So finally, it’s on. Corbyn wouldn’t submit to parliamentary pressure and so Angela Eagle was forced to formally challenge him. Jeremy himself went on Marr to talk about it over the weekend where he displayed no discomfort whatsoever. It seems clear that whatever happens he is going to win by his own measure. Either the NEC lets him onto the ballot and he wins, or he gets on and somehow Eagle wins (at which point Momentum becomes a new party), or he doesn’t get on and he sues the party – I think he figures he wins either way. So long as he has his own socialist cult to himself, then who cares.
The notion that he might sue the Labour Party itself gives you a fair indication of how far wrong all this has gone. What a terrible precedent to set. What’s next, a sitting prime minister suing parliament because they lost an election? For better or for worse, the unwritten constitution works via certain conventions – such as not suing the political party you are the leader of when things don’t work out for you.
But this will all be civilised compared to what will happen away from Westminster and the machinations of the political class. The atmosphere is febrile already post-Brexit, and one can only wonder what far-left activists have in store for Angela Eagle over the summer. Her politics are not really mine, but I do admire her greatly for having the courage to face down this bunch, many of whom will undoubtably attack both her gender and her sexuality. I’m not sure I could face it all myself. I think however all of this plays out, what Eagle has done will reverberate as a necessary and highly praise worthy element of where we eventually all end up.
I really do lament the politics of the moment, my only hope being that out of all of this chaos a new arrangement emerges that is better than what we had pre-June 24th. That shouldn’t be that difficult, but it is a long way from guaranteed.
In the meantime, we have things like Diane Abbott’s interview on Radio 4 this morning. To call it out of touch with reality would be extremely charitable. To summarise its message: Corbyn will continue being leader of the Labour Party regardless and there won’t be a split as a result even though the parliamentary party think he’s rubbish and nor will Labour stop functioning as a party (the ship has already sailed on the last one). Are we to surmise from all this that the PLP will be “re-educated” in some way? It’s the only way to square its inconsistencies.
I pick on Abbott for a reason: she can be highly reasonable, so the irrationality of the interview was highly disconcerting. As we saw during the EU referendum, politicians and what they feel can and can’t be said really does set the tone for the country at large. Right now there is a lot of talk in Westminster that is downright delusional and what that does to an already fragile politics scares me.
Excellent Nick. Abbot was nuts- #PlanetCorbyn won’t go quietly, clearly.
Can you, or someone, please explain to me why it is a good thing for Eagle et al to indulge what is clearly a failed strategy, one that will inevitably result in destroying the Labour Party? Why is this less damaging than simply allowing Corbyn to serve the electoral term he, by any measure, is entitled to serve? Isn’t it obvious that Eagle hasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of gaining anything like Corbyn’s support? Doesn’t the whole shoddy spectacle reek of exactly the sort of political manipulation that people are thoroughly fed up with?
Hi Nick, these questions are ones I would certainly like to hear the answers too. Theres a curios denial in these elitist types of narratives where Democracy is something we plebs should be happy to have done to us rather than something we participate in.
( quotes from Roy Madron, Super Competent Democracies).
‘Democracy is that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s vote’.” Joseph Schumpeter, Quoted from Roy Madron , Super Competent Democracies who in turn Cites. “Participation, and Democratic Theory” by Carole Pateman. Dr. Pateman says that, Schumpeter and his followers: … set the current Anglo-American political system as our democratic ideal (with) a ‘democratic theory’ that in many respects bears a strange resemblance to the anti-democratic arguments of the last (i.e. 19th) century. No longer is democratic theory centered on the participation of ‘the people’; in the contemporary theory of democracy it is the participation of the minority elite that is crucial and the non-participation of the apathetic, ordinary man lacking in the feelings of political efficacy, that is regarded as the main bulwark against instability.
http://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2016/01/the-iron-law-of-oligarchy.html Angela Eagle is perhaps an un witting useful idiot for the Oligarchy?
Angela Eagle is a member of parliament and has the qualities of a minister by all means but not a leader.
She came fourth as deputy leader contender months ago , so why does she think she should be the leader?
She is possibly a nice person .She is probably an intelligent politician. But as a prime minister she is a non event .She lacks the warmth or the connection with the interviewer in media appearances and does not have the presence that can be its alternative.
Ruth Davidson has both with bells on . Theresa May has the latter in buckets . The Tories lead as ever in their women of ability , I met Anabel Goldie a couple of weeks ago and she still has both qualities !
We have many women of such ability in the Liberal Democrats , from Shirley Williams to Jo Swinson , the trouble with us is getting anyone elected because of the great ability but despite the appalling electoral system !
But that is not what is the main event . Corbyn is so unpopular but where are the real challengers ? Harriet Harrman should now be brought in as unity salvager of a wreck!
There seems to be a huge amount of confusion about how democracy works in this country. This confusion has been precipitated by the people’s vote in Scotland and again with the EU referendum.
In normal times we elect members of parliament who represent us.
Now we have been given the task of making a decision or two and the status quo is all over the place. Instead of mp’s shouting at each other in pmqs we the people have taken to shouting at each other on social media.
The Corbyn thing is another example of this. He has the backing of the so called membership of the Labour party. But the MPs have a wider constituency – the electorate that chose them to represent them.
This apparent conflict needs to be addressed at a constitutional level if in future democracy is to bind us together instead of tearing us apart.
Inebldirec! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Superb choice of colors!
Olá Eunice, obrigado pelo comentário.Fico imensamente satisfeito pelo facto do artigo ter ajudado a trazer-lhe esperança na sua capacidade de levar a sua vida para a frente. E de que pode desprender-se do seu passado, e construir o seu “eu” de acordo com os seus objetivos.Tudo de bomAbraço Responder14/12/2012
Oh, and what’s really “rich,” and ironic, is Paul Ryan talking about poverty and entitlements, and the fact that he took SS money after his father died that he really didn’t need to since his family was pretty well-off.He’s the ULTIMATE moocher – someone who took money that he didn’t need.
i had a meeting in sony’s music headquarters in New York last summer. we all commented on how ratty the leather seats looked as we waited in the reception area. it felt like a bus station. and we speculated about how cool the seats would be in Apple’s lobby. and we instinctively knew we were right. and the meeting was as dull and tired as the seats. it’s all about culture baby!
It’s great to find an expert who can explain things so well
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