This week, Alastair Campbell called for Labour supporters to the right of leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn to vote for ABC (Anyone But Corbyn). To help those choosing whether to follow his advice, we've put together an ABC of the left-winger's unlikely support.
This is the big one. Corbyn says he would aim to balance Britain's books but, sacrilegiously, refuses to impose a deadline on doing so. Lefty activists are loving it, and so is Nobel laureate the economist Joseph Stiglitz: “Unfortunately the centre-left parties have wimped out. They have joined in saying: ‘Oh yes, we have to have a kinder version of austerity, a milder version of austerity,’” he said at a meeting in London recently.
If Corbyn wins the Labour leadership, it will be his greatest political victory. But a close second is his record for winning the parliamentary beard of the year contest five times since 2001. Still, nobody can doubt the longevity of Corbyn's commitment to facial hair. As early as 1991 he supported a Commons motion defending the right of British rail staff to sport it.
Before he was the champion of Labour's disgruntled left, Corbyn was a champion of Britain's cheesemakers as a member of the all-party parliamentary group on cheese. He takes his role seriously too; in 2007, for example, he signed a commons motion expressing concern at “scientifically flawed”policy which would restrict the advertising of cheese to children.
Chris Leslie, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, has accused Corbyn of wanting to run “a deficit in perpetuity”—something Corbyn strongly denies. But it's a charge that will be levelled at him by the Tories if he wins, and overturning conventional political wisdom on this issue will be among the hardest tasks of his leadership.
The leadership contest has been dogged from the start by fears of entryism—members of rival parties joining in order to influence it for their own ends. With around 1,200 such infiltrators already rooted out, and more potentially to come, this remains an issue. But with over 600,000 members, supporters and affiliated supporters signed up to vote, anyone who thinks that is the root of Corbyn's support is deluding themselves.
“If we tell them, however, that unless they are very poor they will have to pay these fees... they simply will not [go to university].” So said Corbyn in a 2010 debate on increases to tuition fees. According to the recent findings of the Independent Commission on Student Fees , he was proved wrong. But his new proposal—a National Education Service which would provide free university education for all—will go down well with activists and the National Union of Students who still remember the Coalition's “betrayal.”
“Electability.” It has been the cornerstone of unsympathetic Labourites' responses to the Corbyn surge. They point out that the party has been here before, in the 1980s, and it didn't work out well, electorally. The Corbynites, in response, point to Greece. There, the ruling left-wing Syriza party leapt to victory earlier this year after increasing its vote share by around 10 per cent since 2012. The consequent demise of Greece's centre-left party Pasok spawned a new term—“Pasokification,” meaning the collapse of a moderate progressive party which “capitulates,” as the left would have it, with right-wing economic narratives.
We need more of them. Many people agree. Particularly young, left-wing people, who tend to rent in densely-populated, expensive cities. Corbyn's got a raft of policies for that, including the introduction of rent controls and a massively expanded programme of social house building.
Corbyn's seat, and about as safe as safe can be—Labour have held it since 1937, but that hasn't stopped Corbyn using his victory there as proof of his electability. Filled in part with some exceptionally poor people and some rich people, many of whom want to help their less fortunate neighbours, it's somewhat atypical of the wider British public.
The origins of this ingenious hashtag—which puns on Barack Obama's iconic 2008 campaign slogan—are mysterious, but it has proved a rallying cry for Corbyn's vocal social media army. His team say it was originally nothing to do with them, and the first tweeter to use it—seemingly an ordinary supporter—isn't getting back to our intrepid questioning. More as we get it.
Currently trailing in fourth place if the polls are to be believed, she was the great hope of the party's right, after Chukka Umunna’s surprise decision to withdraw from the race. But her message has failed to either inspire Labour members—many of whom feel, wrongly, that her politics belong on the other side of the house—or attract new signups from Britain's centrists to rival Corbyn's grassroots swell.
What his supporters say Corbyn embodies, the implication being that every leader since Blair/Kinnock (depending on how far left you are) has forced the party to adopt “Tory” values. Of course, as Alan Johnson has pointed out, party founder Keir Hardie's values were all about winning elections: “captur[ing] power not destroy[ing] it.” Does that make him the Tony Blair of the early 20th century?
What former Blair strageist John McTernan called the Labour MPs who nominated Corbyn to get him on the ballot and “widen the debate.” If he wins, it could enter the British political lexicon along with “wets” and “bastards.”
The Conservatives’ much-trumpeted “northern powerhouse” is a “cruel deception” said Corbyn, when unveiling his own plan for the "re-industrialisation" of the north of England by boosting spending on the arts, transport, housing and broadband. He also called on David Cameron to make a formal apology to the miners whose livelihoods were ruined by Margaret Thatcher.
The Corbyn machine is well oiled and highly organised—his supporters have even started planning a “tentative” Trafalgar Square victory party. Some of it was in place before the Jezza juggernaut landed—the hard left has aging but experienced factions some of which date back to the 1970s, which have helped fuel Corbynmania. He has also benefited from the influx of idealistic new blood into the party who have embraced the principled politics of this once obscure backbencher.
Corbyn’s rivals have poured scorn on his pledge to revive his party’s commitment to public ownership of the means of production. While he has stopped short of saying he wants to revive the Labour Party’s Clause 4 in its original form, he has expressed a desire to renationalise the railways—a policy which 60 per cent of the public agree with according to a YouGov poll. He has also suggested nationalising the big energy companies, a move which leading City analysts say could cost £185bn.
Jezza may be on his way to assuming national treasure status but he knows better than to try and pick a fight with our much-loved monarch. Despite his track record of advocating the abolition of Queeny and co, Corbyn has recently toned down his republicanism for fear of scaring off royal-loving Labourites, saying “it’s not the fight I’m going to fight” and re-affirming his commitment to social justice above all else. He has gone further this week praising Prince Charles in an interview with BBC Radio for speaking out in support of small farmers who risk being squeezed out by the purchasing power of the big supermarkets.
If elected, Corbyn will have to face the reality that although he commands significant support among party members, only around 20 of the party’s 234 MPs are likely to vote for him. This might make it tricky for him to form an effective shadow cabinet and impose party discipline (something he has in the past been good at flouting). But, boundary changes planned by the Tories might help him out—50 seats will be scrapped forcing many Labour MPs to submit themselves for reselection. Selection is controlled by the deputy leader, which looks likely to be Tom Watson who has also received union support.
During the New Labour era the word “socialist” almost became a pejorative term within the Labour Party. But, the secret of Corbyn’s appeal is that unlike other hard-left figures such as George Galloway, he is far from your stereotypical firebrand. Compared on Twitter by the Telegraph sketch writer Michael Deacon to Games of Thrones’s softly spoken puritanical priest the High Sparrow, Corbyn is both measured and relatable. The theory advanced by Team Corbyn is that, despite evidence to the contrary, Labour’s election wipeout was due to the party not moving far enough to the left. That would certainly change under Corbyn, but whether or not it would have a positive impact on the party’s electoral fortunes remains uncertain.
Another term used to describe Corbyn by those who are either convinced that he is an unreconstructed socialist, or are seeking to discredit him in the eyes of the enamoured selectorate.
Securing the backing of Britain’s two biggest trade unions, Unite and Unison, significantly raised the profile of Corbyn’s leadership bid—some 190,000 members of unions, most of which are backing him, have applied to vote. Now, it’s been revealed that union support has boosted his campaign funds by £90,000 in the last month. This far outstrips the contributions made to his rivals and has helped fund Jezza’s cross-country tour during which he has been forced to upgrade to bigger venues in order to cram in all his eager disciples.
Central to the appeal of this “sexy sea dog” is Corbyn’s scruffy chic style. To get the #sexyjezza look you need a simple shirt with a pocket, a white vest whose visibility highlights the fact this politician refuses to wear a tie, scraggly facial chair and a jacket in a muted beige or brown for smarter occasions. The only accessories are several pencils that peek subtly out of the shirt pocket.
Corbyn’s women’s manifesto has won favour with feminists with its pledges to challenge everyday sexism, improve protection for the victims of sexual assault, better childcare and ending the gender pay gap by ending cuts to public services which tend to impact women more than men. He also pledged to have 50 per cent women in his shadow cabinet and to work to ensure that 50 per cent number of MPs are women.
The polling company which endured a considerable backlash after failing (along with most others) to predict the Tory victory in the General Election, were the first to publicly predict a Corbyn win. A poll published on 22nd July put Corbyn narrowly in the lead, with a follow-up survey published this week suggesting that lead had widened giving him 53 per cent of first preference votes, meaning he could win outright on the first ballot. “I would personally be astonished if Mr Corbyn does not win,” said YouGov president Peter Kellner.
Although he stopped short of calling himself a Marxist in a TV interview with Andrew Marr, Corbyn has in the past expressed solidarity on his blog with socialist groups and leaders around the world such as the late Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and the revolutionary militant group the Zapatistas, in Mexico. The latter have been in a declared state of war against the Mexican government since 1994 and have achieved autonomy over large swathes of the southern state they occupy, Chiapas.
A
Anti-austerityThis is the big one. Corbyn says he would aim to balance Britain's books but, sacrilegiously, refuses to impose a deadline on doing so. Lefty activists are loving it, and so is Nobel laureate the economist Joseph Stiglitz: “Unfortunately the centre-left parties have wimped out. They have joined in saying: ‘Oh yes, we have to have a kinder version of austerity, a milder version of austerity,’” he said at a meeting in London recently.
B
BeardsIf Corbyn wins the Labour leadership, it will be his greatest political victory. But a close second is his record for winning the parliamentary beard of the year contest five times since 2001. Still, nobody can doubt the longevity of Corbyn's commitment to facial hair. As early as 1991 he supported a Commons motion defending the right of British rail staff to sport it.
C
CheeseBefore he was the champion of Labour's disgruntled left, Corbyn was a champion of Britain's cheesemakers as a member of the all-party parliamentary group on cheese. He takes his role seriously too; in 2007, for example, he signed a commons motion expressing concern at “scientifically flawed”policy which would restrict the advertising of cheese to children.
D
Deficit denialChris Leslie, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, has accused Corbyn of wanting to run “a deficit in perpetuity”—something Corbyn strongly denies. But it's a charge that will be levelled at him by the Tories if he wins, and overturning conventional political wisdom on this issue will be among the hardest tasks of his leadership.
E
EntryismThe leadership contest has been dogged from the start by fears of entryism—members of rival parties joining in order to influence it for their own ends. With around 1,200 such infiltrators already rooted out, and more potentially to come, this remains an issue. But with over 600,000 members, supporters and affiliated supporters signed up to vote, anyone who thinks that is the root of Corbyn's support is deluding themselves.
F
Fees“If we tell them, however, that unless they are very poor they will have to pay these fees... they simply will not [go to university].” So said Corbyn in a 2010 debate on increases to tuition fees. According to the recent findings of the Independent Commission on Student Fees , he was proved wrong. But his new proposal—a National Education Service which would provide free university education for all—will go down well with activists and the National Union of Students who still remember the Coalition's “betrayal.”
G
Greece“Electability.” It has been the cornerstone of unsympathetic Labourites' responses to the Corbyn surge. They point out that the party has been here before, in the 1980s, and it didn't work out well, electorally. The Corbynites, in response, point to Greece. There, the ruling left-wing Syriza party leapt to victory earlier this year after increasing its vote share by around 10 per cent since 2012. The consequent demise of Greece's centre-left party Pasok spawned a new term—“Pasokification,” meaning the collapse of a moderate progressive party which “capitulates,” as the left would have it, with right-wing economic narratives.
H
HousesWe need more of them. Many people agree. Particularly young, left-wing people, who tend to rent in densely-populated, expensive cities. Corbyn's got a raft of policies for that, including the introduction of rent controls and a massively expanded programme of social house building.
I
Islington NorthCorbyn's seat, and about as safe as safe can be—Labour have held it since 1937, but that hasn't stopped Corbyn using his victory there as proof of his electability. Filled in part with some exceptionally poor people and some rich people, many of whom want to help their less fortunate neighbours, it's somewhat atypical of the wider British public.
J
#JezWeCanThe origins of this ingenious hashtag—which puns on Barack Obama's iconic 2008 campaign slogan—are mysterious, but it has proved a rallying cry for Corbyn's vocal social media army. His team say it was originally nothing to do with them, and the first tweeter to use it—seemingly an ordinary supporter—isn't getting back to our intrepid questioning. More as we get it.
K
KendallCurrently trailing in fourth place if the polls are to be believed, she was the great hope of the party's right, after Chukka Umunna’s surprise decision to withdraw from the race. But her message has failed to either inspire Labour members—many of whom feel, wrongly, that her politics belong on the other side of the house—or attract new signups from Britain's centrists to rival Corbyn's grassroots swell.
“L
Labour values”What his supporters say Corbyn embodies, the implication being that every leader since Blair/Kinnock (depending on how far left you are) has forced the party to adopt “Tory” values. Of course, as Alan Johnson has pointed out, party founder Keir Hardie's values were all about winning elections: “captur[ing] power not destroy[ing] it.” Does that make him the Tony Blair of the early 20th century?
M
MoronsWhat former Blair strageist John McTernan called the Labour MPs who nominated Corbyn to get him on the ballot and “widen the debate.” If he wins, it could enter the British political lexicon along with “wets” and “bastards.”
N
North of EnglandThe Conservatives’ much-trumpeted “northern powerhouse” is a “cruel deception” said Corbyn, when unveiling his own plan for the "re-industrialisation" of the north of England by boosting spending on the arts, transport, housing and broadband. He also called on David Cameron to make a formal apology to the miners whose livelihoods were ruined by Margaret Thatcher.
O
OrganisationThe Corbyn machine is well oiled and highly organised—his supporters have even started planning a “tentative” Trafalgar Square victory party. Some of it was in place before the Jezza juggernaut landed—the hard left has aging but experienced factions some of which date back to the 1970s, which have helped fuel Corbynmania. He has also benefited from the influx of idealistic new blood into the party who have embraced the principled politics of this once obscure backbencher.
P
Public ownershipCorbyn’s rivals have poured scorn on his pledge to revive his party’s commitment to public ownership of the means of production. While he has stopped short of saying he wants to revive the Labour Party’s Clause 4 in its original form, he has expressed a desire to renationalise the railways—a policy which 60 per cent of the public agree with according to a YouGov poll. He has also suggested nationalising the big energy companies, a move which leading City analysts say could cost £185bn.
Q
QueenJezza may be on his way to assuming national treasure status but he knows better than to try and pick a fight with our much-loved monarch. Despite his track record of advocating the abolition of Queeny and co, Corbyn has recently toned down his republicanism for fear of scaring off royal-loving Labourites, saying “it’s not the fight I’m going to fight” and re-affirming his commitment to social justice above all else. He has gone further this week praising Prince Charles in an interview with BBC Radio for speaking out in support of small farmers who risk being squeezed out by the purchasing power of the big supermarkets.
R
ReselectionIf elected, Corbyn will have to face the reality that although he commands significant support among party members, only around 20 of the party’s 234 MPs are likely to vote for him. This might make it tricky for him to form an effective shadow cabinet and impose party discipline (something he has in the past been good at flouting). But, boundary changes planned by the Tories might help him out—50 seats will be scrapped forcing many Labour MPs to submit themselves for reselection. Selection is controlled by the deputy leader, which looks likely to be Tom Watson who has also received union support.
S
SocialismDuring the New Labour era the word “socialist” almost became a pejorative term within the Labour Party. But, the secret of Corbyn’s appeal is that unlike other hard-left figures such as George Galloway, he is far from your stereotypical firebrand. Compared on Twitter by the Telegraph sketch writer Michael Deacon to Games of Thrones’s softly spoken puritanical priest the High Sparrow, Corbyn is both measured and relatable. The theory advanced by Team Corbyn is that, despite evidence to the contrary, Labour’s election wipeout was due to the party not moving far enough to the left. That would certainly change under Corbyn, but whether or not it would have a positive impact on the party’s electoral fortunes remains uncertain.
T
TrotskyiteAnother term used to describe Corbyn by those who are either convinced that he is an unreconstructed socialist, or are seeking to discredit him in the eyes of the enamoured selectorate.
U
UnionsSecuring the backing of Britain’s two biggest trade unions, Unite and Unison, significantly raised the profile of Corbyn’s leadership bid—some 190,000 members of unions, most of which are backing him, have applied to vote. Now, it’s been revealed that union support has boosted his campaign funds by £90,000 in the last month. This far outstrips the contributions made to his rivals and has helped fund Jezza’s cross-country tour during which he has been forced to upgrade to bigger venues in order to cram in all his eager disciples.
V
VestCentral to the appeal of this “sexy sea dog” is Corbyn’s scruffy chic style. To get the #sexyjezza look you need a simple shirt with a pocket, a white vest whose visibility highlights the fact this politician refuses to wear a tie, scraggly facial chair and a jacket in a muted beige or brown for smarter occasions. The only accessories are several pencils that peek subtly out of the shirt pocket.
W
WomenCorbyn’s women’s manifesto has won favour with feminists with its pledges to challenge everyday sexism, improve protection for the victims of sexual assault, better childcare and ending the gender pay gap by ending cuts to public services which tend to impact women more than men. He also pledged to have 50 per cent women in his shadow cabinet and to work to ensure that 50 per cent number of MPs are women.
EX
-leaders While Tony Blair seems compelled to keep making things worse for those on the right of the Labour party by attacking the Corbyn campaign, his former New Labour ally Gordon Brown has remained notably silent until now (a speech is scheduled for this Sunday). One of Blair’s predecessors, Neil Kinnock, has waded briefly into the fray to throw his support behind Andy Burnham. While Margaret Beckett, who served as acting leader after John Smith’s untimely death in 1994, has admitted that she regrets nominating Corbyn in the first place. As for Ed Miliband, well, it’s probably best he stays silent.Y
YouGovThe polling company which endured a considerable backlash after failing (along with most others) to predict the Tory victory in the General Election, were the first to publicly predict a Corbyn win. A poll published on 22nd July put Corbyn narrowly in the lead, with a follow-up survey published this week suggesting that lead had widened giving him 53 per cent of first preference votes, meaning he could win outright on the first ballot. “I would personally be astonished if Mr Corbyn does not win,” said YouGov president Peter Kellner.
Z
ZapatistasAlthough he stopped short of calling himself a Marxist in a TV interview with Andrew Marr, Corbyn has in the past expressed solidarity on his blog with socialist groups and leaders around the world such as the late Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and the revolutionary militant group the Zapatistas, in Mexico. The latter have been in a declared state of war against the Mexican government since 1994 and have achieved autonomy over large swathes of the southern state they occupy, Chiapas.
