Owen Smith: the prospective Labour leader who can’t recognise a good Labour policy
![Jeremy Corbyn says nationalising railways would cut fares [Image: Dan Kitwood].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/160816-Corbyn-transport.jpg)
Jeremy Corbyn says nationalising railways would cut fares [Image: Dan Kitwood].
If it dates back to Ed Miliband’s time as Labour leader, then we can also count it as one of the many things that ex-leader did right.
Among the policies Miliband got wrong, on the other hand, was Labour’s support for Tory social insecurity policies like Employment and Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and the Work Capability Assessment that underpins them both.
The WCA, let’s remind ourselves, is rigged to discount any medical evidence in favour of a tick-box questionnaire and the prejudice of the assessor.
Owen Smith – as is now well-recorded – spoke in support of these policies before the 2015 general election. He disputes saying Labour couldn’t oppose them because it would upset the right-wing press, but his support for them is damning enough.
What is Mr Smith’s current policy? He supports the Tories’ Universal Credit and has said nothing about ESA, PIP or the WCA.
What a socialist he is.
Jeremy Corbyn has repeated his call for Britain’s railways to be nationalised, as commuters face a hike in train ticket prices.
The Labour leader laid out his plans to “rebuild and transform” the country’s transport system, pledging to lower train fares by as much as 10%.
And he said his move to give local councils the option to run their own bus services could bring in enough money to reinstate cancelled and reduced routes.
But Owen Smith’s campaign said there was “nothing new” in the Labour leader’s “re-announcement”, and that Mr Corbyn was “rehashing existing Labour Party policy.”
A spokesperson for Owen Smith said: “There is nothing new in what Jeremy is saying – he is simply rehashing existing Labour Party policy.
“The policies being “announced” by Jeremy Corbyn on his “Transport Tuesday” are already Labour policy – some dating from Ed Miliband’s leadership, and all of them developed by shadow ministers who have since resigned citing his inability to lead the Party effectively.
Source: Jeremy Corbyn vows to nationalise railways and let councils run their own buses – Mirror Online
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owen who
just been speaking to people living at his home town they not very happy at him if a early election comes its bye bye owen who
The demolition of Corbyn by press and party alike signals demolition of the Left in mainstream politics possibly. ‘Socialism’ is a dirty word nowadays probably its linked in peoples minds (those minds the media have trained to only love capitalism) with communism. The latter has not worked in practice so its assumed socialism is the same. Hegemony, lack of education etc not the fault of people but the system. People vote against their best interests so often it would be funny if it was not so terrifying.
Communism has the distinction of never having been tried, despite having been said to have been.
Not so much owen who, more like owen what!!!
Aye, ’tis and old policy but Mr. Corbyn has made no secret of that fact, considering that he has been talking about it for… how long? The public has wanted it for years, before Miliband, I’m sure. does Owen Smith have nothing useful to say?
I hope that’s a rhetorical question!