Labour continues to send a signal to the public that it doesn't know what it believes in
The Conservative faithful continues its annual conference in Manchester today. Events so far have served only to highlight the hole in which the Labour Party now finds itself.
Let’s start with the issue of tax credits. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies the government’s proposed living wage would offset just ’27 per cent of the drop in household incomes from the impact of net tax and benefit reforms.’
This should be natural Labour territory and we should be seeing the party leading the campaign against the tax credit reforms announced in the Budget. Yet it is opposition from within the Conservative Party which is proving more effective and which is most likely to lead to some sort of comprise arrangement.
Yes, it’s just one issue, but it shows a failure of the new Labour leadership to speak to the issues which voters that decide elections care about most.
Why has the party been so silent as George Osborne slowly but surely pinches so much of the Labour manifesto – a living wage, full devolution of business rates and the establishment of a National Infrastructure Commission?
The audacity of Osborne, who yesterday described the Conservative Party as the party of labour and stole Aneurin Bevan’s words – ‘we are the builders’ – has been possible only because Labour has seen its flag lowered over the cherished centre ground.
This is not to say that principles do not matter; but the reality that those around Jeremy Corbyn must grapple with is how to turn his left-wing rhetoric into an enticing ‘one nation’ programme for government – one that brings middle and lower earners together.
It is a programme that needs to speak to people’s aspirations and hopes, and properly address their fears that Labour can no longer be trusted to look after their taxes and provide proper national security.
Last night was a reminder of the problem Labour now faces. As the prime minister was in the conference bubble celebrating an election victory, Jeremy Corbyn was reduced, somewhat sadly, to addressing protests that will do nothing to change government policy.
To make matters worse, he did so alongside Terry Pullinger, deputy general secretary of Communication Workers’ Union, who argued that Corbynmania ‘almost makes you want to celebrate the fact Labour lost the election’.
Such words are profoundly depressing, and speak volumes about those for whom the comfort of opposition is somehow preferably to being able to do things in government.
We have rightly seen many Labour MPs tweeting about how depressing such words are, but it is time for Jeremy Corbyn to take a lead, to disassociate himself from such sentiments and make clear that for Labour to succeed the party must be in power. He needs to show a desire and eagerness to win which has so far been lacking.
To cite just one example: Labour now finds itself in the position where it either backs the renewal of the nuclear deterrent, putting Corbyn in a very difficult spot, or it decides to reject it, leading to mass resignations from the shadow cabinet. Tothe public thismust look farcical.
The reality is that Labour is currently a mess. It is failing to properly stand up for its legacy in government and it is failing to take the Tories to task on crucial policy issues.
We know that many in the PLP remain deeply unconvinced by the Corbyn leadership. The question now is how long will they wait until they move against it.
EdJacobs is a contributing editor at Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
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46 Responses to “Comment: The Tories are walking all over Labour – Corbyn must act”
leslie48
Rubbish they were just re-elected by the public on their manifesto and now have a majority over Labour of 99 more seats than us ; do you really believe the average voters in Eng&Wales will let Jeremy Corbyn take over Her Majesty’s Government in 5 years time and become our UK prime minister? Precisely that’s why the bookies give it ten years before a Labour return. Moreover the Tories were ‘perceived’ as a centre party by many even though they are not, they were 6.5% ahead of Labour on election day, some polls now put the Tories at 12% ahead which will deliver large Conservative majorities similar to Tony Blair’s. God helps us from this hard leftist madness.
bishblaize
Good grief. That is truly delusional.
jimgardner1973
I see no real evidence of the Conservatives “walking all over” Corbyn or the Labour Party. I see and hear plenty of media commentators telling us that this is what’s happening, while turning a blind eye to the fact that just since Jeremy was elected Cameron has approved the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, who used them to commit war crimes in Yemen. But as for actual policies for which Labour cannot offer viable alternatives to, the Tories are unimaginative and blissfully ignorant of how unpopular they are with people who didn’t vote for anyone in the last General Election – i.e., the very people who joined our party to support the new leader.
My girlfriend is a pale blue Tory – that’s to say she habitually votes Conservative because from a young age her parents have been well off financially and firmly in the traditional Tory demographic. She watched Jeremy’s interview on the Andrew Marr show, last week, and hand on heart admitted that there wasn’t a single thing he said which she disagreed with.
So I put it to her like this; “You’re in the voting booth. You have no idea who the Tory candidate is, what he or she stands for, what he or she has said or done for your constituency in the course of the last parliament, or their stance on key issues which matter most to you. Do you a) Vote for them anyway, or b) Vote for the Labour Party candidate who you recognise from the local news, agree with their position on issues which directly affect you, and trust that they would work hard for your area if elected?” Her answer was that she would consider voting Labour in that situation, but wouldn’t dare tell her parents or family.
This is what we’re up against over the next 5 years. It does us no good whatsoever to post well-meaning, if a little backward looking articles to the echo-chamber blogs, even if the views being expressed are sincerely held. The media is stacked against us enough as it is. They take one look at comments like this, and assume we’re running scared – held hostage to what Boris Johnston today called “Social Media Trots”. The BBC, ITV, Sky and others are line astern with this sort of received opinion about who we are, why we joined Labour, and what our agenda actually is.
As a political consultant at The Public Affairs Company, Ed Jacobs knows this only too well — as it is literally his job to spin the narrative to the mainstream press that we, the so-called ‘Entryists’, pine for Michael Foot, expect something for nothing, and drink so much ethically raised vegan goat’s milk we have no idea what the ‘real world’ is — as if the only way to define the world is in the vocabulary approved for us by those who claim to know what’s best, how this should be achieved, and where to pigeonhole anyone who points out the Thatcherite DNA coursing through the veins in this way of thinking.
The problem is not that our leader is on the left, it’s that the ruminators and self-appointed opinion-formers within the Party are subjugated to the idea that we can only win another election by cleaving to the right. This may have been the case when the only outlet for our message was controlled by the Murdoch dominated press, and London-centric Ya’Ya’s who view the rest of the UK as another country. The author of this article needs to wake up to that fact, listen to Tom Watson, and get a job he’s good at.
steroflex
Ed, think of the tremendous national debt which costs an awful lot of money that could be invested in our country and its infrastructure. Then there is the challenge of the EU which is rapidly morphing into a Federal Republic with an unelected government. Then there is fracking which, of course, if forbidden although it might bring an awful lot of jobs to working folk. Then there is the enormous difficulty of house building where even the colour of the front door is planned by the Council. Then there is the scandal of our schools where, because of fear of Paedos, men find it very dangerous to venture in. Result: no decent sport every day, no male teachers to understand what boys need, no challenge and lots and lots of mental health problems (the acronyms EBD, ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, RQE, hyperactivity) and Ritalin. Universities are spewing out unwanted graduates heavily in debt and very angry (look at the Manchester riots outside the Conservative Conference). Then there is the decay of our town centres. Then there is the tight control of most of our industries including the railways. Finally the madness of the Green Lobby in Brussels has caused electricity prices to soar. When Redcar closed – not a murmur from anyone on the left. They should have been furious with the Greens!
While all these challenges are simply not being met, the Labour party bleats on about more hand outs to everyone who has a vote. If some leadership could emerge – even to get us out of Europe – the Labour Party would sweep to victory. There is an open goal, actually.
steroflex
Comrade, brother Jeremy has asked us to be kindly and nice. “Piggy Cameron” is duly noted and we will be in touch about the reorientation seminars.