An Evening With... Jeremy Corbyn

ruggedtoast

I went to the Brighton rally the other night, and knowing how keen everyone on here is of hearing other political view points and approaching changes in British political life with an open mind, I thought I would report back to the forum.

This is Jeremy Corbyn:



This is Jeremy Corbyn as he appears to Tory voters:



(I appreciate most of you will think I have posted the same picture twice but the first one was slightly different if you look really hard)

There were 1000 tickets for the Brighton Metropole gig and they were only up for 24 hours before they sold out, so I was very lucky to get two for me and the missus. I considered trying to sell them on eBay after that but it didn't seem like something JC would approve of.

There was a massive queue outside the entrance snaking down the street. All kinds of people young and old. Stewards walked up and down telling us not to bother lining up if we hadn't booked, and shifty looking Trotskyists ducked in and out of doorways trying to flog Morning Stars for £1.


Shifty


There were camera crews buzzing around interviewing people and the atmosphere was quite expectant and exciting. At that point the craft beer I had had in the pub up the road took its toll on my bladder and I had to run back from the Metropoloe washrooms after a phone call from Mrs Toast said we were going in and I was about to miss it!

There was an anxious moment on the sign in desks with whether Jeremy had Mrs Toast down under her married or maiden name and I almost thought I would have to leave her in the lobby as a sign of solidarity, but we made it in and were ushered almost to the front of the venue.

(Oddly enough, no bag check, or any security screening).

I had a prime spot of the lectern and we all waited with an expectant buzz. Suddenly it started with the warm up acts who explained Jez was outside talking to people who couldn't get in. Even so they let another few hundred in to stand at the back.

The warm up acts did a really good job though they were obviously pretty overcome by the occasion and who they were billed with. Some people's voices shook a bit, I can understand that to be honest. Whoever you are in British politics, right now sharing a stage with Jeremy Corbyn is a bit like being Shawaddywaddy opening for Beyonce.


Beyonce thinking about Jeremy Corbyn. Source: MTV 2016

Finally he appeared! The room erupted as he walked down the centre aisle. People were leaning out trying to touch him, people were standing on chairs trying to get a shot with their cameraphones, everyone was applauding and whooping.

Without further ado JC got down to the business of the evening.

In summary, he's a good speaker. He hit all the hot button issues for Labour voters at the moment in a well stitched together narrative, that mostly flowed well and didn't flag. He judged the room well and seems to have got used to the long pauses he has to leave for applause.

Jeremy Corbyn on the PLP:

Its ridiculous that we are having to have another leadership election rather than opposing this dreadful Tory government. But we are where we are and there is no call for nastiness.

No naming of individual names but the spirit of the splittist Owen Smith was definitely in the room here. I had a look round me for Blairite spies. I could feel them around me.


The Parliamentary Labour Party

Jeremy Corbyn on Transport:

Big hot button issue at the moment for anyone in the SE unlucky enough to commute by train into London on Southern (which under the pseudo free market model is the only company you can choose). The Tories have sliced up the railways, created a regulatory mess of cronyism and nepotism that only benefits shareholders. Railways to be taken back into public ownership. End of.

He also wants to bring back bus travel in rural areas, all but disappeared under privatised bus services. This will reinvigorate the economies of rural Britain not just the cities.

Jeremy Corbyn on the NHS:

An NHS which is part privatised becomes a safety net only for the poorest. It will offer substandard care for anyone who can't afford to go private. Its what the Tories are doing, while they simultaneously find a way to hand out lucrative contracts to the private sector. They will be stopped.

Jeremy Corbyn on Housing:

Millions of children are having to grow up in insecure housing. moving from one place to the next. This has an awful effect on families psychologically that remains long into adulthood. Secure tenancies and 100,000 new council homes per year.

Jeremy Corbyn on Boomers

The boomers got free university and grants, and affordable housing.

"What kind of generation pulls the ladder up on the one below?"

Yes boomers! What kind of generation does that?!

Massive cheer from me. And the boomers in the room.

Jeremy Corbyn on the Economy:

You can't cut your way to prosperity. A national investment bank will fund growth, investment and capital inftastructure models.

Jeremy Corbyn on Education:

Crazy having schools competing against one another as academies, should be working together. University education is vital and enriches society. Free for all.

Jeremy Corbyn on poverty

How many talented individuals have failed to realise their potential due to poverty? Too many. Big cheer/

Jeremy Corbyn on Britain

The time of the British people being told they what they can have by the elites is over. Its not good enough and its time we got what we deserve.

Huge round of applause and a standing ovation that went on for ages at the end. We all expected him to make a big exit but then he sat down and started shuffling papers with other delegates, which confused everyone. Was he going to do an encore?

He then gave up on this when the front of the stage was deluged with people waving things and photographers crowding round. A glimpse into the fact that he perhaps still doesn't fully understand how much excitement he engenders.

beecher2

Do you know if he's coming to Scotland? Most of that speech doesn't apply north of the border and I'm intrigued as to what he'd say up here. He always appears to me to be very London orientated and don't think he quite knows how to tackle the SNP.

wotsthat

fafafafafafasadsong wrote: »

I do wonder however. If 43% of the UK's economy being Government spending isn't enough then what is? How much of what people earn do they get to chose for themselves how to spend?

..and some wonder why we're a nation of unproductive rent seekers.

TrickyTree83

So much of that is ideological rhetoric.

Jeremy Corbyn on poverty

How many talented individuals have failed to realise their potential due to poverty? Too many. Big cheer/

Really?

My own personal story, coming from a working class background where my mother is a cleaner and my father was a prison officer and a child of 4, one of student debt - no grant, one of saving up my own money in a minimum wage job to pay £6000 out of my own pocket to go on a course and get the skills I needed to break into the job market.

I'm now a higher rate taxpayer and a homeowner.

The state should not be responsible for people who either want to do low paid jobs, or don't want to work to obtain high paid jobs. It's down to the individual, in every circumstance.

Jeremy Corbyn on Education:

Crazy having schools competing against one another as academies, should be working together. University education is vital and enriches society. Free for all.

Who is paying for this by the way? And since when, in what universe, is competition bad? Should every company have a monopoly? Should we all drive around one type of car? Wear one brand of clothing? Competition is good! When you race in the 100m at School everyone is not a winner and teaching kids that they are all winners is detrimental to their development. Corbyn comes across as a communist.

Nasqueron

Jeremy Corbyn on the PLP:

Its ridiculous that we are having to have another leadership election rather than opposing this dreadful Tory government.

So why did Jeremy try and launch a challenge to the PLP leader not once, not twice but three times - against Kinnock, Smith and Blair?

Corbyn's shown his hypocrisy in other ways such as him voting against the PLP 500+ times and then sacking MPs like Hilary Benn for voting against him

ruggedtoast

beecher2 wrote: »

Do you know if he's coming to Scotland? Most of that speech doesn't apply north of the border and I'm intrigued as to what he'd say up here. He always appears to me to be very London orientated and don't think he quite knows how to tackle the SNP.

Events here

http://www.jeremyforlabour.com/official_events

You have to keep checking it as they only seem to show a few in advance.

I would be amazed if he didn't do Scotland.

SailorSam

You missed out on a good night by going out Op. If you stayed in and watched the Tv There were repeats of An evening with Ken Dodd. And an evening with Victoria Wood.

ruggedtoast

TrickyTree83 wrote: »

So much of that is ideological rhetoric.



Really?

My own personal story, coming from a working class background where my mother is a cleaner and my father was a prison officer and a child of 4, one of student debt - no grant, one of saving up my own money in a minimum wage job to pay £6000 out of my own pocket to go on a course and get the skills I needed to break into the job market.

I'm now a higher rate taxpayer and a homeowner.

The state should not be responsible for people who either want to do low paid jobs, or don't want to work to obtain high paid jobs. It's down to the individual, in every circumstance.



Who is paying for this by the way? And since when, in what universe, is competition bad? Should every company have a monopoly? Should we all drive around one type of car? Wear one brand of clothing? Competition is good! When you race in the 100m at School everyone is not a winner and teaching kids that they are all winners is detrimental to their development. Corbyn comes across as a communist.

It might help you to cease thinking that your own personal story applies to every other person on the planet.

If hard work and ingenuity were rewarded financially then every woman in Africa would be a millionaire. (George Montbiot).

By the way do you not see any irony whatsoever in what you state your parents circumstances were and how you developed your own lofty position of superiority over normal persons?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Iron Maiden fans generally have a great time at Iron Maiden gigs. Iron Maiden playing the local village fete and persuading the old dears to buy their albums is a bit more of a challenge.

bobbymotors

utter nonsense.
'you can't cut your way to prosperity'
Actually its the ONLY way to increase your wealth.
If you make £500 a week and spend £550,you will eventually go skint
if you do the above but only spend £450,then in a year you will have £2500 which you can use to further increase your prosperity by buying a nicer car etc.

One thing Labour / Corbyn / the left in general can never answer is 'ok, sounds great. Where's the money coming from?'

ruggedtoast

fafafafafafasadsong wrote: »

Great post as ever RT.

I do wonder however. If 43% of the UK's economy being Government spending isn't enough then what is? How much of what people earn do they get to chose for themselves how to spend?

Having the railways run on time or having the Government help you across the road or whatever is great but at some point surely I get to say that I want to decide how my money gets spent, I don't want it going into a pot where the best connected or those with the loudest voices get to decide where my income goes.

What he's getting at is that you already don't get a choice where it's spent and it's being misspent. How much of that 43℅ goes toward investing in sustainable development?