Labour’s new members mostly wealthy city dwellers, according to dodgy leak taken by Guardian
When The Guardian decides to stereotype Labour members, it really goes the whole hog. I would have thought that was a Conservative trait, personally. These are “young labour members … outside the Young Labour Annual Reception at the Hilton Metropole, Brighton” [Image: David Levene for the Guardian].
I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of “high-status city dwellers” in well-paid jobs.
It’s just that my branch has tripled in size, I know quite a few of the new members personally, and they aren’t.
They can’t – by definition – pursue well-paid jobs because average wages in Powys were only 76 per cent of the national average, all the way back in 2008, and the real-terms value of wages has fallen by 10 per cent since then.
They are – by definition – rural. Many of them are senior citizens. And – due to the circumstances described in the paragraph directly above – many have to work hard to stay out of debt.
I think the Constituency Labour Party has either tripled or quadrupled its membership, so my branch is not exceptional either.
A disproportionate number of Labour members who have joined since the 2015 general election are “high-status city dwellers” pursuing well-paid jobs, according to internal party data.
The party is doing less well when it comes to attracting rural dwellers, elderly people and those struggling to make ends meet, leaked documents show.
Source: Labour’s new members mostly wealthy city dwellers – leaked report | Politics | The Guardian
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Wait wasn’t the Blairites moaning that the Labour party was not going to be attractive to the middle classes due to Corbyn not saying aspiration over n over again like a parrot? Well this clearly proves that Labour are electable with the middle classes so are they now happy?
Nooo of course not, now they are trying to say Labour are snobs? I wish they would make their mind up, otherwise people may start to suspect that no matter what Labour does these same sad people will moan and whinge.
I joined after Jeremy Corbin was voted in and I have no money at all
Me too; although I am university educated and a bit pretentious. On the other hand, I’ve been sans employment for 5+ years too and am from a decidedly working class background. I don’t fit into any of the demographers little boxes, I suspect. ;-)
If Jeremy Corbin Is ousted or replaced I will terminate my membership.
Meanwhile, as an EC member of our CP [bloody jargon!!], I can concur that here in Preseli-Pembrokeshire, we have also had a large rise in members, As have neighbouring rural constituencies in what is the Dyfed-Powys police area.
So sod the Guardian!
More lies then they are very worried about jc how he can demolish yheir greedie plans yep mud slinging
Sounds like the leak fell off the back of a lorry, I wonder what ‘high status city dwellers’ actually means? Are they on something…
I don’t see why this should be seen as embarrassing for Labour anyway. If Corbyn’s appeal is even to the well-to-do of this country, then so much the better. There’s even less excuse for the Government to concentrate wealth in fewer hands when the hands themselves don’t want to hoard it.
Yes, there is the angle that Corbyn’s arrival was greeted with a chorus of claims that Labour would be less attractive to this demographic.
The claim that an overly large number of new members belong to it seems to be mistaken, though.
It also looks like the Guardian is juxtaposing the member demographics against that of the whole adult population (11% ‘wealthy city dwelling’ new Labour members versus 6% of said same in the wider population). Giving the Guardian the benefit of the doubt for the moment, two things occur:
1. This is precisely the sort emographic shift the New Labour cliche within the PLP were aiming for two-odd years ago when they were screaming for open primaries (of course, that was way back when they were still deluded enough to think that that particularly organised and engaged section of society still bought into their drivel, hook, line and sinker).
2. How do the new member demographics compare and contrast with those of registered voters and (more specifically) those who voted in the 2015 general election. If it more closely matches than for the wider population, perhaps the issue is as much about the increasingly ‘traditional’ apathy of the pooring sections of society compared to the wealthier ABC1s. An issue to be tackled for sure, but not a sign of an insular, out of touch and elitiest shift within the Labour party (and certainly the Leadership – Corbyn is the most down to earth and in touch Labour leader, neè party leader the UK has experienced within my lifetime!).
Of course the above all hinges on the ‘leaked’ report and the Guardian’s analysis thereof being both accurate and honest. I note that the original headline read ‘most new members’ not ‘disproportionate number of new members’. At 11-odd percent (according to the report), our new, wealthy, city dwelling compatriots do not represent ‘most’ of the new intake, not by any stretch of the imagination. Who writes these headlines: the sub-editor’s 7 year old daughter or a dyed in the wool propagandist?
Really I live in a rural area I am elderly and disabled..so where do they get their statistics from or their information? I am also a Labour supporter…
Forgot to add I am not wealthy…in the fact I dont have bags of money…far from it!!