Two Cheers for Jeremy Corbyn!

[TomGoodheart]

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.

.

[PWA 1967]

I only though that andy burnham was in the contest.

Or is that because i am being told about him all the time,as i am in leigh ?.

[TomGoodheart]

I only though that andy burnham was in the contest.

Or is that because i am being told about him all the time,as i am in leigh ?.

LOL Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall and Jeremy Corbyn... but yes, perhaps as you're most local to AB ..?

[Nutsaboutcoins]

If nothing else I think the SNP rise and LibDem fall at the General election and Corbin in the leadership race have given the old school tie brigade of all colours a kick in the proverbials, that has made them sit up and realise they are not immortal.

[azda]

If nothing else I think the SNP rise and LibDem fall at the General election and Corbin in the leadership race have given the old school tie brigade of all colours a kick in the proverbials, that has made them sit up and realise they are not immortal.

The Rise of the SNP has Westminster(Tories mostly) treating Scots like we're back in the 1870s India and Part of the British Raj. Remember Cameron blubbering saying "please don't Break up our union" and then swiftly shit on and sneered at As soon As they have a majority Government. I'll Never forget IDS face when Osbourne announced that Britain will get a wage rise, like a man posessed, disturbing at best.

[jelida]

I signed up to vote for him!

Not that I'd consider myself a natural Labour supporter, but I do love that joe public can have a say in who leads a party that might one day influence our lives....or indeed make it unelectable.

I think it is a wonderful exercise in democracy, but a stupid idea.

Now for the flak.........

Jerry

[TomGoodheart]

I just can't decide whether the nay sayers are right and it will spell the end of the Labour party or it heralds in a new type of politics, where the principle that a political party is only successful if it can exert power by being elected, is replaced by one where working to build openness, justice, benevolence towards others and just plain old ‘fairness’ in society are seen to be of value.

But I am hopeful ...

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[bagerap]

Probably be the end of New Labour/Tory Lite and might even get back to the original Socialist roots of the Labour movement.

The question of the leadership hinges on one crucial factor, who is counting the votes?

[Peter]

Labour can F/O until they get someone useful

Can't believe these muppet's who are destroying each other.

The Tories are laughing at Labour.

Remember the last Labour Government FFS.

Our economy buggered and War.

Sort it and I will vote but until then Tories are the only option.

[TomGoodheart]

Probably be the end of New Labour/Tory Lite and might even get back to the original Socialist roots of the Labour movement.

The question of the leadership hinges on one crucial factor, who is counting the votes?

Electoral Reform Services Limited, the commercial arm of the Electoral Reform Society

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[TomGoodheart]

Remember the last Labour Government FFS.

Don't you mean New Labour Peter?

[Peter]

I think Labour are a dead dog with all the designer crap and loans to buy a new car at £149 per week at huge %.

We all want to keep up with the Johnsies.

Live within your abilities.

Ban payday loans and unsecured credit.

I will never trust a Labour pack of twats.

They must reform.

Maybey a Tory/Socialist/Green party might work....TSG

[Geordie582]

Surely the answer is easy. A fine for not voting and maybe we'd get the government the people REALLY want !

[TomGoodheart]

Surely the answer is easy. A fine for not voting and maybe we'd get the government the people REALLY want !

I think that maybe the problem is that the government that the people really want doesn't exist.

Our system is based on party politics. But maybe the majority of people don't think in party terms, but have differing views depending on the issues? So while they might agree with one party on the NHS, they like what another says about immigration.

In the end maybe they don't vote because each party has as many policies they can't stomach as ones they agree with?

Perhaps what we need is a new perspective? Certainly I think we need broader debate. And discussion of some of the issues JC has raised and which (perhaps surprisingly for some) have attracted interest surely can't do any harm? Well, less harm than more of the mind-numbing 'centre right' we've been getting from all three main stream parties for decades....

Politics has gotten boring because there's little choice. Time for someone to make it more interesting again I reckon.

.

[davidrj]

I think that maybe the problem is that the government that the people really want doesn't exist.

True, Scandinavian levels of social services can never be funded by U.S. levels of taxation. We all have to compromise as to where we want the balance point to be.

[Rob]

I just can't decide whether the nay sayers are right and it will spell the end of the Labour party or it heralds in a new type of politics, where the principle that a political party is only successful if it can exert power by being elected, is replaced by one where working to build openness, justice, benevolence towards others and just plain old ‘fairness’ in society are seen to be of value.

But I am hopeful ...

.

I think the values listed are safe in the hands of the electorate as most people would subscribe fully to them. What you will always struggle to get is a political party willing to put the ideas into practice as there are far too many political debts to be paid. I am not hopeful that this will be solved by a political party and think it can only work by returning to a situation whereby the community organises at a local level - as it used to.

A fundamental problem with party politics is that it is completely intolerant and adversarial, with decisions being made amid a chorus of cries of anguish or derision from the people who are trotted out in opposition or defence of proposed changes to the status quo. Any change is viewed by the left as oppression of the downtrodden when proposed by the right, and conversely as kow-towing to the unions or unemployed when seen from the other direction. As a demonstrably bad case of Pavlov's politicians, don't hold your breath for a desirable outcome.

[Sylvester]

I really hope Corbyn wins the Labour Party leadership campaign.

From my point of view the whole point of the Labour party was to be a socialist, working man's party. Labour ceased to have any relevance when they dropped the article in their manifesto that stated 'we are a socialist party', and that was sometime in about 1993/4. New Labour and all it stood for was practically New Tory in all but name.

No one really wants two parties with the same political stance arguing over irrelevant nuances, this just makes politics stagnant, boring and disllusions the voters. The old addage 'they all urinate in the same pot' kind of holds true.

I should make it clear that I am not a socialist and I've never voted Labour, but I think if they are to have any relevance in the future they have to be different to what the Conservatives are offering. If they can't actually have different policies then they are totally irrelevant as a political force, just like the Liberal Democrats have become.