D is for Division: Labour’s new leader was elected last weekend ending weeks of speculation on which way the party would vote. The polls were predicting his win but did the country really believe Labour’s supporters would back a 1970’s retro Left wingers? For years we had been led to believe that Labour had changed. Tony Blair invented ‘New Labour’ and the party had nudged towards the right with a different vision for the party. And that worked for some time. Initially the electorate embraced Tony Blair and his new vision but over the course of Blair’s and Brown’s tenure many saw through the gloss. Labour were the same party underneath and by 2005 the country was heavily in debt and we all knew that big spending on our public services had to be cut to avoid economic disaster. But after ten years of austerity many are fed up with cutbacks. Many have suffered. AS a Funeral Celebrant I have listened to plenty of heartbreaking stories of sick people waiting in hospital corridors for a bed. And so it is understandable why Corbyn has been elected.
It’s easy to understand why Corbyn was elected in other ways too. Politics has become deadly dull. I can’t remember the last great debate in Parliament. Many look back to the 70s now with nostalgia and forget the strikes and disruption the unions caused to the economy, instead seeing a great era they want to return to.
Like him or loathe him you have to admire Corbyn for his mission to return Labour to its’ true Left wing principles and his desire to make Britain a better place. But there is a great deal of distrust, division within his party on where he will take Britain. Are his policies dangerous for this country? Here’s a quick run down on what he believes:
- Unilateral disarmament.
- Pull out of NATO.
- Doesn’t want to renew Trident.
- Pacifist stance on war. Reduce army.
- Against renewed bombing in Syria. Talk instead to our enemies
- Abolish the monarchy
- Higher taxes to fund welfare reform
- Schools to return to complete state control
- Tackle tax avoidance and tax evasion
- Renationalise the railways and energy
- Introduce rent controls on housing in some areas
- Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic
- A maximum wage cap on top executives
- Bank of England to print money to fund state projects
- He is not completely against leaving Europe.
My prediction is that he will win Labour’s Scottish voters back by killing the arguments for independence. With the collapse in oil prices any hope of Scotland becoming richer outside the Union is dead. Huge areas of Scotland are in dire poverty. The people living in these areas want social change, better living standards. Independence is a secondary issue. Corbyn can offer them the social change they want.
I also predict the end of UKIP as supporters begin to return to the Conservatives to fight this Left wing leader, considering him a dangerous threat to Britain’s stability. Within an hour of Corbyn’s election the Conservatives sent an email round to its’ supporters warning of the dangers to Britain’s security and stability. I also predict the end of the Greens. Many of their policies are very Left wing. Corbyn will appeal to many Greens.
Some of Corbyn’s policies should be adopted by all the parties. If we believe in a minimum wage then we should also believe in a maximum wage. The salaries of top executives I believe should be capped. I also believe he is right to hesitate on bombing our enemies and starve IS of its’ arms supplies and try to talk to these people. In the end we had to talk to the IRA. When you’ve killed and killed talking becomes the only solution but it should be the first solution.
I look forward to the end of bland politics and some real debate over the coming term. Corbyn stands no chance of being elected Prime Minister but he will certainly rock the political boat and that’s no bad thing.
***