Jeremy Corbyn - Not Not Labour Party(?), not a Communist (BBC)

Fingeredmouse

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
5,641
Location
Glasgow
The point around his manifesto not being radical is one that resonates strongly with me. I find myself in a position where my personal politics, it appears, is now considered extreme against the backdrop of British politics. Public ownership of essential services and redistribution of wealth were not radical concepts in my youth and I still don't see them as being so. However, it appears there's a general consensus, as witnessed in various "Libcafe" threads, that the Caf is very left wing too.

I feel alienated by a political system that has options of very right, right or a centrist position that has Overton Windowed significantly to the right across my lifetime. I cannot see how, in this environment, a political party that can be elected to Westminster and form a Government can ever be one I can vote for.

I don't know Starmer. I have no strong feelings about him personally. However, his political stance (such as it is) so far and the direction he seems to be taking Labour in order to follow a strategy which is believed will win votes in England is of no interest to me. A party that can attract Tory voters is unlikely to be a party I want to vote for. I want a well led party guided by principle and what they believe in, not pandering to Daily Mail and UKIP warped optics. I don't want the Democrats or the Republicans but with colours reversed. There need to be choices across the political spectrum and a voting system that can reflect that.

It is, as an aside, for these reasons that Labour lost Scotland decades ago where the politics, dominated as they are by the population density in the Central belt, are centre left. Or extreme left as it seems such views are now seen.
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
What is an extreme left these days? There is no communism anymore. I want to lead a decent life. I don't care if I can't riot or demonstrate. Not that it matters to the elites. Millions marched in London against the Iraq war and the government couldn't care a feck.
Look at the Diego Garcia case. The courts ruled against the government, the UN general assembly voted against the government. They didn't give a feck. The economy is fecked. Health Service is fecked. Everything is fecked but they said it's the best in the world.
 

nimic

something nice
Scout
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
31,411
Location
And I'm all out of bubblegum.
It's a wonder anyone on the left of the party, at least those who supported Corbyn, are still voting Labour after the way this all panned out. I'm sure the same old characters will claim that getting rid of the left is a positive, but how are they ever going to win an election this way?
 

TwoSheds

More sheds (and tiles) than you, probably
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
12,963
Is that just an assertion from a man I don't know in Twitter or is it true? How can a political party ban their members from watching a film that isn't illegal? Or do they mean from watching it together or something?
 

Badunk

Shares his caf joinday with Dante
Joined
Oct 22, 2010
Messages
12,950
Location
Occupied Merseyside
Is that just an assertion from a man I don't know in Twitter or is it true? How can a political party ban their members from watching a film that isn't illegal? Or do they mean from watching it together or something?
He explains that they may be able to find out who you are and expel you.
 

ThehatchetMan

Plz look at Me! Pay attention to Me!
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
7,418
Supports
Crusaders FC
Is that just an assertion from a man I don't know in Twitter or is it true? How can a political party ban their members from watching a film that isn't illegal? Or do they mean from watching it together or something?
I don't think they can literally ban people from watching it in their own homes. But if they were to share it or like it or give any indication they've watched it or attention to it on their social media then I imagine that's where the issues come in.

Diane Abbot isn't usually one to shy away from pro corbyn stuff. Wonder if she'll make reference to it on her social media.
 

ThehatchetMan

Plz look at Me! Pay attention to Me!
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
7,418
Supports
Crusaders FC
I assume he'll stand as an independent...and may well win. Is it 40 years he's held that seat for?
I think he'd have a very good chance of winning. I'd be surprised to see him lose, it'll take a great labour candidate.
 

Livvie

Executive Manager being kept sane only by her madn
Scout
Joined
Jun 5, 2000
Messages
41,729
Jeremy Corbyn is one of the very few politicians I would trust to do the right thing. It's a tragedy that such a person is maligned to the point of a witch hunt, when he's got more decency in his little finger than the majority have in their whole bodies.
 

stw2022

New Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
3,687
The problem was pretending the media wasn't important and then claiming he was brought down because of the media.

Media management and engagement IS vitally important to the success of a politican/political party. One of the main failures of the Corbyn project was the naive denial of that reality.
 

Badunk

Shares his caf joinday with Dante
Joined
Oct 22, 2010
Messages
12,950
Location
Occupied Merseyside
The problem was that the establishment was all against Labour in general and him in particular. Starmer has cosied up to the media barons, just like Blair did, which is why he's getting a relatively easy ride up to now, despite being a political weather vane with little in the way of principles.
 

owlo

Full Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2015
Messages
3,252
Think I'm the only lefty left on here who strongly dislikes Corbyn and is perfectly happy to see the back of him. No idea why people like or trust him.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,312
Location
Dublin
The problem was that the establishment was all against Labour in general and him in particular. Starmer has cosied up to the media barons, just like Blair did, which is why he's getting a relatively easy ride up to now, despite being a political weather vane with little in the way of principles.
His lack of principles is the reason for the easy ride.
 

ThehatchetMan

Plz look at Me! Pay attention to Me!
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
7,418
Supports
Crusaders FC
Think I'm the only lefty left on here who strongly dislikes Corbyn and is perfectly happy to see the back of him. No idea why people like or trust him.
Alot of us liked having a left wing leader in the Labour Party.
 

DOTA

wants Amber Rudd to call him a naughty boy
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Messages
24,504
Not sure your definition of left wing is necessarily the same one others use.
 

ThehatchetMan

Plz look at Me! Pay attention to Me!
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
7,418
Supports
Crusaders FC
You can have a left wing leader who's not a lunatic wanting to blow up foreign policy.
We don't have one at present. Can you expand on this blowing up foreign policy.
 

owlo

Full Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2015
Messages
3,252
We don't have one at present. Can you expand on this blowing up foreign policy.
On Ukraine: He's been speaking on Pro Russian media criticizing Western support for Ukraine, saying that he wants to negotiate peace. Lives in fairyland on that one. Thinking that they can negotiate peace then a Russian withdrawal, and that it wouldn't empower Putin further. He's blamed the conflict on NATO since 2014, using direct Kremlin propoganda.

On Kosovo: He not only decried intervention, but specifically denied the warcrimes of Slobodan and even supported Pilger in the HoC.

On Northern Ireland: He consistently supported and refused to condemn the IRA and specifically met IRA terrorists. He voted against the precursor to the GFA.

The EU: He was weak pre-referendum, and it's probably been discussed to bits but I believe he and his matey John could have done better.

On NATO: He wants it disbanded

On Aukus: He calls it 'dangerous'

On Israel: I don't even know what his 'solution' is here. He wanted a 2 state solution in 2016, a Palestinian right of return in 2018, and supports various terror and fringe groups. Not that it matters much, the UK is unimportant there


Not sure your definition of left wing is necessarily the same one others use.
What is the definition others use?
 

Zlatattack

New Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
7,374
On Ukraine: He's been speaking on Pro Russian media criticizing Western support for Ukraine, saying that he wants to negotiate peace. Lives in fairyland on that one. Thinking that they can negotiate peace then a Russian withdrawal, and that it wouldn't empower Putin further. He's blamed the conflict on NATO since 2014, using direct Kremlin propoganda.

On Kosovo: He not only decried intervention, but specifically denied the warcrimes of Slobodan and even supported Pilger in the HoC.

On Northern Ireland: He consistently supported and refused to condemn the IRA and specifically met IRA terrorists. He voted against the precursor to the GFA.

The EU: He was weak pre-referendum, and it's probably been discussed to bits but I believe he and his matey John could have done better.

On NATO: He wants it disbanded

On Aukus: He calls it 'dangerous'

On Israel: I don't even know what his 'solution' is here. He wanted a 2 state solution in 2016, a Palestinian right of return in 2018, and supports various terror and fringe groups. Not that it matters much, the UK is unimportant there




What is the definition others use?
So basically because he wants peace instead of conflict, you think thats a problem. Great.
 

TwoSheds

More sheds (and tiles) than you, probably
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
12,963
So basically because he wants peace instead of conflict, you think thats a problem. Great.
While I think Corbyn's stances are generally very worthy and probably come from a place of some principle, I do think they're naive as was alluded to. Naivety can be just as dangerous in foreign policy as bad intentions unfortunately. You'd like to think his party and public opinion would have led to him supporting Ukraine properly if he were PM but fundamentally his stance on the war is misguided IMO.
 

Badunk

Shares his caf joinday with Dante
Joined
Oct 22, 2010
Messages
12,950
Location
Occupied Merseyside
On Ukraine: He's been speaking on Pro Russian media criticizing Western support for Ukraine, saying that he wants to negotiate peace. Lives in fairyland on that one. Thinking that they can negotiate peace then a Russian withdrawal, and that it wouldn't empower Putin further. He's blamed the conflict on NATO since 2014, using direct Kremlin propoganda.

On Kosovo: He not only decried intervention, but specifically denied the warcrimes of Slobodan and even supported Pilger in the HoC.

On Northern Ireland: He consistently supported and refused to condemn the IRA and specifically met IRA terrorists. He voted against the precursor to the GFA.

The EU: He was weak pre-referendum, and it's probably been discussed to bits but I believe he and his matey John could have done better.

On NATO: He wants it disbanded

On Aukus: He calls it 'dangerous'

On Israel: I don't even know what his 'solution' is here. He wanted a 2 state solution in 2016, a Palestinian right of return in 2018, and supports various terror and fringe groups. Not that it matters much, the UK is unimportant there




What is the definition others use?
He didn't support the IRA, for fups sake. This is like the hatchet job the right wing media did on him. Take a grain of truth and spin a load of lies and exaggeration into it to make him out to be something he isn't. He's got principles that he didn't drop just because Laura Kuenssberg or Andrew Neil goaded him. You can say he should have said "Yes" when asked if he'd retaliate if we were nuked but he was making a point that nobody wins in that scenario. His stances on conflicts is always that there's negotiable settlements and that's why he votes against bombing by the likes of NATO. He then gets portrayed, not as anti-war, but rather anti-GB or anti-NATO or whatever.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Livvie