Forget the Corbyn/Abbott affair: more important principles are at stake
Well well well. The ascetic Jeremy Corbyn and not terribly aesthetic Diane Abbott were lovers…um, forty years ago. That would be before Abbott had children and sent them to private schools. One could wonder what Jezzer made of that incredible, later example of double standards – especially as he has given her a job in his Shadow Cabinet. But given he gave her Overseas Development as a portfolio (whatever the spinners say about him giving that a high priority) I think we can be clear that
(a) he regards her these days as unsound, but
(b) she is an ally, and Mr Corbyn lacks allies more than any other commodity right now. Also
(c) he recognises a debt, and is thus trying to be loyal.
But tonight, it is another aspect of the day’s events that concerns me far more about JC.
Two weeks ago, I posted that Jeremy Corbyn was pro-EU, but later amended that in the light of a long-standing mutual friend having told me Mr Corbyn was worried about the turn towards globalist bullying Brussels has taken. Two days later, the new Leader came out unequivocally in favour of a Special Conference to decide what line to take on the UK Stay/Go referendum we expect at some point during the 2015-17 window.
I was well pleased: this struck me as long-overdue transparent Party democracy. But today, things have taken a worrying turn. The Mirror now has Corbyn pledging to campaign to keep the UK in Europe. The Labour leader – in an email to all 232 Labour MPs this afternoon – wrote: “Labour will be campaigning in the referendum for the UK to stay in the European Union. We will make the case that membership of the European Union helps Britain to create jobs, secure growth, encourage investment and tackle the issues that cross borders – like climate change, terrorism, tax havens and the current refugee crisis.”
And also issues like beating Greece into starving submission and then allowing corrupt MEPs to make grubby gains from undeclared interests. Issues like EU unconstitutional QE printing money to save the worthless skins of a few thousand bankers. Issues like the ECB illegally subordinating bondholders while destroying the economic model of Cyprus….while leaving the far more disgustingly corrupt State of Luxembourg intact – on the orders of Jean-Claude Drunker.
Well then. You can make the case for it chummy….but you can’t make me believe it.
I’m trying valiantly to be fair here. But today, Jeremy Corbyn failed the bollocks test by a considerable margin.
In my lifetime, there have been (in no particular order) Matt Busby, Jo Grimond, Harold Wilson, Maharishi Yogi, 1967, Timothy Leary, the SDP, Tony Blair, Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn putting themselves forward as something better and different. I saw most of them coming: only Busby and Grimond stuck to their beliefs, and only the former was given the power to prove his case hands-down.
I have seen Corbyn from the start as a catalyst to the future, and nothing more. But if he is to become the captive of his Party, then better he leave it now….rather than become a symbol of Labour’s patchy past.
Earlier at The Slog: How extreme is your non-violent ism? Take the Slog test and find out
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