Tell us what you think about the Labour candidates
Now the Labour leadership race is down to Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith, who do you think would be better at the job?
Click on the link below to vote in our poll of Left Foot Forward readers. We’ll publish the results on Monday.
See: Theresa May brags about record employment — but what are those jobs really worth?
57 Responses to “Poll: Who would be a better Labour Party leader – Jeremy Corbyn or Owen Smith?”
Jimmer
Jeremy is a fine man, and I agree with most – if not all – of his policies. Sadly, most people I meet do not, and he has not done enough to win them over. When I voted for him last time, I was hoping for a real firebrand of the left; someone to really take the Tories to task. He has not done this either.
I’m old enough to remember Micheal Foot and the trouncing we received in 1983. We must avoid this. With regret, I’ll probably be voting Smith.
Alan Hutchinson
Jeremy Corbyn is straight, consistent, and right on all the big issues. He is the best leader Labour is likely to find. Thank goodness he is not a leader in the style of Mussolini or Napoleon or Gengis Kahn.
Owen Smith appears to be an upstart political nonentity, typical of the minor corners of Westminster. He is a one-time BBC producer. Considering the approach which the BBC national news service has taken to impartiality over the past twelve months, that is not a good recommendation.
Carole Foster
Labour can win a General Election! We don’t necessarily need the Tory Vote, around 30% of the population did not vote in the last GE, these people are diseffected and many of them see some thing in Jeremy Corbyn that is engaging them in politics, many for the first time…..these are votes Labour should be chasing and can secure, but they won’t be secured under Owen ‘Normal’ Smith!
Steve Mizzy
Retain Corbyn and Labour will not be able to provide a proper functioning parliamentary opposition, which is actually what they are supposed to be doing. Corbyn has his qualities but has proven inadequate in managing the PLP and effectively challenging the Government. This matters.
If any leader cannot do this basic job, then he is no leader.
There are other areas where Corbyn comes up seriously short and you’d have to be blind not to recognise his ineffective media presence, poor parliamentary appearances (yesterday’s PMQ’s was simply embarrassing) and inability to drive new policy.
Smith isn’t perfect by any means. At least he is talking policy, sounding upbeat and optimistic, seems genuinely inclusive and is plainly an effective, engaging communicator. Crucially he will be able to form a strong shadow cabinet and lead a far more united PLP.
Ian Graham
As a Labour member/activist/office-holder for nearly 30 years, it seems to me that the over-riding consideration is the behaviour of the PLP. Some of the most experienced members have a lot to answer for from the moment Jeremy was elected, and the 175 seemed to suffer a collective breakdown after Brexit. The damage their conduct has caused Labour’s electoral prospects seems to me far greater than the impact of Jeremy’s limitations. And specifically re this contest: is it not all film-stage flat front? Even among those who have nominated Smith, there are those who it’s hard to believe really think he is the solution. There are three MPs I can think of who in conventional terms (if that’s how you think) might be prime ministerial material. Why are they hanging back? The whole thing looks to me like another chapter of the PLP trying to keep us proles in our place – and must be resisted as such.