspx
He met the CFoI crowd on Thursday and was welcomed by Billy Bunter.
https://cfoi.co.uk/cfi-hosts-cross-party-parliamentary-briefing-with-israeli-pm-benjamin-netanyahu/
“I feel sorry for Chukka – no one as talented as he should be so disrespected.”
It’s not about talent, though i’m sure he has none as he looks like a child. Like most ceo types. They are empty shells with not personal growth as humans.
It’s clear all they care about is money wealth and perceived status. Whoever wrote the above is obviously not a victim of this system are they. The “talent” they have is for deceptions and self interest, and the harm they do to society you obviously don’t regard..
I’m not talking superficial harm either. I’m talking about society wide degradation, death, murder of innocents, breaking of families, stress, illness, violence. These are the talents he and others promise. And it’s entirely right to hate it and those who facilitate it.
It may be better at the moment to focus on what Jeremy Corbyn should concentrate on most, rather than insisting on the obvious truth that what he wants doesn’t go far enough. (E.g. his idiotic support for a two-state chimera in Palestine.)
And here’s what he should focus on: NATO withdrawal to the front.
Make that a big issue. A lot of other issues will then practically raise themselves, including no attack in Syria, war crimes trials, nuclear disarmament, the power of the Zionist lobby, etc.
I would also like to see a fierce focus on the Privy Council question, because that could damage the monarchy, the Tories, and the ‘establishment’. For fuck’s sake, this is an open goal!
I don’t like the term “Blairite”. Even “neo-con” gets wearing. The network we are talking about is pro-Pentagon pro-Langley Labour. It’s a network that belongs to the US.
If ever there was a time to shout get the fuck out of NATO and close the US bases, NOW IS IT.
I also hope Corbyn pushes for greater influence from the trade unions. Few people realise it, but the answer to the immigration issues is not to focus mainly on a) allowing refugees to come here or b) stopping some people from coming here. Of course immigration is OK, and granting asylum to refugees is a good thing, but equally clearly, immigration does bring problems and you don’t have to be a UKIPper or Tory to recognise that. The key is to encourage immigrant workers, whether refugees or otherwise, to join trade unions on the same basis as British workers. That will be good for people in both groups, for reasons that are so obvious that I won’t spell them out.
@Craig – I’m sure you like a good conspiracy theory as much of the rest of us. (Except where Robin Janvrin is concerned? Come on, he was involved in the murder of Princess Diana for goodness sake! But I digress.) Put the idea of a second Scottish referendum together with the idea that Corbyn will be ousted within a year, and what do you get? Could it be a Lab overall majority in Holyrood in 8 months time, bye bye SNP, followed by bye-bye Corbyn?
I don’t agree that there should be a referendum whenever the Scottish government wants one. I would if they had a mandate, but they don’t. The mandate they have is to improve the union.
They should have left office after the first referendum. To be more precise, they should have either left office and kept calling for independence, or stayed in office and shut the fuck about it and said they’d support the union. The Scottish people gave them a very clear message. The fact that it was 55%-45% is irrelevant. There was a very high turnout and the result was clear. Proper leaders would have said “we hear you”.
No-one likes a bad loser.
Scottish Labour will not fight the 2016 Scottish GE on a manifesto that’s pro-independence. Anyone who believes they will is living in cloud cuckoo land. Jeremy Corbyn’s main effect in Scotland will be to take votes away from the SNP and give them to the unionist Labour Party. Who cares that some guy in a “down south” party, representing a London constituency, backs Scottish independence? Jeremy Corbyn is bad news for the SNP.
But he’s good news for Britain, including Scotland.
They are empty shells with no* personal growth as humans.
Actually it’s more a wrathing process imo. They don’t know right from wrong, it simply does not matter. ie, Am I looking good, sounding convincing, check by bank balance, i’m so ‘talented’ to have all this money, power, they are scum being so not like me.
And we get treated as such. Our lives mean nothing, through them back in the channel. Bomb them. Attack the boats, seal the borders. Punish the poor.
Sigh, I really should give my axe a rest. Can’t people just not say anything until they think a bit. Just a bit of thought and consideration.
Bad losers get punished in the polls. The fact the SNP won so many seats at Westminster because of the FPTP system (all but 3 seats, on less than 50% of the vote) doesn’t amount to a swell of support for independence. If there was another referendum now, they’d lose again, by a bigger margin.
“Somebody spotted me on a playing-card….”
Snap!
“Oh, and quite a bit of violence now going on at the arms fair demo in the City.”
_________________
Which you seem quite pleased about, RobG, from the safe sidelines of Poitou-Charentes, France.
N_
12/09/2015 7:03pm
I am not convinced that concentration on withdrawal from NATO would increase Corbyn’s popularity and electability. I would like to see good solid evidence that it would before I agreed that that should be a main plank to his platform to the wider electorate. He won’t get the UK out of NATO if he does not become Prime Minister.
Personally I think he would be better advised to start closer to home. I would like to see him begin on housing (priority one), the effects of austerity, the need to protect the NHS, the sense of renationalisation, and similar domestic issues. That is what will bring the electorate around to him.
Kind regards,
John
You can sense the disappointment from Craig. Much of his pro-independence stance rests on their being two Tory parties at Westminster. What does he do now?
John Goss, awesome Gravatar!
“He may be a decent enough bloke, but he’s still only a man and it does him a disservice to get too excited.”
Agree, but things do feel less black today, perhaps “sea change” is not so correct as see-return, an influx of re-humanity. Without popular will this would not have happened. Ie it’s not about him more than anyone.
In fact it’s probably less him (or us) but every day people. Or more natural human nature…
Seems that much darkness simply can’t endure the realties of humanity, and that’s what’s ultimately demonstrated, shone through. Whatever.
Articles appearing in the Guardian attacking him for not being female (no kidding).
N, there are numerous reasons I don’t think Diana was murdered, not that I care enormously about the over-privileged slapper. But the fact that most of the murder theories seem to involve Robin Janvrin certainly helps persuade me they are not true.