Corbyn was on the BBC yesterday, talking about how the government spending money to get round the coronavirus was his idea first and that essentially the Tories are now just nicking his style. Of course he was – what else was Corbz going to do? The merry trickster, always sure he’s on the right side of history, even when there is circumstantial evidence to the contrary – we’ll miss him, won’t we? No, we won’t because for starters, it’s clear he’s going to hang around like a bad smell for years and years to come yet, trying to hurt Starmer’s attempts to resurrect the Labour Party as a serious political force with every crazy media appearance he can grab.
Yet whatever he does, he won’t be the leader of the opposition any longer and that will be a huge moment. Whatever one thinks of Starmer – and some say he’s dull, or that he’s more politically extreme than he wants centrists to believe – he isn’t Corbyn or anything like someone who normally hangs around with JC. He is credible, decent and smart – three qualities that you could never accuse Corbyn of possessing. Having the leadership of at least one of the two major parties filled with someone with these qualities will be a big turnaround in British politics, even against the backdrop of the unfolding crisis.
The two things that have struck me about the Corbyn farewell “victory lap” this week: one, the fact that they pushed ahead with it in pretty much the exact style they would have had the current crisis not been happening says a lot to me about the far left. Two, that Corbyn still displays no sense of taking any responsibility for having been leader of the Labour Party through two general election losses, the last one being a particularly brutal one. He shows no sympathy even for his fellow travellers or the poorest in society he says he is sure will be most negatively affected by continuing Tory governments. It’s not even a display of Ed Miliband-esque intellectual arrogance – he just can’t be wrong and that’s it. His God is the one true God; he is one of the designated leaders of the chosen people and there is no circumstance under which his God can be wrong. He shows no remorse or second guessing of what he could have done differently because he literally doesn’t know how to do that. In Corbyn’s world, if reality rejects you, then reality is at fault, not you.
Hopefully, this is the last thing I will ever write about Corbyn; I sincerely hope it is. He’s been as bad for the Labour Party and British politics in general as most sensible predicted back in 2015. Good riddance.
************************************************************************
In a few weeks time, I have another book coming out. It’s called “Politics is Murder” and follows the tale of a woman named Charlotte working at a failing think tank who has got ahead in her career in a novel way – she is a serial killer. One day, the police turn up at her door and tell her she is a suspect in a murder – only thing is, it is one she had nothing to do with. The plot takes in Conservative Party conference, a plot against the Foreign Secretary and some gangsters while Charlotte tries to find out who is trying to frame her for a murder she didn’t commit.
Also: there is a subplot around the government trying to built a stupid bridge, which now seems a charming echo of a more innocent time!
It’s out on April 9th, but you can pre-order here:
“He is credible, decent and smart – three qualities that you could never accuse Corbyn of possessing.”
Nicely put, but I doubt this is your last word on Corbyn and still less his acolytes.
Nick
Would you be writing how crap corbyn is if twice the Liberals did not play a blinder
First with facebook Clegg
But the greatest leader of any century Jo Swinson call me PM
Your reply when I challenged you that Swinson was the more disastrous leader was almost corbynite
You replied no
Yes we cannot predict a world wide pandemic starting straight after an election
Swinson intervention fixed that date
Election postponed indefinitely
Brexit postponed indefinitely
Again instead of your churlish answer of no
Explain why Corbyn would not have risen to the challenge
And yes Swinson is worse than Corbyn
Her direct intervention has long term historic implications for the UK
Trying to rewrite history again, I see. It was the SNP that forced the December election. Once they had said that they would back the Tories in the vote to get around the FTPA, the LibDems and Labour had no choice but to fall in line because the SNP plus the Tories had an overall majority in the Commons.
And now, with Salmond’s acquittal on all the charges, we can see why Sturgeon was so anxious to get the election out of the way. Without the coronavirus pandemic, which no-one could have predicted, a 2021 General Election would have led to their slaughter at the polls as the infighting within their party was exposed for the world to see.
That’s right Sturgeon
Forced this election to help the tories
Swinson had no role
I will have what you are drinking
LibDemmer you say “It was the SNP that forced the December election. Once they had said that they would back the Tories in the vote to get around the FTPA … ,” but, although I have heard it from several different people, no one has produced any evidence to corroborate it.
I would appreciate it is you would let me know what your evidence is?
David Evans:
We saw reports at the time. Nevertheless, I was surprised at the time that we would comply so easily. I guess the thinking amongst the leadership was to avoid looking like the party that would not face an election. It was not at all clever to assume that Farage would not stand down. Even so, it would have been interesting if Lib Dems and Labour could have called SNP’s bluff, however there was a fear of losing even more seats in Scotland. Effectively, both were bounced into an election by the SNP. Had Labour, Lib Dems and others not complied the SNP would be looking very exposed at the moment.
More to the point, I thought the Lib Dems should not have voted for an election on a point the principle of not overturning the Fixed Term Parliament Act.
Hi Martin, I’m sure there were reports or maybe just rumours dressed up as reports, but is there any evidence?
No response from LibDemmer to my earlier question to him/her on this. Does he/she have any evidence or is it just yet more ‘We can do no wrong’ wishful thinking?
Excuse my ignorance but Lib demmer
Just said SNP forced december election as they combined with tories had majority
But this majority did not meet the target to overturn FTPA
Swinson did not fall in line
She forced the issue
Labour was bounced by her
That is fact not a novel