Labour members now more supportive of Jeremy Corbyn than ever – why is the general public so cool on him?
The reasonable face of British politics: Jeremy Corbyn.
Is Jeremy Corbyn getting the cold shoulder from the general public because of the way disagreements within the Labour Party are portrayed in the ‘lame stream’ media?
Recent depictions of Labour in the right-wing press are enough to make anyone think the party is on the verge of of disintegration – especially when prominence is given to dissenting views such as those of Yvette Cooper on nationalisation.
But an increasing number of people are commenting on the disparity between this coverage and the depiction of similar rifts in the Conservative Party – splits which are just as serious but are often described as “principled disagreement”, with no question of any implications for the future of the party.
What are ordinary people to think?
It was heartening to This Writer yesterday, when a friend casually mentioned the in-fighting within Tory ranks at the moment, and went on to speculate on what it meant for their future.
He was only applying the same consideration to the Conservatives as the Tory media has been applying to Labour. Perhaps many others are starting to feel the same.
Who knows what might happen if people like Yvette would only step back and consider the selfishness of what they have been doing?
Labour members’ support for Jeremy Corbyn has stayed very strong since his election in September, new polling shows.
A YouGov study commissioned by the Election Data website found 72 per cent of Labour members approved of Mr Corbyn, with 17 per cent disapproving.
The poll also shows that if Labour had another leadership election in which Mr Corbyn and his close ally John McDonnell did not stand, a plurality of members would simply not vote.
The party has practically doubled in size since Mr Corbyn won the leadership election – with the flood of new members apparently favouring the Labour leader.
The party has practically doubled in size since Mr Corbyn won the leadership election – with the flood of new members apparently favouring the Labour leader.
Source: Labour members now more supportive of Jeremy Corbyn than ever | UK Politics | News | The Independent
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This how our right wing press has behaved for donkey’s years. Why would they change just because Corbyn is well supported in the Labour party?
I think you’re really hitting the nail on the head here Mike, I really do. The right-wing media are almost certainly going to be a very large part of the reason why a lot of people are still not giving Corbyn the time of day. As the months have passed though, I think I’ve heard slightly more about problems within the Tory party than I have within Labour. I have to say that I’m not a massive fan of politics (and probably will never be), for one, I’m fed up of the endless bitching and backstabbing that goes on, but I wish Corbyn the best. I never used to watch PMQs (only started since Corbyn became leader), however I am going to stop watching now (unless I get wind that something dramatic happens), because all it seems to be is Corbyn asks a question, Cameron doesn’t answer and lies followed by shouting and jeering (mainly seemingly from the Gov benches, and towards Corbyn).
I saw a video recently of John McDonnell doing a speech at some University somewhere, and he was saying that on the vast majority of issues, the Labour party are generally in agreement, so don’t believe everything you read in the papers !
Because there are too many idiots out there who are easily lead by the right wing media!
It is not so hard to comprehend Mike. While I don’t have the qualifications to lecture, I still have an opinion, and in some very key areas my opinions are at odds with those of Mr Corbyn. My neighbours either side of me share my opinions. I like Mr Corbyn; He is in many ways a breath of fresh air, while, disappointingly he, like 80% of the British GovCorp, if not more, grovel to the Jewish lobby. Friends of Israel etc. More of the same: Whose wars does Mr Corbyn think we are fighting for goodness sake?
Mr Corbyn is supposed “Re-Present the wishes of the public in the Commons, is that not so? Yet the ordinary man in the street wants immigration not just stopped but reversed, yet Mr Corbyn travels to Calais….Why? The fact is that Mr Corbyn, though being given the support of the ordinary grass roots, is not “Re-Presenting” the concerns of those grass roots: Indeed we are seeing not democracy but ideology again which is what we are already dying of under the current criminal marauders in the Commons.
A Point:- Can we agree as a Principle that every human being is equally important and deserves, provided that he or she does no harm, to live their lives in any way that they choose? If we can agree to this as a basic principle then:-
Can we agree that the cultures evolved and adopted by social groupings, up to and including nations are all equally important and deserving of respect? If we can also agree, in general terms, to this then:-
Why are we being disrespected by “Multiculturalism”? Why is our culture under assault (re: Barbara Lerner Specter etc) here in Europe by a massive form of deliberately staged weaponised immigration? Further why is the man that many of us saw for a while as the solution just one more part of the same old problem. Never mind shouts about “isolationist” or “racist” or “islamaphobic” which are PC tools to prevent criticism. The fact is Mike, we have never been asked whether we actually wanted our culture, our society, turned into a multi racial, multi-cultural third world hell hole. Mr Corbyn needs learn to ask us what we want. I am happy indeed to scrap Trident…Along with the whole nuclear industry, which is dangerous, deadly and expensive. Too whatever his thoughts personally about the EU and its unelected Commissars, he needs to gain the views of his constituents before deciding which way the Labour party will campaign. Dr Richard North at EU referendum is rather an expert in matters relating to the EU: Not just a hack as are so many in both the the Pro and anti EU orgs.Its fatal really. Once in a position of power one forgets that ones real job is merely Re-Presenting the wishes of ones constituents, and of course fighting in the commons to achieve those wishes. But what we get are an isolated bunch of people simply using their views and ideologies instead of doing their job: “Re-Presenting”. I am wondering after Calais if in fact Mr Corbyn is the Brit Obama. If he gets the Peace Prize I am running to get under the table.
You’re saying Jeremy Corbyn, a supporter of Palestine, who supports a two-way arms embargo on Israel, a boycott of Israeli universities involved in arms research and the end of restrictions on Gaza, is a supporter of Israel?
What a unique viewpoint.
He did address the Friends of Israel, but his reception was extremely frosty and he was heckled for not actually using the word “Israel” in his speech.
How is this man grovelling to the Jewish lobby, again?
You’re comments misrepresent the immigration issue. If what you’re writing is accurate, then the ordinary person in the street does not understand the issue at all and needs to do some research. He IS representing the concerns of the grassroots, but he understands the issue and is acting on that knowledge.
Your claim about “weaponised immigration” is not supported by the facts. If immigration is being used as a weapon, then somebody must be pulling the trigger. Who?
The fact is, Harry, that we have not been asked whether we wanted to be multiracial or multicultural because that’s what we have always been. As for being turned into a “Third World hell hole”, that is Conservative Party policy and has nothing to do with immigration.
Your aggression towards Jeremy Corbyn is entirely unjustified. Stop and think, please.
Regarding “unelected commissars” at the EU, I refer you to the ‘Mythbusting’ article by Richard Corbett that I recently publicised. He’ll put you straight.
Your comment is a strong argument for politicians NOT simply to re-present the ignorance of constituents who have not done their research properly, and for them to act in the best interests of those constituents by arguing on each issue according to the facts.
Corbyn is an almost completely undistinguished gentleman with no significant achievement to speak of. He appear like a man who can’t make a decision without seeking advice and achieving a consensus; leaders, sadly, often have to make snap ad hoc decisions, something that Corbyn seems incapable of doing. The man is ordinariness personified. He is Michael Foot minus the education, breath of intellect, oratorical skill and political nous and capability. This man will NEVER be Prime Minister.
What are you on about?
If you want to discuss a completely undistinguished gentleman with no significant achievement to speak of, let’s look at David Cameron – especially in the light of his recent negotiations in the EU.
Even Boris Johnson says that Jeremy Corbyn has been right about most things, including Ireland and Iraq. Corbyn likes a consensual approach. He does not have that bullying Alpha Male approach that most of us would rather not have to deal with.
Interesting that the right-wing press: Mail, Express and Sun are snapped up every day by working class people: the very people who these papers want to mislead, misinform and generally visit social and economic harm upon. I’m afraid the buyers of these rags are conniving at their own downfall. How do Murdoch and Co. do it? Makes yer think, dunnit?
God alone knows why anybody should read the Telegraph. A wasteful, semi-literate rag depending on intellectual nobodies to fill its pages. Not bad on sport, though.
I’d like to make it impossible for the owners of the right wing press to publish unless they pay their fair taxes. Come on, billionaire Barclay Bros. Stump up.
Back in the 1980s, research showed the Sun‘s huge working-class readership only bought it to violently disagree with everything it said.
Of course the obvious answer – that Labour members are hopelessly out of touch with the electorate – has escaped you. YouGov research just the other day proved this pretty categorically.
Dream on, Tory.
You’re a member of a tiny minority-interest group that has managed to trick its way into public office, and you think anybody’s going to pay attention to your opinion about anything?
Dream on.
Only 25% of the electorate voted Conservative. The Conservatives do not have a mandate to make Britain into a one party state as they are now doing, by using both propaganda and legislation to suppress dissent.
You may be a Tory, but doesn’t appear to have given you a rounded education, gifting you with critical thinking skills sadly!.
Anyone half in the know understands that the Polls nowadays are merely Propaganda Machines; By setting the questions in such a way as to allow them to propagate the results to the public not as a means to objectively inform but to either confuse or NUDGE.
Spot on! You Gov is run by a tory party member he also applied to be a tory mp! So his poll going to be unbiased……right?
From a non-Labour supporter viewpoint.
A) Lack of trust in Labour from the Blairite years. Followed by Ed’s flip-flop walking on eggshells strategy and ridiculous “Ed stone” stunts hasn’t exactly endeared potential voters who are anti-Tory to vote Labour.
B) Labour MPs causing trouble, making the party look spit. No one wants to vote for a party that is a mess. It hampers Corbyn’s ability to organize a proper opposition too if he’s being attacked on the front while being back stabbed.
C) No mainstream media support, aside from maybe the Mirror?
D) Needs a bigger or better grassroots and social media campaign. The leadership campaign was effective but at the moment, it’s not enough, there’s not a lot of spark going on.
E) Britain is now completely divided into winners and losers, the winners in general have no desire to vote for Labour or Tory-Lite Labour, unless crisis hits.
F) Hate to say it but Britain, particularly England, is more bigoted, stupid and hateful than it was 10 years ago. Not everyone, of course, but the bigots are bolder and more plentiful than ever. I’m not sure what you can do towards this rising tide of irrational fascism. This is a growing thing world-wide so not unique to the UK.
G) We need to talk about privilege, Corbyn’s popularity has triggered a major backlash from the Privileged Elites and the stable Middle Classes. The right-wingers are fairly unimportant in this equation, it’s the so called “left-wing” or “centre” ones from within Labour, the media outlets like the Guardian and society in general, that are the problem. Put it simply, certain dubious “allies” feel “entitled” to power, they feel they have the “right” to “rule over others”, they fear anyone who could take this exclusive privilege away from them.
I do like Corbyn but he has a mountain to conquer. Sorry to say, but victory is going to be extremely difficult, not impossible though and the fight is likely going to be very very vicious.
The rise of the unlikely grey-haired candidates on both sides of the Atlantic can only be explained as a reflection of the utter despair that the electorate are feeling, and most especially the young, who have been particularly badly affected by successive governments.
Corbyn did little if anything to find himself in this position. He was never a self-seeking power monger, he simply represents fundamental principles of fairness, morality, and integrity in both domestic and foreign policy.
It is a starting point, and he will put together a think tank and bring on some young left leaning men and women to make change happen through the collective efforts many minds. In this sense he is just the leader we have been crying out for. A move away from spin, and move back to first principles.
He may not have all the answers but he is prepared to be principled, to think and to listen. It is less important what his personal views are and more important that he lets ordinary people count , rather than just big money.
On immigration… the cause of the problem is war… selling arms… making money out of misery… doing dirty deals… solve this horrible, cynical side of answering to big business and you solve some of the ordinary person’s concerns about large numbers of refugees.
The humanitarian side of the refugee issue needs international co-operation. Instead of beggar my neighbour we should be working hard on this aspect. Cameron’s romp around Europe penny pinching for the UK is shameful and harmful to international co-operation.
It is generally true that in many ways immigration is a net plus for the economy – filling gaps in the labour market, bringing in skills and hard working people, raising GDP and tax revenue. If we stop scaremongering and start telling the truth more often then leadership can bring the public round to what is actually in their interest.
Also, most importantly, if we have proper terms of employment, contracts and rights, employers are more keen to raise skill levels and loyalty rather than to recruit cheap labour often from overseas. Immigration is as much a pull from employers seeking to undermine the existing workforce. Workers rights will diminish this nasty way of doing business, by getting the cheapest labour as fodder for low productivity work, instead of up-skilling loyal workers.
I hope this answers some of the issues raised by previous responders. For more thoughts on all this maybe some of you might look at openlines.co
Good luck to us all. We can do better than Tory and Tory-lite and we need to make change happen soon.
Kimberley
It’s not rocket surgery. Which faction within the Labour party is being given high exposure by a press hostile to the Labour party?