Anyone But Corbyn?

It's Saturday. Lets stick my neck out and talk about something else for a change. I'm not a member of any political party and have resisted the temptation to cough-up £3 in order to help the Labour Party choose their next leader, but I'm certainly watching things closely. 

In many respects the process could be described as somewhere between a grotesque charade and a slow car crash. Whoever thought up the £3 voting scam needs shooting. Oh, it was Ed Miliband? Rather worryingly, career politicians are often not too good at thinking through the consequences of their actions are they? When the dust settles and the Tories have stopped laughing, I wonder how long it will be before that idea bites the dust along with that infamous 'Edstone'.

Ever since certain people in the Labour Party quite rightly thought it would be a jolly good idea to have a proper debate and get Jeremy Corbyn in the race, we've witnessed a most unedifying spectacle of him being comprehensively rubbished. Not only by the three other lack-lustre candidates, but by the Blairite big guns as well, including the sun-tanned multi-millionaire and sad former world leader himself. 

None of them seem able to grasp that the more fervent and feverish the apocalyptic claims are made as to the Party being consigned to electoral oblivion, the higher Corbyn's popularity rises. There's no doubt he's going to win and for the first time we are going to have a real on-going debate as to another possible way out of the mess we're currently in and that alone is surely good for our country and our democracy?

But lets not get too carried away here. Corbyn isn't a potential Prime Minister, but then none of the candidates are. Without even having listened to the guy, I'm going to stick my neck out and predict that, unlike the other candidates, he has sufficient insight and humility to know this. I believe other much more serious and credible contenders will start to see which way an alternative wind is blowing and build upon the barnstorming work already undertaken by Corbyn.

Corbyn has set in motion a fundamental debate about an alternative to Blairite policies and in the process flushed out the apologists and quasi Tories like Yvette Cooper. In the coming weeks I predict some keen aspiring backbenchers will be only too happy to nail their colours to Corbyn's mast and from this bunch will emerge a non-Blairite but credible leader and possible future Prime Minister. I would remind readers that we've yet to see the true cut of Keir Starmers jib for instance.

Without a hint of irony, it's really interesting to hear the likes of Yvette Cooper describing Corbyn's ideas as being 'old-fashioned', when in fact they are novel and refreshingly new to many people and it is she that is stuck in a Blairite past. Here's Corbyn's Manifesto:-   

• Growth not austerity – with a national investment bank to help create tomorrow’s jobs and reduce the deficit fairly. Fair taxes for all – let the broadest shoulders bear the biggest burden to balance the books.

• A lower welfare bill through investment and growth not squeezing the least well-off and cuts to child tax credits.

• Action on climate change – for the long-term interest of the planet rather than the short-term interests of corporate profits.

• Public ownership of railways and in the energy sector – privatisation has put profits before people.

• Decent homes for all in public and private sectors by 2025 through a big housebuilding programme and controlling rents.

• No more illegal wars, a foreign policy that prioritises justice and assistance. Replacing Trident not with a new generation of nuclear weapons but jobs that retain the communities’ skills.

• Fully-funded NHS, integrated with social care, with an end to privatisation in health.

• Protection at work – no zero hours contracts, strong collective bargaining to stamp out workplace injustice.

• Equality for all – a society that accepts no barriers to everyone’s talents and contribution. An end to scapegoating of migrants.

• A life-long national education service for decent skills and opportunities throughout our lives: universal childcare, abolishing student fees and restoring grants, and funding adult skills training throughout our lives.

It's a really interesting list and although I can't go along with not replacing Trident, putting a stop to privatising the NHS is a no-brainer and hugely popular with the general public, across all political parties, as indeed is bringing back the railways into public ownership. I predict membership of the Labour Party will rise following Corbyn's election precisely because there's plenty of blue water beginning to emerge between the two main parties once again.

But lets not get carried away. Despite my theory that Corbyn will be a willing interim leader, there are problems. I think he's dodgy on matters like the IRA and there's the small but important sartorial matter. I'm led to believe that advisers that include our very own former Assistant General Secretary Harry Fletcher have had advice rebuffed, but what might be ok for the Greek Prime Minister doesn't go down well here. Fortunately we have Parliamentary codes on such matters as ties, but surely Mr Corbyn wouldn't want the story to become one about dress as with poor old Michael Foot and the infamous Cenotaph donkey jacket? 

We're in for interesting times and the leadership result will initiate a real shake-up, not just in the Labour Party, but across the political spectrum because for the fist time in a long time, someone is daring to suggest real alternatives. But the naysayers will say but will it win an election? The answer is of course no! But that's because Corbyn has ducked the really big question of electoral reform. 

Our electoral system was designed to deal with old-fashioned class-based politics in a broadly two party system, and both parties felt it suited them for years. That game is over and Labour must start talking about a change to Proportional Representation. No matter how much traction Corbyn's ideas gain, and I predict a lot, it counts for nothing under the present system where the hugely popular UKIP gained 4 million votes, but just a single MP. Come on Corbyn - be really radical!