Jeremy Corbyn has caused a sensation – he would make a fine prime minister. By Owen Jones // The biggest political divide in Britain is age
this was about
millions inspired by a radical manifesto that promised to transform Britain, to
eliminate injustices, and challenge the vested interests holding the country
back… People believe the well-off should pay more, that we should invest that
money in schools, hospitals, houses, police, and public services, that worker
should have a living wage, that young people should not be saddled with debt
for an education, that utilities should be under the control of the people.. If
the same old stale, technocratic centrism had been offered, Labour would have
faced an absolute drubbing, just like its European sister parties did. Labour
is now permanently transformed. Its policy programme is unchallengeable. It is
now the party’s consensus. It cannot and will not be taken away… Social
democracy is in crisis across the western world. British Labour is now one of
the most successful centre-left parties, many of which have been reduced to
pitiful rumps under rightwing leaderships.
This is one of the
most sensational political upsets of our time. Theresa May – a wretched dishonest excuse
of a politician, don’t pity her – launched a general election with the sole
purpose of crushing opposition in Britain. It was brazen opportunism, a naked
power grab: privately, I’m told, her team wanted the precious “bauble” of going
down in history as the gravediggers of the British Labour party. Instead, she
has destroyed herself. She is toast. She has just usurped
the title of “worst prime minister on their own terms” since David Cameron, who
himself took it from Lord North in the 18th century. Look at the political
capital she had: the phenomenal polling lead, almost the entire support of the
British press, the most effective electoral machine on earth behind her. Her
allies presented the Labour opposition
as an amusing, eccentric joke which could be squashed like a fly which had
already had its wings ripped off. They genuinely believed they could get a
180-seat majority. She will leave No 10 soon, disgraced, entering the history
books filed under “hubris”.
Ayesha Hazarika - I admit it: I was wrong about Jeremy Corbyn
The biggest political divide in Britain is age
But, before a false
media narrative is set, let me put down a marker. Yes, the Tory campaign was a
shambolic, insulting mess, notable only for its U-turns, a manifesto that
swiftly disintegrated, robotically repeated mantras which achieved only
ridicule. But don’t let media commentators – hostile to Labour’s vision –
pretend that the May calamity is all down to Tory self-inflicted wounds. The
highest turnout since 1997, perhaps the biggest Labour percentage since the
same year – far eclipsing Blair’s total in 2005. Young and previous non-voters
coming out in astonishing numbers, not because they though “ooh, Theresa May
doesn’t stick to her promises, does she?” Neither can we reduce this to a
remainer revolt. The Lib Dems threw everything at the despondent remainer
demographic, with paltry returns. Many Ukip voters flocked to the Labour party.
No: this was about
millions inspired by a radical manifesto that promised to transform Britain, to
eliminate injustices, and challenge the vested interests holding the country
back.. read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/09/jeremy-corbyn-prime-minister-labour
