Labour Party/government Watch

[Little John]

You have just provided a summary of the entire justification for the rise of New Labour leading, eventually to the likes of Blair and all the rest of the progressively more anaemic shadows of him that have followed.

That approach leads to believing in nothing and, as a consequence, to eventual political extinction. Now is the time to be politically courageous. There is nothing left to lose now.

[clv101]

However, I do fear the power of the MSM...

The power of the MSM is waning, newspapers and TV just aren't as influential as they used to be. Corbyn seems to be attracting a lot of under 30s - who recently have had a low propensity to vote. If he can get younger people voting for him there's a double win as these are also the folk least influenced by MSM.

[3rdRock]

You have just provided a summary of the entire justification for the rise of New Labour leading, eventually to the likes of Blair and all the rest of the progressively more anaemic shadows of him that have followed.

That approach leads to believing in nothing and, as a consequence, to eventual political extinction. There is nothing left to lose now.

Where is your bloody courage?

LJ, you and I both know, with a certain degree of clarity, what is required of the next labour leader and I sincerely hope that JC continues to take centre stage. I'm also tired of the Blairite mantra.

I'm also sure that there's an army of people in this country ready to stand up to the outrages that we witnessed over the last 20 years or so.

The problem, as I see it, is that those folk who share that clarity of purpose will remain a minority. If not, why didn't we see a change of direction in the making on the 15th May?

The MSM have clearly set their sights on the poor, sick, young and unemployed in this country. The fear of joining their ranks will continue to ensure that most of the sheeple will fall into line. After all, why rock the boat when you've got a little further to fall, bills to pay and families to feed?

TPTB know how to 'operate' the public. Like marionettes, the vast majority will always dance to their tune. Sad, shameful even, but true nevertheless.

[AutomaticEarth]

I think Corbyn is going to do a lot better than expected, despite the hatchet-jobs.

5 years is a long time and gives ample for things to deteriorate IMHO, and people will either jump to the left or go hard-right.

[3rdRock]

However, I do fear the power of the MSM...

The power of the MSM is waning, newspapers and TV just aren't as influential as they used to be. Corbyn seems to be attracting a lot of under 30s - who recently have had a low propensity to vote. If he can get younger people voting for him there's a double win as these are also the folk least influenced by MSM.

Least influenced by the MSM? That's a joke Chris.

Why else would Channel 4 and 5 in particular, constantly target that very generation with programs about people who are poor, unemployed or in receipt of benefits?

IMHO, it is a concious effort by TPTB and the MSM to divide and rule. After all, one must have a scapegoat, mustn't one?

The message is clear. Knuckle down to your zero hour contracts, low pay and poor conditions or become one of the despised minority.

[AutomaticEarth]

Someone in the Tory party gets it......

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 36255.html

All it will take is another big, fat recession and Labour could well be in.

[johnhemming2]

Ken Clarke is right in that if there is another financial crisis whoever is in government is likely to have a reduction in support.

With brent below USD 50 I don't see a financial crisis. (other than for energy companies).

[3rdRock]

Someone in the Tory party gets it......

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 36255.html

All it will take is another big, fat recession and Labour could well be in.

Jeremy Corbyn could be the next Prime Minister, says Ken Clarke

... or to put it another way my Tory chums, it's time to sharpen the knives as well as the hatchets.

[emordnilap]

It is going to take massive reform of media laws to constrain the corporatist message.

Why is it that legislation to restrict freedom of speech is needed in respect of a debate about the future of society etc?

What utter tripe. there is no freedom of speech when the mass media is largely owned by a tiny number of pro-corporatr capitalists. Even the BBC has been more or less co-opted in the neo-liberal agenda. You need to face up to the fact that history did not end with Regan and Thatcher no matter how much you wish it. There are plenty of us in the world, and always have been, who detest the world people like you hold so dear and our voices will not be silenced any longer

It's time to stop calling Murdoch's views "mainstream".

[UndercoverElephant]

You have just provided a summary of the entire justification for the rise of New Labour leading, eventually to the likes of Blair and all the rest of the progressively more anaemic shadows of him that have followed.

That approach leads to believing in nothing and, as a consequence, to eventual political extinction. There is nothing left to lose now.

Where is your bloody courage?

LJ, you and I both know, with a certain degree of clarity, what is required of the next labour leader and I sincerely hope that JC continues to take centre stage. I'm also tired of the Blairite mantra.

I'm also sure that there's an army of people in this country ready to stand up to the outrages that we witnessed over the last 20 years or so.

The problem, as I see it, is that those folk who share that clarity of purpose will remain a minority. If not, why didn't we see a change of direction in the making on the 15th May?

To a certain extent, we did. We saw it in Scotland, where vast numbers of people abandoned Labour and voted for the SNP, even though they aren't really nationalists. And we saw it in England, where the Liberal Democrats were punished for propping up a tory government.

To the extent that we didn't see it, it was because Ed Miliband just wasn't up to the job. His message was a watered-down version of tory "austerity", and his delivery was weak and uninspiring.

[UndercoverElephant]

However, I do fear the power of the MSM...

The power of the MSM is waning, newspapers and TV just aren't as influential as they used to be. Corbyn seems to be attracting a lot of under 30s - who recently have had a low propensity to vote. If he can get younger people voting for him there's a double win as these are also the folk least influenced by MSM.

Least influenced by the MSM? That's a joke Chris.

Why else would Channel 4 and 5 in particular, constantly target that very generation with programs about people who are poor, unemployed or in receipt of benefits?

Maybe, but how many people actually watch these programs?

It's not 1980 anymore. There are 50 TV channels to choose from, and other things to do, like play video games or hang out on Facebook. When I was a teenager there were 3 channels and not much else to do.

[3rdRock]

You may well be right UE and I welcome Jeremy Corbyn's campaign with open arms. It's been a long time coming!

I just think that we should season our enthusiasm with a pinch of reality concerning the forces at work against us and a sprinkling of caution having witnessed the wide-eyed optimism with which we ushered in Blair & Co all those years ago.

[UndercoverElephant]

You may well be right UE and I welcome Jeremy Corbyn's campaign with open arms. It's been a long time coming!

I just think that we should season our enthusiasm with a pinch of reality concerning the forces at work against us and a sprinkling of caution having witnessed the wide-eyed optimism with which we ushered in Blair & Co all those years ago.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... y-fear-him

If Jeremy Corbyn wins the Labour leadership, he will come under attack from the media establishment, the Tories and much of his own party. That's because he presents a dangerous threat to the post-Thatcher political consensus.

“I would never underestimate the ruthlessness and effectiveness of the PLP and media establishment linking hands to turn victory into an opportunity for organisational and ideological destruction of the left,” one Labour MP tells me. “The PLP will do whatever makes them look best and makes us look worse. And they may be happy to endure a split until Corbyn is deposed.” Hostile MPs will obsessively leak to the media; they will cite Corbyn's rebellious record as justification to refuse to tow the line; their strategy will be to bleed a Corbyn leadership to death.

As Chris Mullin – the ex-Labour minister and writer of A Very British Coup, which explores the fate of a left-wing Labour Prime Minister at the hands of the Establishment – puts it: “The media will go bananas, of course. Every bit of his past life will be raked through and every position he has ever taken will be thrown back under him.” People Jeremy Corbyn has met, or has been close to, will be scrutinised in great deal. Quotes will be taken out of context and twisted. His political positions will be ruthlessly distorted. The media will seek to portray Labour as being in a state of chaos (a narrative fuelled by right-wing MPs); and Corbyn as dangerous or ridiculous or both.

How can such a campaign be fought? As a senior SNP figure tells me: “Observing Corbyn's success from outside looks remarkably like what we went through in Scotland in run-up to referendum.” He had a warning: “What you've seen thus far thrown at Corbyn is just scratching the surface, I'm sure of that.” But note what happened in Scotland. Yes, the campaign for independence failed – for now. But despite a co-ordinated campaign of fear by politicians, big business and virtually the entire media, the result was far closer than had originally been predicted. And crucially Scotland has become politicised, with soaring levels of political engagement.

A grassroots movement is being built by the Corbyn campaign. But what we've seen now must only be the beginning. Hundreds of thousands will have to mobilised all over the country, from Truro to Glasgow, from the big cities to the market towns to the countryside. It won't just be about doorknocking and leafletting. Firstly, the mother of all voter registration drives has to be unleashed. The poorer you are in modern Britain, the less likely you are to vote. Labour received its second highest share of the vote from 18-24 year-olds since 1974, but less than half of them voted. Barack Obama triumphed because of a strategy of 'expanding the electorate'.

There is no doubt that powerful forces are very worried about threat posed by Corbyn to what might be called the "post-Thatcher right-wing consensus", and they will have no qualms about doing anything in their power to undermine and discredit him.

And maybe they'll succeed, but it is looking increasingly like they aren't even sure themselves of how effective such a strategy would be. There's an honesty and integrity about Corbyn that is completely absent in most of today's politicians. And it seems that because of that, combined with his intellect, that any attempt to throw muck at him just makes him stronger. That's why they are panicking.

[johnhemming2]

There is no doubt that powerful forces are very worried

Had I been Greek I would have been worried about Syriza getting power as their proposals would not work in practice. In a similar manner I would be worried about Jeremy Corbyn being PM.

Just because people disagree with you does not mean that they are wrong.

[UndercoverElephant]

There is no doubt that powerful forces are very worried

Had I been Greek I would have been worried about Syriza getting power as their proposals would not work in practice. In a similar manner I would be worried about Jeremy Corbyn being PM.

Just because people disagree with you does not mean that they are wrong.

I couldn't care less that they think I'm wrong (about the viability of "Corbynomics", I presume you mean).

If Corbyn manages to get hold of power, and then implements his policies, and then everything gets much worse, then I'll believe he was wrong. Until then, I'll continue to believe he's probably right.