An Evening With The 'Unelectable' Jeremy Corbyn

Frontrunner Corbyn?

The past two months have seen the rise and rise of Jeremy Corbyn, to the point where he is likely to become the next Labour leader. Having watched on television and online at the rapid rise of Corbyn and his policies, I was unsure what to make of him especially given the opinions of many Labour big hitters. So it was with interest and curiosity that I spent an evening with Jeremy last night in Newcastle.

A host of left wing political speakers had their five minutes including a speech from the Unison leader who has backed Corbyn wholeheartedly. After much fist pumping, lecturn thumping and being called 'comrades' Jeremy was greeted with rapturous and lengthy applause. What he said was convincing and was clearly well researched and principled, talking about the need for equality, empathy, a levelling of the economic playing field and the values of the NHS.

It is hard to argue with anything that he spoke about and his ideas were clearly honest, full of thought and passion which brings me to why so many Labour veterans are so passionate and vocal about the need to not elect Corbyn as leader. Despite everything that Corbyn said, with which I could not find fault as a leftist myself, the evening left me leaning towards the opposition rather than joining Corbynmania.

Unelectable?

My reason for turning against the tide go back to the reasons for electoral defeat in May this year. I voted Labour and had, still have, much time and support for Ed Miliband so I was as shocked as anyone to see the exit poll and the evening that followed in May. However in reflection Ed, as much as I admire him and his policies, made a couple of crucial mistakes that made it easy for the Conservative party and their attack, which I fear Corbyn plays in to once again.
 
The Tories consistently and regularly labelled Labour as irresponsible, untrustworthy and reckless in charge of the country's economy. No matter the facts (of course Labour were not the cause of the GLOBAL financial crisis) the public bought in to this story and could not trust Labour despite the excellent and prudent manifesto that Ed Miliband put forward, proven by the fact David and George stole a number of policies for the following budget.

The reason I bring these painful memories back up is because I feel Corbyn plays perfectly in to the Conservative stereotyping of a Labour government. Listening to the speakers last night, as admirable and visionary the ideas were, I simply do not think his vision for the country is achievable and crucially affordable. Lynton Crosby and David Cameron can stick to their simple line of attack and say Labour would spend and spend, painting the reckless picture once again. This line of attack has proven to be successful and I fear would reopen the phrase, "cleaning up Labours' mess."

The Centre Ground

Four candidates, one winner....announced in September.

As a leftist myself I would prefer a Labour that positions itself slightly more to the left of the argument and a Labour that actually opposes the Conservative agenda much more to show the public there is a choice and a difference between the parties. However Corbyn would move the party dramatically to the left, leaving room for the Conservatives to control the centre and right of politics. This is something that they are already looking to activate with the talk of one nation Conservatives and the party of the working people.....no matter how ridiculous that sounds.

If Labour is to win in 2020 votes must be gained from UKIP and Greens, it would not be enough for Labour to simply take from the Green party or the much maligned Lib Dems. No matter how much I might agree with what Corbyn says and his beliefs, the fact of the matter is the public are a wide variety of people, beliefs and opinions, taking the party to one side of the argument is unlikely to win enough votes to regain power.

The Way to Win?

I am no electioneer or strategist, as much as I'd like to be, but I believe it does not require a dramatic change for Labour to win in 2020. In England Labour's share of the vote increased and I believe showing a bit more opposition and difference in policy, particularly towards the need for austerity, would win further votes. Showing a willingness to tackle tax avoidance and the massive gap in equality would be another vote winner and show a difference to the Conservatives.

Crucially the next four years should be spent changing public opinion that Labour caused the financial crash, that lie needs to be addressed in a large way and Labour needs to stand up to the Tory fear and lies strategies.

As much as I admire Corbyn for his policies and strongly held beliefs I do not think he is right for the leader of the party because he plays straight in to the Conservative stereotyping and affords them the chance to grasp the centre ground of politics. I believe this is what Blair and co. have been trying to point out albeit in the worst possible, heavy handed way. I would therefore give my backing to Andy Burnham for leader and Tom Watson as deputy.

Whether you agree or disagree with me I would love if you share my blog, post a comment and spark a discussion. At the end of the day many who read this I'm sure want a Labour government and have the party's best interests at heart.

Budget 2015: A Rosier Picture?

The first fully Conservative budget in 18 years but it contained very few surprises. Apparently the BBC 'experts' were shocked at a rather "rosier picture" as the timeline to reach a surplus was extended. Now I'm sorry, it is no rosier than it was in 2010, we are simply now faced with an even longer period of this farcical austerity programme. However, the way austerity is being carried out has changed, we're seeing slightly fewer cuts but that has been replaced with tax rises.

I have a short memory but even a goldfish could remember the promise, actually legislation, that David Cameron and co made during the election to not raise VAT or national insurance. Of course what the sneaky Tories were hiding from the voting public is that tax rises would come in other areas or as it happened, completely new taxes.

A Politician Always

The national living wage, that's the branding and the hoped headline catcher. Labour had it in their manifesto (something I could say a lot in this post) but were only proposing a rise to £8, generous George has suggested a rise to £9 today. But wait, as usual you can't take the Tories on face value because not so generous George also announced a freeze on working age benefits, a large tax credits cut not to mention a housing benefit cut for under 21s and a new tax on motorists. George stuck to something that has become a tradition in the past 5 years, give those foolish enough to ignore the details a juicy worm (the living wage increase) while hiding the sharp hook underneath. Don't be fooled, George has not had a Scrooge moment and realised he could be nicer to  people, this budget still makes young, disabled, low wage workers lives harder.

Another caveat that George hopes to hide below his national living wage increase headlines is the fact that this will not take full effect until the end of the parliament while his cuts and tax rises take effect almost immediately leaving a hole in the finances of families up and down the country. George also stuck to his beliefs with regards to the public sector, imposing a harsh 1% pay cap on nurses, teachers and police for the next 4 years while naturally receiving a healthy increase in his own wages. So this living wage is designed to increase the private sector yet further, while the public sector that educates and keeps those private employees safe suffers again.

Osborne’s “living wage” is a con trick. Cuts to tax credits mean wage to live on would need to be much higher than £9 in 2020 #budget2015

— Liz Kendall (@leicesterliz) July 8, 2015

The 'Yoof' Is Punished

Don't vote or don't vote Tory and get punished. That's the message George sent out to the young people in this country. After having tuition fees increased and EMA support pulled in the previous parliament, they now have to suffer maintenance grants being turned in to loans. Placing students in to yet more debt before even earning a wage. Yes the wage required to start paying these loans back has increased but this is not a defence. What frustrates me about that argument is the fact university is supposed to help you get on and reach a good level of employment, if you do actually achieve this you are then punished by having to pay loans back.....FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Of course the nature of the job market under this government means your hopes for your future are raised at university only to be sunk by only having options open at low levels of employment but "Hey, at least you don't need to pay your loans back."

Not only have grants been removed but the much heralded national living wage doesn't apply to those under 25. Young people also face having to earn or learn until they are 21, that means no support from the state if you have aspirations of high levels of employment, do your paper round or go homeless. Housing benefit for young people is cut too, just for good measure. That's why young people need to vote, politicians save those who vote.

Osborne removes benefits for 18-21 year olds and introduces new regime to be known as the Hunger Games. #budget2015

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 8, 2015

The Labour Approach

The budget announcement only finished a matter of hours ago yet to some areas of the media George is already being spun as generous and plotting a far lighter route than feared. Labour needs to be forceful in its reply, it needs to point out the underlying issues that look like going hidden under the pretty distraction that is the living wage. One argument post election was that Labour looked anti-wealth generators, well point out this budget will punish those who strive to earn a decent living, who will lose benefits for their third child or the young who face a dark start to working life. Point out that small businesses may have to make redundancies to cope with the living wage increase or the lack of skills and productivity needed to make a successful economy.

All of this is disguising the fact that more homeowners can avoid the inheritance tax, supporting wealthy landlords. It disguises the fact that public sector workers are hit yet again, no pay increase but more taxes. It disguises the fact that the already lowest corporation tax in Europe gets another cut eventually to 18% by 2020, boosting the companies who already own a majority of the wealth. The budget could be Labour's chance to hit back, if it opposes forcefully and vocally.

Corporation tax rate cut now means that wealthiest can shelter income from tax at lower rates than their cleaners pay #budget2015

— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) July 8, 2015

Osborne has just cut the lowest corporation tax in the G8, and then cut it again.

— Mark Ferguson (@Markfergusonuk) July 8, 2015

This budget has at least confirmed one thing I had thought on May 8th, it's going to be a long 5 years.

If I Were In Charge.......

The election was a difficult time, obviously the result didn't go the way I expected or many people expected this was swiftly followed by colds and stresses around work. Hence the lack of action on the keyboard. I'm back though and I thought a nice idea might be to discuss how you might run the country if you were in charge.

Naturally I don't agree with how things are being run at the moment, I won't go in to detail but asking for economical growth while choking supply and magically producing money for the NHS and other election promises aren't my idea of good government. If I were PM I would have three priorities, education, wealth distribution and a reminder of how democracy works.

How Democracy Works

I want to start with my last point first because I think this is where the country has disappointed me most with this election result. Democracy should be about supporting one another, in the form of the NHS, Welfare state and pensions, this is what we pay taxes for. I believe that the wealthiest should share the biggest burden and show empathy and support for those unfortunate people striving to get on. Jeremy Corbyn put it perfectly recently, "From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs."

The first 5 years of Conservative led Government exemplified anything but this, removal of safety nets for those struggling to make ends meet, disabled, young people and unemployed. George the Poet in 'Search Party' put it eloquently, "I don't believe the unemployed are nul-en-void." While those at the bottom and the squeezed middle have been almost punished, those at the top have gotten richer and have benefitted from tax evasion, zero hour contracts and asset sell off from George Osborne. This government has encouraged greed, selfishness and uncaring attitudes, which is why I felt so disappointed in the election result reflecting this in society.

Therefore, if I were Prime Minister, I would almost re-educate in how democracy should work and promote a happier, more equal and supportive society.

Wealth Distribution

This area follows on nicely from my previous, I feel there is a growing inequality not only in Britain but in the world and this has only been widened, in the UK, by this Conservative government. This area of inequality is why I remain such a big supporter of Ed Miliband, he seems the only politician aware of this growing problem. Immigrants are escaping dire poverty in Middle Eastern and African countries, risking theirs lives to reach Europe. More than a million people use food banks in the UK. Greece is being punished by austerity with over 60% youth unemployment. The world needs to look at itself and ask if it is happy with things.

This links to the ethos this country is showing at the moment, greed appears to be thriving, Osborne looks set to take more from the poor to give to the rich in the next Budget. Instead of crushing more from the impossibly squeezed welfare and public state, we should be spending to get people out of poverty and rescue children who come to school without a breakfast. Foreign aid should be increased and spent effectively so that people there don't feel desperate to escape to a "better life" in Europe. This money should come from those who have the wealth, "from each according to their abilities."

Education

Education cuts to the root of both the issues above. Give children a relatable, useful and creative education which would allow future generations to recognise these issues and slowly target them. Teach children proper skills so that they can make a decent living wage and bring more out of poverty. Teach children the need to build a world together, not just make what they can for themselves and neglect others.

Once again I don't feel this is being done by the current government. Assessment of children has been botched in the new curriculum, schools are free to make up their own assessment gauge and children are being tested more than ever. This testing leads to purely memorising of facts, information to pass a test, information that does not serve a purpose for life outside or after school. Creativity is being slowly supressed within education, targets, results and work is more important.

There is a lot I would change about the country but I think these three issues are the keys. Give children a decent education, to make a decent wage, to lower the amount of people in poverty and to truly appreciate the responsibilities of being in a democracy. I don't see any of this on the horizon sadly.

What would your priorities be if you were Prime Minister?

Politics in the Media

Under a week to go until the nation goes to the voting booth. I noted in my previous post what I feel the choice is facing people in this election and this hasn't changed. What has changed and built during the campaign is my disappointment with the media in this country.

Firstly you should understand I was once obsessed with the media, I wanted to work within it and found it a fascinating, powerful and interesting profession. I was taught that the media was the fourth estate, its very purpose was to represent the general public and hold its politicians, businesses and councillors to account. I felt it stood for an important part of a democracy. This has changed with the way the campaign has gone. I don't want to say that it undermines our democracy but we are simply not being given the facts.

Rupert Murdoch is the main antagonist in this story. Owner of almost half of the nations biggest newspapers, it used to be widely accepted that what he reported had a big say in how elections went, this is why we have seen consecutive Conservative and Labour governments pander to his wants. This has changed, or at least partially, given the outcome of the Leveson inquiry and social media. Mr. Murdoch is scared of losing his monopoly.

On the Cusp of Change

Now I say this has changed only partially because there is only one person in this election willing to see this change in the landscape. Ed Miliband is the first leading politician to stand up to this monopoly of the media and has earned so much respect from me for doing so. Ed has committed to fulfilling the Leveson recommendations and has said that plurality of ownership is vital, signalling to Murdoch his newspapers won't all last. Ed clearly also much sense that newspapers are losing their power and public sway to social media, in particular I feel to twitter, which has allowed Ed to have this chance to 'have a go' at Murdoch.

His actions have seen Ed become 'Red Ed' 'inept' 'backstabber' and 'irresponsible' because of this stance. The Tory party, who have courted Rebecca Brookes, Andy Coulson and Rupert himself, have benefitted and remain in the pocket of those rich media 'moguls'. David Cameron has unsurprisingly ignored the Leveson inquiry, employed the convicted phone tapper Andy Coulson and had numerous dinners with Rebecca Brookes, all so that he can remain the slick, well oiled, media luvvy.

The Treatment of Ed

This has consequently led to massively biased and basically falsified reports about policies or polls. It has led to the under-reporting of falsified letters of support from businesses, identity fraud by the Conservative chairman, Labour poll leads and the ridiculing of Labour policies no matter the support in public or in respected circles. It is massively skewing the public view of politics, not giving the public all the facts and I hesitate to say it but letting democracy down.

It is to Ed's credit that he has poll leads, despite fighting against this massive media bias. The debates have been massively successful, allowing the public to see the real person and not the media perception of him. I wonder whether the polls we see, might just be for the first time unreliable, given the importance of social media which might arguably be more representative of the nation that the newspapers. A sorry sentence to say.

The media used to be my dream job but this election has really shown, not just to me I must add, the flaws and disgraces of our media system. Only time will tell if we see real change in this issue and many others by electing a Labour government and a leader who stands up to people rather than uses them for selfish reasons.

To my right is a video from Newsnight when the Daily Mail claimed Ed Miliband's father HATED Britain. No better example of what I am talking about.



P.S. I am a huge fan of George The Poet, he is backing an idea of posting your own 15 second manifesto to show the most important issue or issues affecting you this election. I would love to hear what your views are.

Why I'm Voting Labour

The past five years have been an eventful few years. Politically I believe the last five years can be summed up with two words, competition and fear. I am convinced this is how the Conservative government have ruled and it cuts to heart of their vision for the country. This plays to the main reason I am voting Labour in just over two weeks and it is a stark choice in how the country should be built. Giving those at the bottom of society and working people a foundation, making the country work for them or making money for the top of society which we hope will trickle down to help the rest of us.

Competition

This government has introduced the bedroom tax, top down reorganisation of the NHS, a new curriculum in to schools, extreme cuts to most areas of government and of course a reduced top level of tax. What has all of this done to our country? It has promoted a sense of competition between colleagues, classes and professions. We were told of mythical benefit scroungers across the country while those at the top enjoyed a tax cut. The classes were pitted against each other.

In education a new curriculum was introduced which had a distinct lack of assessment, leaving schools and councils to figure that part out themselves or in essence encouraging competition between schools and councils. There was also a slow introduction of competitive pay for teachers, paying your best teachers more, once again competition was introduced between colleagues for the best pay based on grades and results. Incidentally results that have been basically left for schools to work out for themselves.

Finally we come to the NHS. A top down organisation was introduced which laid the foundations for competition, to allow services to be provided by other (for profit) companies, in the process breaking a promise made in the 2010 election. We already have outside companies running some NHS services and GP practices, competing with each other, competing with our lives in order to make money. Profit before patients.

Fear

As you can see competition has been steadily introduced to every part of life. This in turn brings fear, fear of losing your job through extreme cuts, fear of being paid less due to a bad set of results or fear that your money is being given to the undeserving. Immigration was another chance for the Conservatives and in particular UKIP to use fear to their advantage, I don't think I need to explain how.

We can see the fear tactic in play during the current election campaign. Conservatives praying on fear, claiming the chaos of anyone but them in government, claiming SNP demands could leave England in danger. The fear that a Labour government was responsible for a GLOBAL economic crash, forgetting the influence and irresponsibility of two major global banks. It is important we see through these fear strategies and aren't ruled by the tactics of a Putin-light. The video below illustrates these fear tactics in play..... 

Why Labour?

So this brings me to why I'm voting Labour. Repealing the health and social care act that brought in one element of competition, repealing the bedroom tax which set the course for class struggle and reducing the extreme regime of cuts. I listen to Ed Miliband and believe in the vision he has for the country, that works from the bottom up and reduces the gap from bottom to top, an economy built on growing expendable income of the majority, larger contributions from the elite to help rebuild a proper safety net with the NHS, increased minimum wage and less extreme welfare cuts.

I come back to my initial thought, my vote depends on how I believe this country should be run. We are a democracy that pays taxes to spend on public services and a safety net for the unluckiest of society. Those who earn more, contribute more simply because they can afford it and recognise their responsibility to society. This has not been happening for the past 5 years and it would not happen under a Conservative government, instead of spending on public services money has been cut, instead of the elite giving more they have built a cash reserve and don't intend to lose it.

I'm voting Labour because I believe Ed Miliband can produce this sort of country. A man who has already stood up to Rupert Murdoch, the energy companies and the USA over Syria, can level the playing field. I believe the mansion tax, increase in top rate of tax and bankers levies will produce extra funds better distributed by a Labour government. Call it socialist if you like but this is what I feel this country needs to not only clear the debt but become a fairer, more equal society.

I leave you with an, I believe, quite accurate video of what this government thinks.....