Jeremy Corbyn is not the cause of Labour’s woes, says Clive Lewis
Norwich South MP Clive Lewis [Image: ANTONY KELLY].
Remember when Mr Lewis resigned over the Article 50 Bill, and certain media outlets started screaming that he was sounding out fellow MPs about the possibility of mounting a leadership challenge?
Turned out to be fake news, didn’t it?
Now Mr Lewis is the voice of reason. He is saying that Labour has problems to solve, and that blaming Mr Corbyn won’t solve them – and he is right.
Most of these problems have been caused by the adoption of right-wing policies that alienated working class people (many of whom have since been lured to UKIP with lies, because that party is more right-wing even than the Conservatives).
Mr Corbyn’s election saw the beginning of a movement back to Labour, but the same right-wing idiots responsible for the bad policies have now spent nearly two years trying to derail that process by creating division among the ranks of the Parliamentary party.
They are to blame for Labour’s current difficulties. They want those difficulties to continue, as long as Mr Corbyn is in office.
They are failing to acknowledge the truth that Mr Lewis has embraced – that Labour will be no more electable if Mr Corbyn is removed than with him in place and with them trying to sabotage him.
Nobody wants their insipid policies because they won’t help the electorate.
It is good to note also (in the source article) that Mr Lewis agrees with Mr Corbyn on Brexit – Labour needs to stand up for everyone in the UK, not just the Remain voters or the Leave voters. The only way to do that is to accept what is happening and work hard to protect the most vulnerable people from its worst effects.
That is the job of government – but, alas, we have a Conservative Government so it falls to the Opposition to try to protect the vulnerable.
Norwich MP Clive Lewis has insisted Jeremy Corbyn is not the cause of Labour’s woes after the party’s crushing defeat in the Copeland by-election.
He insisted the Mr Corbyn – who he has backed in two leadership elections – should not be the scapegoat for the defeat.
“If anyone believes that physically changing the rider on a white charger is going to solve the problems that all political parties, but ours in particular, face at this time, they are sadly mistaken. It is a shortcut.
“If you are still going to tackle deindustrialisation, the inequality, lack of quality of jobs, if you want to challenge power and the establishment, if you are going to do all the things that are going to shake this country up and make it a better place, you are going to have to tackle a lot of vested interests, including the media who are going to turn on you.
“We have to got to work out how we are going to build alliances with people who share our values across the political parties, but also those outside politics. Until that is grasped we will continue to see what has happened continue. It is too easy for people to think chop off the head and put on a new head and everything will get better, and I don’t think that is going to happen.”
Source: Jeremy Corbyn is not the cause of Labour’s woes, says Norwich MP – Politics – Eastern Daily Press
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I was talking with an ex cabinet member today and asked him about his views on the Copeland result. Apparently they were all surprised that Jack Cunningham kept on being successful there as it was regarded as a dodgy marginal with majorities of only about 800. It was never regarded as a “safe” seat. Puts a slightly different perspective on things.
HUGELY!
Labour need to get the message out the if you are working class, the tories are going to make you work longer for less money so the rich can avoid paying the tax they should be paying! That’s what people need to hear! Put the blame for this squarely on the tory party shoulders! Show the privatisation only benefits the rich and is intended to give public money into private hands while the low wages they pay are made up though benefits payments!
SO much agree with this. THe main problem woth Labour party now is the So called Labour people who are really Tories in disguise,…
“Labour moderates block Corbyns choice in Copeland, put up Owen Smith backer, lose Copeland and blame Corbyn?” – Maureen Fitzsimmons.
Labour should make it clear that they will protect the interests not just of remainers and leavers but also abstainers too. That way, they appeal to everyone.
I agree with much of the above. Corbin is not the cause of Labour’s perceived problems. However as leader he should be part of the solution.
We need a clear, simple message (populist?) that the voters can understand and get behind. E.g. “We will end austerity by investing in industry, business and jobs.” “We will invest in the NHS at 8% of GDP at least and end private shareholders taking public money out of the system.” “We will invest in schools and teachers to improve standards and remove the unreasonable burdens placed on teachers by demanding they waste valuable teaching time jumping through hoops to satisfy bureaucratic demands” just to suggest a few. I’m sure people can come up with more concise wording etc and other suggestions.
Coupled with this we need Corbyn to be more publically visible with similar short pithy messages and for the rest of the party leadership and our elected representatives at all levels to get behind the party message and stop shooting the party in the foot by going off message.
Many of us have elections to win on May 4th and giving any sign of disunity or lack of clarity is seriously damaging those electoral chances. We ALL have responsibilities in this and disunity in public is electoral suicide.
Most if not all of that has been said by corbyn but it has been under reported by the lame stream media!