Corbynomics: A Dystopia

Generali

In defence of Corbynomics:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0f0e212-6773-11e5-a57f-21b88f7d973f.html??ftcamp=crm/email/_DATEYEARFULLNUM___DATEMONTHNUM___DATEDAYNUM__/nbe/UKPolitics/product#axzz3mzHEQvKg

Jeremy Corbyn will not become prime minister and his new old Labour is a shambles. This is conventional wisdom. It is probably right. But he and his colleagues are taking on outworn shibboleths. That is a good thing even if
I disagree with much of what he thinks.

Mr Corbyn and John McDonnell, his shadow chancellor of the exchequer, have, for example, put together a brains trust of seven left-of-centre economic advisers. That is what the UK opposition party should have done in the last parliament. It has to move on from New Labour. This is the time to develop ideas on how to achieve the party’s priorities of faster, more widely shared growth.

antrobus

Generali wrote: »

...

This is the time to develop ideas on how to achieve the party’s priorities of faster, more widely shared growth

I'm betting that the result will be something about a new Britain being forged in the white heat of new technology, but with a colour change from white to green.:)

michaels

antrobus wrote: »

I'm betting that the result will be something about a new Britain being forged in the white heat of new technology, but with a colour change from white to green.:)

Which will somehow justify paying subsidies to keep steel works open and re-open coal mines......

Generali

michaels wrote: »

Which will somehow justify paying subsidies to keep steel works open and re-open coal mines......

Don't forget that those subsidies would be illegal under EU law.

setmefree2

Jeremy Corbyn receives the worst ratings for a Labour leader in 60 years

The survey has also revealed 58 percent of people were found to believe Labour has “seriously lost touch with ordinary people”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/11906103/Jeremy-Corbyn-receives-the-worst-ratings-for-a-Labour-leader-in-60-years.html

kinger101

Here's the actual data.

http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/pjr713es5o/SunResults_150930_Corbyn_Website.pdf

The Telegraph article is actually quite misleading. Miliband actually scored worse on many questions, though there's not much in it. The % or people who would be dismayed if Corbyn became leader is the strongest difference though!

Oddly "Labour would cut spending in a fairer and more compassionate way than the government" had 42% agree/ 40% disagree. That can't be good for Labour.

Generali

kinger101 wrote: »

Here's the actual data.

http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/pjr713es5o/SunResults_150930_Corbyn_Website.pdf

The Telegraph article is actually quite misleading. Miliband actually scored worse on many questions, though there's not much in it. The % or people who would be dismayed if Corbyn became leader is the strongest difference though!

Oddly "Labour would cut spending in a fairer and more compassionate way than the government" had 42% agree/ 40% disagree. That can't be good for Labour.

UK Polling Report is interesting on this. He makes the point that the most worrying part for Labour is that in 5 years they have failed to move on one jot. To all purposes they are exactly where they were when Mr Miliband took over the party.

I can't imagine that a program of civil disobedience by the unions will be of much help to the Labour brand, especially with Mr Corbyn cheering them on.

Shakethedisease

Well there are a few points worth noting from this Labourlist article. Which actually kind of make sense.

3 – The rulebook rules
As Corbyn looks to open up the party and return power to conference delegates, those with superior knowledge of Labour rulebook minutiae are going to be the ones who hold great power. The decision by delegates and trade unions to vote against debates on Syria and Trident meant the media did not have the opportunity to plaster stories about Labour splits across the front of the papers.

I guess this was quite wise in retrospect ( the author goes on to say that this doesn't mean that the splits aren't there, just that all will be played out behind closed doors ).

And

5 – Power in the NEC is shifting
There were two changes on the National Executive Committee this week: Hilary Benn was replaced on the MPs’ section by Corbyn supporter Rebecca Long-Bailey, and Community Union’s representative was voted off in favour of someone from the more left wing BFAWU. This now gives the left a slight edge on the NEC, and there is a good chance this power could grow...With a private tussle currently taking place in the party over the exact rules for getting rid of a leader (there are ambiguities), a pro-Corbyn majority on the NEC would help him hugely in tightening his grip on the leadership.

http://labourlist.org/2015/10/what-did-we-learn-at-labour-conference/

Corbyn needs somehow to marry his grassroots support with those in power within the party. So mabye he's playing a longer game than anyone is giving him credit for ? At the moment he's just coming across as a 'mediator'. A pragmatist who wants to endlessly 'discuss' things and come to a 'consensus'. However, at some point quite soon.. he's actually going to have to 'lead' and set out red lines on a few policies.. before his grassroots give up on him imo.

ruggedtoast

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Well there are a few points worth noting from this Labourlist article. Which actually kind of make sense.

I guess this was quite wise in retrospect ( the author goes on to say that this doesn't mean that the splits aren't there, just that all will be played out behind closed doors ).

And

http://labourlist.org/2015/10/what-did-we-learn-at-labour-conference/

Corbyn needs somehow to marry his grassroots support with those in power within the party. So mabye he's playing a longer game than anyone is giving him credit for ? At the moment he's just coming across as a 'mediator'. A pragmatist who wants to endlessly 'discuss' things and come to a 'consensus'. However, at some point quite soon.. he's actually going to have to 'lead' and set out red lines on a few policies.. before his grassroots give up on him imo.

At the moment we have a bunch of Blairites and their supporters, most of whom barely managed to garner 5% of Party members' support, who seem to think Jeremy Corbyn, the 60% of members who voted for him, and the tens of thousands of people who joined after, are just going to disappear if they wait it out.

The Tories seem to think the same thing.

Generali

ruggedtoast wrote: »

At the moment we have a bunch of Blairites and their supporters, most of whom barely managed to garner 5% of Party members' support, who seem to think Jeremy Corbyn, the 60% of members who voted for him, and the tens of thousands of people who joined after, are just going to disappear if they wait it out.

The Tories seem to think the same thing.

The Tories realise that the thousands of people that voted for Mr Corby are not even close to being able to close the gap between the parties. The Tories realise that if they can prise a few away from the right of the Labour Party either to themselves or even to UKIP or the Lib Dems then Labour simply can't win the next election. Let's face it, Mr Corbyn will need a majority as nobody is dumb enough to go into power with him. He's found it hard enough to put together a cabinet, he'll never get a coalition.

I wonder how all these starry eyed new members are going to feel as they realise Mr C has sold them out.