Do We Idolise Corbyn too Much?

Jeremy Corbyn stunned the critics and the pundits (and pretty much everyone) in the election in June and denied the Tories a majority in Westminster.  The danger of Tory hubris was spelled out to Theresa May (as it was to David Cameron before her) as she squandered her 20 point lead in the polls and with it her half-functioning government.  It was an election result of limitations: not bad enough for the Tories to lose; not good enough for Labour to win.  But what’s clear is that Corbyn has secured his place as Labour leader and is beginning to set the agenda.  

His success has largely been put down to the support of young people.  According to voting data analysis by YouGov, the overwhelming majority of young people voted Labour in June.  66% of 18-19 year olds (first time voters), 62% of people aged 20-24, and 63% of people aged 25-29 all voted Labour.  Voter turnout for those aged 18-19 was 57% which was an increase - though still nothing compared to an 84% turnout for people over the age of 70, 19% of whom voted Labour.

There are ironies to Corbyn’s success amongst young people.  He is an old-fashioned socialist who has appealed to a young generation born and bred in neoliberal Britain - but maybe this is why he has done well.

For the first time in a long time, young people in this country feel like they have something to believe in: they voted for Corbyn because he gave them something to vote for.  What exactly, is difficult to define.  An ardent supporter would say ‘hope’.  A disinterested voter might simply say an alternative to the Tories.

Tuition fees seems to have been assigned as the defining issue for young voters: Corbyn hates tuition fees; young people love that.  This generalisation may or may not be true, but Labour certainly did unexpectedly well in some university cities such as Canterbury which has a student population of over 40,000.  Corbyn lured the students in by promising to immediately abolish tuition fees if elected.   

But an old mantra rings out: if it sounds too good to be true - then it probably is. Not long after the election it looked as though the shine was starting to come off with some in the Labour shadow cabinet back-tracking on this promise. 

Another irony in Corbyn’s success with the younger generation is Brexit.  We have given a resounding thumbs down to that idea, yet a thumbs up to Corbyn who cannot be described as pro-European.  His referendum campaign was seen as lacklustre: in the run up to the vote he gave the EU an uninspiring 7/10 and nearly half of Labour voters didn’t even know what the party’s position was.  Even now, Labour’s position on some Brexit issues such as membership of the single market is unclear.

Nonetheless people aged 18-30 were unfazed.  As the election came to its climax it was dominated by domestic issues and, after the Tories disastrous ‘dementia tax’, Labour had closed the gap.  Although this begs the question: is Corbyn a competent and popular PM in waiting, or is he just a means of punishing the Tories after seven years of austerity and Brexit backstabbing?

Corbyn is a survivor, that cannot be denied.  In two years he has fought and survived two leadership contests, two rounds of local elections, the EU referendum, a by-election defeat, as well as the election in June; many in his party have stabbed him in the front; the right-wing press have run a hate campaign against him.  And still he stands tall.  He is made of strong stuff and many people of all ages admire that.  He certainly comes across as having honesty and integrity. 

There is a humane quality about him that shines in comparison to the May-bot.  We see the pictures of him at his allotment and we think of our Grandpa: humble and homely. 

So if the young want to idolise Corbyn, let them.  The up and coming generation has been excluded and punished by a vacuous and cynical political elite whose legacy is leaving us worse off than our parents.  We’ll take the promises of a politician who seems to have honest goodwill, who seems to genuinely care – we have little else.

It is, however, essential that we are vigilant.  Corbyn is, after all, a politician and we must make sure he delivers what he promises; we must avoid blind faith because he says what we want to hear.  And most importantly, young peoples’ involvement in politics must be bigger than one man.  A sustained engagement in democracy from the new generation will be the thing to create real change.

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This article originally appeared in The Strathclyde Telegraph: https://strathclydetelegraph.com/2017/11/18/do-we-idolise-corbyn-too-much/ 

Here's to the Election Losers

I ran in a hopeless seat in the recent council elections, lost spectacularly, and we’re all the better for it

Democracy only works because we have losers – so many losers. So many beautiful and inspiring losers who know they have no chance but stand in elections anyway because they want to fight for what they believe in, to have their voice heard, and because they know there’s a (possibly tiny) group who feel the same way and need a champion.

Between the local and general elections in the space of just over a month, thousands of ordinary men and women will stand for a party or as an independent, and lose spectacularly. As I did.

My return in the council election was meagre, but the experience was humbling and fascinating. Every party has constituencies where they don’t have a look in (especially in a General Election with first past the post) but nonetheless the local party prepares candidates, drafts leaflets and press releases, and maybe braves the doorsteps - all in the spirit of democracy.

They do their best but prepare for the worst because democracy isn’t really about who wins. Democracy is about representation and democracy is about choice, whether that’s choosing who we elect to represent us in parliaments, assemblies, councils; or being a representative on the ballot paper so people actually have a choice in the first place.

I discovered that people understand this.

I was nervous about heading out on the campaign trail because I knew that politics was contentious, but when I spoke to people the most common response was "good for you". 

I was pleasantly bemused: some told me they weren’t going to vote for me but thanked me for the leaflet and promised to have a read; others told me they were glad to see a young person getting involved; everyone seemed to appreciate being able to talk to a candidate.

Whether they intended to vote for me or not, people liked the idea of someone from their community putting themselves forward to represent them.

I even got to attend the count. Although it sounds like a dinner time quiz show, being a contestant at 'The Count' was democracy in action. Seeing the votes pouring out the black boxes, being sorted for scanning, watching them appear on the computer screens and the amazement at seeing (occasionally) my name with a 1 or even a 2 – incredible to think that strangers put their trust in me.

There was an atmosphere of friendly competition, well-wishing and handshakes. Party politics is vitriolic but it doesn’t have to be. If we promote a positive political climate more people will participate and discover more about their values, communities, and themselves.

We need them. The countries that only have political winners are not democracies.

Isn’t it odd to think about the people who stand against the prominent politicians – Nicola Sturgeon, Theresa May, cabinet ministers – who all probably have safe seats, but they don’t go uncontested; indeed, Lord Buckethead is running against May at the upcoming General Election, and I wish him well. 

You see the videos and the photos of these politicians in the sports hall, making their acceptance speeches, with their 25,000 majority, and the other candidates staring at the ground. It takes guts to put yourself forward, especially if you know it’s hopeless.

So here’s to them - the losers!

The losers fill the void between the political establishment and the people because they remind us that most politicians are just ordinary folk as well, our neighbours in the community; though the political elite would do well to remember this.

The losers remind us where politics (at least should) begin and end: with people.

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This article originally appeared in Common Space: https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/11103/chris-park-here-s-election-losers