Well done Jeremy!
OK, a lot of people probably dislike him or think him crazy. But he has made the current Labour leadership contest interesting!
It could so easily have been otherwise. For example I only remembered that another party had recently elected a new leader when I read it on the BBC's webpage. As to his name... who knows? Or perhaps cares?
But few people aren't aware that some sort of contest is going on within Labour. And by all accounts a lot of those who showed little interest in politics until recently, may not even have bothered voting, are getting excited.
Because as Russell Brand highlighted, the middle-ground style of politics we've had for the last few decades has sadly seemed uninteresting, or even irrelevant to an awful lot of people. Which is pretty bad for democracy really.
63% of voters didn't vote for the Conservatives. And of course, a lot less than 100% of those eligible to vote did so. So really, something that gets people interested in politics and voting seems like a good thing.
Will Jez win? No idea. The votes in Scotland have clearly showed that it's not that people don't like radical ideas. A recent YouGov poll showed people generally hold quite a few 'radical' views (both Left and right wing, often at the same time). Just that Labour ideas weren't what they wanted.
Will I vote for him? Not sure. In my younger days I would have been delighted with a candidate like him. But now a bit older I find myself balancing electability with charisma, government with vision.
But I shall be voting (as a £3 supporter). Because to my mind democracy (as we have it) requires a government that includes an opposition. To hold it to account. To broaden debate. And to remind it that the elected party is there to work for everyone, not just those who voted for it.
And to do that I think we need the Labour party. Jez and all.
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