New Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn? .... who would you vote for?

The labour party was always the voice of the working class, I remember my mum and dad wouldn't even contemplate voting Conservative and I used to argue that they shouldn't base who they vote for just on a principle it should be a decision made on who you think will do the best for the majority in the country.

I spent 5 years as a union rep at British Aerospace, so supporting Labour was kind of ingrained due to the job. Now I would just like to see Labour back as a decent party supporting the majority of people in the UK.

Labour in my opinion has failed by trying to move too far towards the Tories in policies in the hope of winning votes.  That really is winning at all costs and throwing your principles out of the window.  As a Union Rep I quickly learnt that you have to listen to what your members want and steer and advise, unfortunately some people will want the stars and you have to talk them down to reality. Lets take the case of the country. Everyone who hasn't had a pay increase for 4 years should get a 10% pay increase. That would put them back at status quo. However even though they should get it doesn't mean its right for the country.  Those people will never get that money back and when you look at the bonuses handed out by bankers who are continually failing, its a bitter pill to swallow.

So back to the Labour leader, personally I'm fed up with smarmy good talkers who say one thing and mean another.  I'm sick of the constant spin that the Tories pump out and people for some reason just believe.  Labour needs a leader that has principles and will stick by them right or wrong, it doesn't matter, we need some truth in politics.

There is only one person that I can see in the list below that stands for truth and honesty and that's Jeremy Corbyn. Now I know hes not really got the best experience to be PM and he is considered more left wing than most, but maybe that's whats needed at present.  What he is is pretty transparent, you get what you see and hear, I find that particularly refreshing even if I don't agree with everything he stands for.  

With regard to expenses he has always been one of the lowest claiming MPs. He has defied the party whip 238 times, which means he wont just roll over and agree if he doesn't think its right.  That is a man of principles.

So regardless of whether I agree with all his policies and lets face it not many of us agree with every policy that a political party has. I hope that Jeremy Corbyn gets in, just because it might force a few others to stick with their principles, rather than trying to get into bed with the Tories in a sad attempt at winning votes.

Check out the 60 second videos and see what you think, sorry but Andy Burnham is so smarmy I figure he's gone to the George Osbourne smarm school.

1. Andy Burnham: Vote for me because...

2. Yvette Cooper: Vote for me because...

3. Jeremy Corbyn: Vote for me because...

4. Liz Kendall: Vote for me because...

   Corbyn for shadow cabinet - any takers?

    

  Labour’s tragedy is that Jeremy Corbyn is much the best leadership candidate

"Like Harman’s take on the duty of an opposition, Jeremy Corbyn’s candidacy presents a glaring paradox. He is by light years the best candidate, in that he actually believes in things and can articulate those beliefs in a way humanoid life forms can understand. He believes that limiting child benefit is wrong, for instance, since it would restrict the life chances of those who most need help to escape entrenched poverty."

"Corbyn’s beliefs, on the other hand, have survived the passage of four decades intact, which is why he is by light years the worst candidate. Those beliefs are noble and sincere, but only about 17 people in this country share his faith in the command economy."

Polly Toynbee, Jeremy Corbyn and the limits of acceptable politics 

Corbyn's positions and the public

But how valid is Toynbee’s central criticism – that Corbyn is out of touch with public opinion? Let’s look at the polling data on some of Corbyn’s key political stances:

He supports a publicly run NHS, a position supported by 84 per cent of the public, according to a November 2013 YouGov poll.

He supports the nationalisation of the railways, a position backed by 66 percent of the public, including a majority of Conservative voters, according to the same poll.

He supports the nationalisation of the energy companies, a position supported by 68 percent of the public, including a majority of Conservative voters, according to the same poll.

He believes the Royal Mail should be publicly owned, a position supported by 67 percent of the public, according to the same poll.

He supports rent controls, a position supported by 60% of the public, including 42% of Conservatives, according to an April 2015 YouGov poll.

He opposes the retention of Trident nuclear weapons, a position John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, notes is supported by a "smallish plurality" in "the majority of polls".

He strongly opposed the 2003 Iraq War, which was also opposed by the more than one million people who marched through London on 15 February 2003.

He has long pushed for the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, a position favoured by 82 per cent of the public, according to a May 2014 YouGov poll.

Who's out of touch?

So, contrary to Toynbee’s assertions, Corbyn’s key political positions are in actual fact supported by a majority of the British public.

Nine Reasons To Vote Jeremy Corbyn For Labour Leader