I have just had an article published on Comment is Free in the Guardian explaining why I think it is time for Jeremy Corbyn to leave as leader of the Labour Party.
I am well aware that there will be those who will not like me saying this, but as I make clear in the article, my regard for Jeremy as a person remains strong, but the issues needing to be addressed are more important and it is clear that he can no longer command the authority to do that, like it or not.
This is a moment for calm heads, a clear focus on the need for a strong and effective opposition that offers a real alternative to the nonsense of austerity and a team that can deliver that. I may be optimistic in thinking such a team can be created, but like others I have reluctantly concluded that Jeremy Corbyn cannot lead one and felt I had a duty to say so.
I await the comments that will follow.
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We’re watching a right wing coup in the Labour Party unfold before us.
It is a simple and as depressing as that, I think.
I don’t support it.
Respectfully, that is nonsense
For heaven’s sLe think about the people who need to be represented
I respect you Richard & believe you are an expert in your field but as far as the labour party is concerned you don’t know what you are talking about. I was in Parliament Squaure last night with around 10,000 others who had turned out within 24 hours notice in support of Corbyrn. No other politician has commanded such public support and without him there will be no labour party. It was in shambles after the last general election as it was a watered down version of the Tories. That is why they lost, Not just because of Milliband.. they once again hung the blame on one man instead of looking at their party & their approach and realising that the public does not want New Labour it is dead. That is why thousands more have joined since the latest with the labour “coup” because like it or not we want change, proper change and it can happen and it will happen under Corbyn. The BBC & radio coverage is biaised and in accurate… not one camera to capture the anger of us all at what a small fraction of Blairites are trying to do. Chuka is my MP and we don’t like him. He only got in because we voted “not Tory”. He will not get our support against Corbyn and we hope he will resign…Look at Jo Cox.. why didn’t we hear of her amazing work before she was murdered? How many other brilliant MPs are like her? We want people like her taking decisions not career politicians so the rest of the Blairites can resign as there will be better people to replace them.
have you really read what I have written?
If you have then you would realise I want everything I did a week ago
But I stress, I do want it
You do not convince me that you do
My plea is look beyond your own interests
I am surprised that you want Angela Eagle. She would not invoke PQE. She has stated publicly that it is not progressive to have a deficit and that it must be cut.
She does not understand that government is a sovereign issuer of currency and would never agree to PQE. She would bow to the pressure of the neoliberal monetarists in New Labour.
The old ones were well rewarded. Alistair Darling – job with Moragn Stanley, Gordon Brown with Pimco, Blair with J P Morgan, Reid with G4S, Alan Milburn with private health directorships.
I believe that is what this is really all about with a portion of them. The rest are suffering from chronic groupthink and ignorance. It is a tragedy.
The poor, the young, the NHS, local councils are the victims here.
So we have some eduction to do
That is also true of J McD who u committed to a balanced budget, I would remind you
True – agreed but he is at least listening to economists. At the Imperial College Corbyn said he “would consult more widely.” I think there is more hope with McDonell and Corbyn, because they are willing to learn. They run economics conferences – this would never happen with any other MPs.
So many of the neoliberals within Labour,are so arrogant and certain. They are convinced of their rightness. I felt crushed when I had the opportunity to speak to Chris Leslie. He will tell you that PQE causes inflation. It is like talking to a brick wall. Their indoctrination and arrogance is impenetrable, and some of them work for the few at the top, to copy Milibands phrase.
I am truly afraid that losing Corbyn will mean the loss of his policies, because they do not want Keynesian and socialist reconstruction. They promised cuts at a slower pace than the Tories before – and that is why they want Corbyn out – and that is why we who worry about poverty – should be worried.
I would agree Chris Leslie was dire
We were all shocked and devasted at the murder of Jo Cox. Like many others, after her death I questioned why we were only now hearing about this amazing women, her work, her beliefs & commitment to a better country. If you look at the new shadow cabinet it looks to be more in her ilk. Labour should be rejoicing and uniting and getting on with the job of opposing those who got us into this current mess. We want a united Labour Party fighting for the values that people paid £3 to vote for JC and then converted to full membership immediately he was elected. These Blairites are getting in the way of focusing on the terrible aftermath of a Tory call, Tory run referendum. Who turned out in Parliament Square when Cameron resigned?
Sorry Richard, I didn’t read your full article and would never wish to cause you any offence, you do a great job.
It would have helped if you had rad it
Min, there is bound to be a certain level of emotional volatility he. At the age of 55, I joined the Labour Party and really felt that Corbyn represented cultural shift and I think he does. He would have to be replaced anyway at some point, I just think now is bad. Owen Jones, in his article hoped for a two year stint from Corbyn, allowing for a cultural shift to take root followed by him stepping aside. I believe doing it NOW is a mistake.
I suspect, like me, you felt (don’t know how old you are!) Corbyn represented hope that the neo-liberal project will see its demise before we see ours! This is now unclear and that hope has faded with an inept political class allowing corporate fascism more of a stranglehold than it already has (which is bad enough). There is more danger than hope at present and it is natural to angry with Labour for that.
Thank you for your words Simon, I appreciate it. I agree that Corbyn was never in for the long term and as he clearly is not a career politician
I am sure it is the last thing he wants but the swell in numbers of supporters especially from the youth & old labour supporters who left after Blair is down to him. I also agree with you that now is not the time for change. Jeremy is a man of his word and he promised the 10,000 of us yesterday from all walks of life & all ages, that he would not give up. I have just watched C4news and as much as I love Jon Snow I wondered why he was outside parliament tonight to report on a handful of supporters against the Brexit vote when no-one was there to show last night’s overwhealming crowds. They even wheeled out Alistair Campbell to speak about the secret vote tonight. I really believe that Blair is behind all this unrest in the Labour Party. Hasn’t he done enough damage ?
Oh come on….
Why not credit people with the ability to work things out for themselves?
There seems no doubt Blair’s behind all this, one imagines because he’s desperate to stay out of jail.
Sorry – but I think that is deeply patronising to those with real concerns about what is happening in the world
I’ve agreed with practically everything I’ve read of yours, Richard. Austerity is a dangerous nonsense and I think you’ve suggested good things in order to address it.
Unfortunately, I’ve not seen anything similar from the people who seek to dispose of Corbyn. I’ve seen far more acquiescing to the Tory line that austerity is good and that it doesn’t matter that certain demographics are thrown under the bus. That’s not about balancing books, but more about ideology.
You mentioned above that another poster needs to think about the ‘people who need to be represented’. I’m one of those people, Richard. I’m someone whose health has been so bad that, in the past, I’ve spent years in residential care and hospital and is still living in constant fear of the DWP. I also pay the bedroom tax. I’ve seen the Poll Tax introduced for people who previously didn’t pay it. People like Harman, Cooper, Kendall and the like were more than willing to throw people like me under the bus by supporting Tory ‘welfare reform’ and the like. I’m not a £3 supporter, I was a party member before Corbyn was a public name, let alone party leader and I’ve voted Labour for over 30 years.
Corbyn was my last roll of the dice for Labour. If Corbyn goes and I go and there will be many who does likewise. So will the bulk of the youth vote. That’s a certainty. What isn’t a certainty is whether whoever replaces Corbyn will appeal to floating voters, Ukip voters etc anyway. For various reasons, people no longer trust the New Labour brand and people won’t trust a New New Labour brand that attempt such a public defenestration.
That Corbyn is having to carry the can because people like Kinnock, Gwynne, Hodge, Bryant failed to convince their own constituents is a nonsense. Out of all the people who resigned I’d like to see how their itineraries over the last few weeks compared to Corbyn.
I’m not sure how the PLP has the balls to say that they tried to work with Corbyn is beyond me considering crap they’ve pulled over the last year.
I’ve yet to see anything that doesn’t suggest that all this isn’t about ideology.
Let’s get real
Corbyn can’t win
You want him to fight Johnson on that basis?
Why?
For what purpose?
Richard (sorry to keep this blog extending preternaturally) – I don’t thing Johnson is the danger you think, he has queered his pitch recently and is being seen more and more as a bloated egoist, opportunist and now liar. I’d be damned surprised if the Tories choose him.
I won’t take the risk
And let’s be clear Theresa May wants to abolish the Hunan Rights Act
Richard, you made a point about people needing to be represented which I responded to. I’ve made a point about how Cooper, Kendall and Burnham didn’t represent me at the last leadership contest.
I agree about the nightmare of the reality of the next Tory-Kip government. However, what I’m presented with is a lose-lose situation. Are people like me – threatened by both the centrists and the right wing: the very people that you repeatedly talk about needing help – just supposed to say ‘OK, I’ll take the lesser of two beatings’?
The option of ‘beating’ or ‘beating light’ is why people are furious at the moment. It’s one of the main reasons why people voted the way they did in the referendum. It was as much about Britain as it was the EU. I don’t agree with their conclusions (that it was the EU’s fault) but I agree with the need to be angry. It’s why people are angry with what’s happening with the PLP. The ‘why does there have to be a beating’ option is being taken off the ballot box.
I don’t think everyone who is against Corbyn is a red Tory/Blairite/Scum. But the reality is that this *is* about the ideology of the party and there’s too many in the Labour Party who don’t want genuine equality, who want to continue the Corporatocracy of privatisation, light touch taxes and deep troughs for everyone *but* the people that you say need representing.
If you think it’s Corbyn supporters that are inflexible idealists, remember what Blair said last year, that he’d rather Labour not get elected at all than get elected on left wing policies.
Whoever said you could not vote for another candidate you think close to your views?
“Whoever said you could not vote for another candidate you think close to your views?”
The PLP by not offering one. Go back to the leadership campaign and look at the narrative that Kendall, Cooper and Burnham were offering. They, and too many others, wanted to take the party further to the right. They supported and/or abstained on things like welfare reforms. You know, those demographics that you said needed representing? Even if someone like Angela Eagle became party leader, do you think we’d really see a ‘left wing’ Labour party? You’re afraid of fascism? Without Corbyn, we’ll see a party happy be fascism-lite if they think it gets seats.
I refuse to back a party or MPs that are Labour in name only.
But they will not be the candidates this time
Hey I love you guys – Kristopher, Ull,Simon etc.. Richard you are great at what you do and we love you for it. Please listen to the heart sometimes because our country is going down the toilet and it has nothing to do with Corbyn, he is infact the countries only hope. Facebook started a new page for me Friends of JC – god knows how but people are joining me that I never knew!
The choice is simple
Fight fascism
Or have a left wing social movement
I will not change my ideas
But fighting fascism demands cooperation with others
For as long as the Labour Party has a chance at forming a government whoever leads it, if they genuinely threaten the neoliberal status quo, they will be monstered by the mainstream media from the start and continually until they cease to be a threat. Scandals will be manufactured, truths will be twisted, coups will be plotted by Blairites and their numerous allies.
The only hope Labour, or any other genuinely progressive party, has is to bypass the mainstream through social media and grassroots campaigning and commnity building on the ground. The media is a lost cause, co-opted over decades of increasingly sophisticated and well funded co-option.
Whoever takes the top job will be bullied. Teams of spindoctors, PR flacks, and lobbyists will devote full time to planning covert campaigns against them. Attempts will be made to coerce and co-opt them. If all else fails, the Labour leader will simply be ignored. A slick media operation and a pretty face will not overcome this.
The savage and continual monstering unleashed against the mildly reformist Ed Miliband has stepped up a gear against Jeremy Corbyn. There is no one who will get a fair hearing unless they accept the failing economic paradigm of our time and all its attendant miseries. And if that happens, Labour will wither away within a year. There is no third way. You know this.
Who in Labour could withstand this? Who could stick to their principles in this storm of abuse?
I think you are one of our finest political thinkers, Richard, and I respect your work enormously but on this I think you are quite wrong.
For all our sakes, Corbyn must stay.
Then we must differ
I have no desire to hand the role of government to the far right but if he stays that is what will happen
If he goes though then the so-called Left itself becomes the Far Right as all the closet Tories will complete their takeover. This is not the time to let them do that. I suspect this will all become academic in the near future though. I’ve been watching Alistair Campbell (Iraq War Dodgy Dossier sexer-upper) and Jack Straw (Foreign Secretary for the Iraq War period) apparently competing to badmouth Corbyn on Sky News in the last few days leading me to suspect all Corbyn will have to do is his ‘j’accuse’ bit about Tony Blair when Chilcot’s happening and his internal opposition in Labour will very quickly be more concerned with their own careers imminently ending than anything to do with him. The Tories are in similar disarray as they effectively have no leader and obviously have no policies. All Corbyn needs to do is stand his ground for a few more weeks and his enemies will defeat themselves. Popcorn time! We won’t see days like these again 🙂
Sorry – but this is just an excuse
Corbyn did not try to keep the UK in the EU
That is the issue
All the rest is paranoia
Do you think the PLP will let another left winger be nominated? Corbyn got the absolute minimum number of nominations with seconds to spare and several of his backers publicly disavowed their choice after he won.
I suspect Corby will be the left wing nominee
Pithy and to the point. Nothing else matters.
And it absolutely needs wider collaboration with those with whom the commonalities are far greater than the differences
I wasn’t going to comment again as I believe we are all entitled to our views and on this subject ours differ. However, as I respect you for seeking the truth I have to question your belief that Corbyn didn’t try to keep us in the EU. In the midst of an appalling campaign of down right spin and lies from both sides of the Tory Party (as well as UKIP) Corbyn was the one person I heard speak who was truthful about the EU.His constituency was one of the highest Remain votes at 76%. I thought about Brexit after seeing a well made documentary but it was after hearing one of Corbyn’s many speaches that changed my mine back to Remain. Alan Johnson was supposed to be the Remain Campaign Leader for the Labour Party. I only know that because our literature in Lambeth had his name on it. I never heard Johnson say a word or saw any reports on social media that he was for Remain. Did you hear Corbyn in PQT today – he was the only one making any sense about what our country should be doing at this time to quell the unrest while no-one is steering the ship.
I will tell you I was told the Labour policy was to do very little
Now that might have changed towards the end but I know that doing virtually nothing was the plan for a long time in the belief that blue on blue was all that mattered
Johnson was a poor choice – but no one noticed him anymore than they did Lord Rose
This was about Corbyn and he and his team failed
If I make myself unpopular for saying so, c’est la vie
Let’s assume you are right. I usually do. Who is there among the 172 who could possibly provide both the idealistic vision that Corbyn did and does, as well as the pragmatic leadership the country needs? I suggest there is no one. It looks awful from where I sit, but everything else looks worse. Jeremy is our leader. The “charming, principled and genuine man” gets my vote over the nest of vipers trying to unseat him. As you say, “There is no point in a change if Labour is not going to learn its lessons…” Corbyn has learned those lessons. And he has the beginning of an apparatus that could just about apply them. Can any other possible candidates say and do the same?
I do not know
I do know that Jeremy Corbyn cannot lead the Labour Party as it is
So there is compromise
Or a split
Will that be better?
I see the Labour Party splitting no matter what happens. There will be a leadership challenge. As you say, Corbyn will likely be the “left” candidate. If he wins would that result be respected? Is there another candidate? You suggest John McDonnell has “grown into the job”. But the press against him has been more vile than that against Corbyn. As a team Corbyn and McDonnell appeared to present a combination of attributes that could have worked if nurtured. Were they willing to be nurtured? Maybe they weren’t. I think that is what you might be implying. You suggest that you did try. As Owen Jones has said, they came to the job against more opposition than I have seen against any political leader in the small world I survey. Compromise is needed but it looks impossible. I thought Corbyn did offer many compromises when he formed his first shadow cabinet. I do not now see any willingness to comproimise from his PLP opposition. Would Angela Eagle reach out to John McDonnell and invite him to be her shadow chancellor? Would Corbyn bless that union? Would Corbyn and McDonnell reach out to Caroline Lucas and accept a broad progressive coalition? They might. Would the PLP opposition? I do not see any will at the local level for that kind of electoral pact on my patch.
Sadly I think this could be the end of the Labour Party. What a tragedy.
I think you have to consider the possibility that Jeremy did not try very hard to win people over in the PLP
From what I saw – and I admit I did – he really did not communicate, almost at all