By: Max Mosley, Student Voices Writer
Five years ago, the left had the candidacy of Diane
Abbott as left’s alternative to the then, Labour norm. But she never even came
close to conjuring up the potions needed to create the hysteria that Jeremy
could. Jeremy found himself as a candidate the anti Labour establishment left
could finally rally behind. This freedom to choose who they’ve been waiting for
for so long, and a person that will change the world to their underrepresented
vision proved to be immensely powerful. This also goes to show how silently
frustrated the left had felt prior.
he’s the socks and sandals geography teacher, who will prove only to be a footnote in the history of the Labour party, the last hoorah of the hard left to reclaim their workers party perverted by the ‘New Labour’ project
The messiah of the left, the new hope. Common
thoughts, I'm sure that have crossed the minds of those so inclined to the
bright beacon of hope that is their new, unashamed socialist leader. To others
he’s the socks and sandals geography teacher, who will prove only to be a
footnote in the history of the Labour party, the last hoorah of the hard left
to reclaim their workers party perverted by the ‘New Labour’ project. The
degree of separation between these visions of the same message, and the sheer
numbers on either side has put pollsters and analysts into an existential
crisis. For those who are of the latter opinion of Corbyn, the very notion of
him being the messiah of the Labour party is not only wrong, but bewildering. I
must admit, I begin to find myself in this camp. But, instead of burying my
head in the sand, and waiting for all of this to blow over, I have a desire to
explore the former, and understand at least, the formation of the rose tinted
spectacles he’s seen through.
I began by speaking to two Corbyn voters. And
both of whom gave me part of the answer I’ve been searching for. The first
explained to me that he sees Jeremy as not only the Lazarus of the old left,
but a John the baptise type figure, paving the way for the future saviour to
lead the newly formed hard left Labour party to electoral success. A practical
approach, admitting that Jeremy is not the man to achieve this, but by his mere
presence in the leadership, he will lay the first stone of the road to a
socialist Labour party, and a subsequent socialist Britain. It’s clear then why
the corbynistas see him as such a prominent figure, because of the anticipation
at what his presence is building. Who the candidate to follow on after Jeremy
would be, was be never answered. Not exactly sure of his or her existence yet,
but confident that they do indeed exist, somewhere. To me this seems a risky
gamble to take, and dangerously idealistic.
Just a quick skim over the current shadow cabinet,
who surely are the only ones capable of taking the reins, yields no answer as
to his eventual succession. Though there are notable potential candidates for
the leadership, Chris Bryant in particular, none of them are compatible with
the Labour party that Jeremy is intending on building. This answer remains
unsolved, but offers us a unique insight into what he called ‘the practical
wing’ of the Corbyn support structure.
The other gave me a more predictable answer. She
spoke so highly of Corbyn, I was for a while convinced that we were talking
about two different people. She fitted into exactly how Peter Hitchens
described the left, being “freed from the shackles of new Labour”. She could finally vote for a
candidate that fitted her own political inclinations, and a candidate that she
therefore thought would change the world to how she’s always wanted it to be.
Perhaps she represents a the younger, more idealistic support structure of the
Corbyn support.
 |
| Corbyn and Abbot, late 1970s |
Perhaps it’s a mere chance of time that’s sent
the backbench maverick to the leadership of Her Majesty's Opposition. Mere
chance that Jeremy found himself in a leadership election at the time of a
sweet spot between a growing anti establishment sentiment and a growing
frustration of power. These both in kind have been growing amongst the
disestablished left since the Blairite project took hold of the way of life
that was the Labour movement under the Foot/ Kinnock years that Mr Corbyn finds
himself in. This seems the most plausible explanation for this game changer.
This sense of relinquishment at the political norm, where voters turn not to
those that will do and have done, but to those who relate the most to
themselves and their beliefs. This attitude has been seen further across the
pond, from the far right underdeveloped millionaire and the unorthodox
socialist senator making their mark on the 2016 presidential election. Either
way, it’s clear to say that not even Mr Corbyn anticipated this growing global
feeling.
When Jeremy announced, it was as if a high
pressure dam had burst. The pressure behind the dam had been growing for
decades, as the lefts frustration grew with their New Labour manacles. Dianne
Abbott had previously intended on trying to access this vast body of support,
but failed to make any meaningful impact. Then, as this dam comes close to
breaking point, the veteran candidate, fresh from the rebellious hard left
faction of the Labour party, and a candidate that was just barely votable, appears.
Here, a puncture was made in the dam. The hole was small, as the man in
question was so naturally underwhelming, but it didn’t need much, the smallest
of cracks is now set to cause
unmistakable damage to the political landscape. The question is, how long will
it last, and will it ever recover.
Student Voices Writer
Max Mosley is a writer from London, recently graduating from Bradfield College. Max is a former Yvette for Labour staffer, and experienced campaigner. Intending on writing in a Bi-Partisan format while offering a common sense sober analysis of the issues facing Britain today.
Twitter: @M_A_Mosley
Twitter: @M_A_Mosley
Understanding Jeremy - What Really Caused Corbynmania
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You can't start a sentence with "and" Mr Mosley.
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