The victory of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party is a political revolution against austerity and war of massive proportions.
Like nearly all revolutions, it was completely unexpected. No one can predict when social classes, particularly those from the “lower orders” simply say “enough” and start refusing to follow the advice of their masters.
Some political revolutions occur within the elites. Political leaders or parties refuse to move in accordance with the demands of dominant classes and need to be deposed in some way. That was true to a certain extent with the removal of Robert Muldoon as Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the National Party. That is also why the neoliberal counter-revolution was headed first by a Labour Government before being completed by National Party with a new leadership.
British politics has been transformed by the years of Tory rule under the right wing government of Margaret Thatcher and then the years of a Labour Government headed by her political god-child Tony Blair.
Blair accepted all of the essential elements of the Thatcher legacy. This included privatisations, anti-union laws, crude beneficiary bashing and complete subservience to the “City” as London’s financial district is known.
Probably his most hated policy, however, was dragging the Labour Party and country into a war against Iraq with a sickening litany of lies.
Blair and his cronies thought they had completely transformed the Labour Party into a creature that would continue to do their bidding after they were tossed out of office. Middle class “Blairite” careerists and over promoted office boys and girls almost completely devoid of talent or life experience were parachuted into working class constituencies and imposed on local party machines.
As Russell Brand joked during the election campaign all the other candidates running against Jeremy Corban “are interchangeable, even though they’re different genders. I think I’ve met some of them, but they all sort of just float around. If anybody puts their head above the parapet and talks out on behalf of ordinary people, unions, people coming together, talks about jobs, houses, they’re attacked en masse.”
Jeremy Corbyn was different. He was a fighter. He had been a union official before he entered parliament. He was chairman of the “Stop The War” coalition. He joined protests and picket lines. He spoke truth to power.
What no one expected, least of all Jeremy Corbyn, was that those simple truths that rejected austerity and war would inspire working class people – especially the young – to turn up to meetings in their thousands and enrol to vote in the hundreds of thousands to ensure Jeremy would win.
The Blairites had endorsed a one-person-one-vote electoral system because they though it was the final nail in the coffin of so-called trade union domination of the Labour Party through the affiliated unions. They believed their complete control of the media – including the Labour Party aligned media – would ensure that only “acceptable” candidates would win.
Despite a massive media campaign to try and portray Corbyn as an unelectable extremist, Corbyn won on the first ballot with just under 60% of the vote. Corbyn won more than 251,000 of 422,000 votes cast. He won 121,751 of the 245,520 votes cast by full Labour Party members (49.6%). Of 71,546 union votes cast, Mr Corbyn won 41,217 of the votes (57.6%). However, he won 88,449 of the 105,598 votes from people who paid £3 to become registered voters in the party – a whopping 84%.
The media gave voice to every critic of Corbyn. But the constant parade of the living dead from Labour’s past just increased Corbyn’s support.
Working-class Britain was saying they wanted their party back from the hijackers of its principles and purpose and they didn’t give a toss as to what was being said about their leader – the only one who spoke with any conviction or purpose.
The media were simply ignored. The pundits were ignored. The opinion makers were ignored. The Lords and Baronesses were ignored. The wealthy bankers and assorted tax dodgers were ignored.
Corbyn’s policies are actually hugely popular. The Independent conceded this point while still opposing his election in an article headed 9 charts that show the ‘left-wing’ Jeremy Corbyn policies the public actually agrees with. One example is that 60% of Britons favour the renationalisation of the Railways – including a majority of Conservative Party voters. In fact, he was the most popular candidate from all voters not just Labour. In the general election this year, Labour got 30% of the vote and an increase of 1.5% nationally while Jeremy Corban got 60% with an increase of 5.8% in his own constituency.
Jeremy Corbyn’s political insurrection has its counterparts across the globe. The 2008-10 international recession and the anaemic recovery since then has left the capitalist economic and social system exposed as a colossal failure. We had been promised again and again that the market would deliver and all it delivered was crisis and failure. There has been continuing economic crises and associated massive job losses, an environmental crisis that threatens entire species including our own, repeated failures in delivery of basic human needs around health, housing and education. Debt of all kinds has mushroomed out of control.
The first mass global political reaction was expressed in the occupy movement and the identification of “the 1%” as an unelected, unaccountable, seemingly all powerful elite that rules only in its own interests. Millions of people are pointing and saying “The Emperor has no clothes“.
Political movements and individuals able to articulate a critique of this system are growing into mass political forces seemingly overnight. This is true in a number of European countries – Podemos in Spain, Syriza and Popular Unity in Greece, Sinn Fein and other radical left movements in Ireland, the Left Bloc and others in Portugal, the Left Party in Germany. But what is a bit different today is that it is also true in what are normally the political back waters of the Anglo-Saxon world. Corbyn in the UK and Bernie Sanders in the US are products of this new reality in the world fighting to find a voice.
In my view, the movement Corbyn leads is the more radical than Sanders in its potential because he is challenging the foreign as well as the domestic policy of the US-led imperialist alliances. He is opposed to the nuclear missile system. He questions Nato. He supports Palestine and opposes war in ways that Sanders does not.
That is also why there will be an unrelenting campaign to remove him as Labour leader before he has an opportunity to go the country in a general election on a political programme that is becoming hugely popular and challenges the ruling rich of Britain.
Corbyn faces a situation where he is hugely popular among Labour members and supporters but detested by most Labour MPs. He barely managed to get the 35 nominations he needed from the 232 Labour MPs to even run in the leadership election. A number nominated him just to pretend the Labour Party had a broader range of opinion than just the right/centrist ones who were planning to run. Many, if not most, will want to see Corbyn fail. To succeed, he will have to lead a process to democratise the party and break the dead grip of Blairism that controls the parliamentary wing.
The right wing of the party will try and force him into a compromising “realism” that will simply turn into political betrayal if he follows their advice. It was encouraging to see him take that challenge up by appointing another veteran left winger John McDonnell to the key shadow chancellor’s position which leads on the vital economic policy issues.
We have seen the enormous pressure put on the left-wing Syriza Party in Greece that in the end caused it to buckle then break before the pressures on international capitalism. Greece’s former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was among those who rebelled against Syriza’s support for austerity in parliament. His warnings to Corbyn are well worth listening to:
I’m sure Jeremy Corbyn understands that he will be met with fierce resistance. There will be all sorts of underhand strategies for pulling the rug from under his feet.The character assassination has already begun, and will intensify if the establishment begin to fear that he will damage them.But my advice to Jeremy is, beware your friends—of those who are fearful of not taking things too far in the confrontation with the powers that be. That fear can be converted into something more sinister.Look at our experience. Syriza was always languishing at around 4 percent in the polls. Then suddenly we were propelled to dizzying heights. It was a great moment in history.The rulers of Europe looked at this phenomenon, and quite rationally, were worried. I had a 75 percent approval rating because I was contesting effectively a class war.So they decided that they had to exterminate us using any weapon they could—and they did.In the referendum, even with the banks closed and people facing threats, 62 percent voted no rather than accept that our government had been stuffed out. But we were overturned from within.
Can Corbyn succeed? If that means transforming the Labour Party and then transforming Britain, I think the question unfair. There are far too many variables. The odds are extremely high against success. But what I also know is that no one achieved anything by abstaining from the fight. Working people in the UK have told the left inside and outside the Labour Party that they want to start this fight. Anyone on the left who stands aside from that fight in sectarian purity betrays the class they claim to represent.
The unexpected resonance of political voices opposing inequality and injustice in the UK and US must reflect something in the political waters that has truth for people in Australia and New Zealand as well. However, none of the leaders or parties in these two countries seems to be able to articulate those desires in a way that can excite and motivate people like we have seen in the UK and US. Let us hope it is just a matter of time before it emerges in this part of the world also.
It would be interesting to see the Corbyn supporters response to this article
http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9637452/why-ive-finally-given-up-on-the-left/
If Mr Corbyn has been engaging with Russia and Iran and Hamas and Hizbollah because he believes in dialogue to achieve peace has he engaged with Israel and what was his position on engaging with Apartheid South Africa?
Gosman – whereas Key wants to send troops to shore up American imperialism in the Middle East? How does that sit with your one-eyed view of the world?
Well said MikeTreen, maybe the unions will make a comeback and start a revolution in NZ.The right destroyed the unions because they didn’t want the workers to have a voice.Go for it Mike.
GOOD ON THE VOTERS IN ENGLAND FOR STANDING UP TO CORRUPTION AND CORPORATE RULE. CONGRATULATIONS. Lets hope that the citizens in New Zealand can wake up and avoid what the main stream media affirms as well. Lets hope that a (non-National) leader in NZ comes forth that shows the same guts and integrity as Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway etc. and Max Keiser (who is working with Galloway) .
Haven’t seen one yet but my fingers are crossed.
Too right it is a revolution against austerity, inequality, greed and just about everything else that is indecent, unfair and corrupt, which has consumed international politics for far too long now, through toxic right wing policies!
Let’s hope this trend is a new beginning and spreads world wide.
One of the reasons banana Republics always seem to have an El’ Presidente’ is because they are rulers over nation’s with small population’s.
Essentially …that’s what we have here. And a successfully fragmented workforce.
An El Presidente’ .
However… we also have a strong affinity with the UK. And while the above analogy is rather simplistic to demonstrate a point …while England has had hundreds of years of a class culture – and also a strong pride in being working class as well – here in NZ we have tended to have had a population free from class strata and more aligned with an egalitarianism.
That egalitarianism has , in a way become a trap for us. Because in our make up we still hold on to that egalitarian notion despite the fact that it has died under neo liberalism and we are no longer that same egalitarian peoples.
Partially this is why there is a very turgidly slow move towards any rise of a Jeremy Corbyn here. But it will happen.
I would predict that it would take a melt down of the property markets or a combination of events to make the people awake…as others have already said. Sadly , …this may be what it takes.
Until then …there is an almost selfish denial of reality of those who have financial independence towards those who do not. To acknowledge would be to be forced into a dilemma of just how right or wrong our system really is when viewed with the backdrop of our traditional egalitarian ideals.
Many have tried in increments over the last 3 decades of neo liberal insinuation onto our society…so many social service leaders, protests and political leaders speaking out …with the fragmentation of the Left and destruction of the unions and degradation of the poor .
But there is no denying there is a groundswell taking place now.
It is because we are a numerically small as a nation and because there are enough people clinging on to what wealth they do retain that it becomes a self fulfilling obstacle to positive change.
But that grip on this delusional state of affairs will weaken … tragically…it will probably take another round of economic crisis to finally mobilize enough sleeping dogs to start biting at the heels of those who they perceived as having caused their discomfort.
Interestingly….the Bank of Switzerland has announced that we are standing on the precipice of another world crash that is expected to be far worse than that of 2008…
Whether that happens or not…at some point …this artificial economic framework will break…and what happens after that could either be a result of a denial of prosperity to the middle class or some spark that finally ignites the working poor’s ticking bomb or a combination of both.
But more realistically…I would say that we …as a country have always been innovative historically ….but we have also been very prone to play ‘ follow the leader ‘ , – particularly as far as England goes.
So we may see the same Corbyn effect here but on a smaller scale, more graduated and far more low key. But there is no denying Corbyn has started the ball rolling , that people have found an articulate advocate against neo liberal hegemony… and with 4 years more for the movement to become even more organised… there is no doubt we will see the same happening here.
Yeh!Right on Corbyn.Even if he fails he has changed the the conversation by introducing a serious socialist perspective into British politics.
Speaking of different perspectives, here’s one.
So far I am not that confident that the Labour leadership change in the UK will bring about the change many may hope for. Past experiences have shown, that history is not made simply by an internal party vote for a leader or so, but by robust, decisive action, well coordinated and organised. Cuba was not freed from the dictatorship of Batista by embracing him or negotiating with him, the Russian Revolution did not happen by having well meant meetings with the Tsar and his land lord class and elite urban equals, the French Revolution did not come about by having a picnic outside the castle of King Luis, the American Revolution did not happen by making a deal with the Colonial English, nor did other major changes happen by simply offering good intentions and by people rushing to the polling booths to consciously vote for progress.
The latter only happens in rare cases, and often countries, their economies and people need to be in a great mess, for such change to occur. That is though the only chance Corbyn and his supporters and potential voters may be able to hope for, a mass vote against the Tories.
But be realistic, as long as the media, the Fourth Estate, whether they act as such or are simply an extension of the powers of economic and political elite in power, are not on your side, there is little chance of a major change, unless Britain will be hit by a truly major crisis soon.
Most Brits will likely not open arms to refugees, or have their properties and privileges taxed higher, to afford better social and other services, most will likely not want to leave NATO or the EU, although the vote may be close, and the MSM will do all to manipulate public opinion.
The Labour leadership change in the UK is revolutionary, but unlikely to change things here, at least not for now, as manipulation here is massive, brain washing that is. Where in our “media” do we get any alternative views presented. And be honest, blogs are less popular than a year or so ago, as our overlords, Key et al, have made sure, that politics is discredited, due to “dirty politics”, and so most are totally turned off politics. Blogs like TDB tend to take a firm political stand, which in the present environment leaves us with an uphill battle.
The younger ones around me are more pre-occupied with their form of “social media”, that does not include blogs as TDB, TS and so forth. They are apolitical, and mostly out to look for what benefits them immediately, in day to day lives, including entertainment and anything else. This country’s population has never been less political, I feel, and there is the problem.
To understand what goes on, people need to read, study and analyse events and developments, have an interest in history and the administration and law making processes for the country and local bodies. Very few bother with that, it is complex and the terrain of the elite and experts. Unless this changes, unless more wake up and take an interest, we will continue to have minds and souls ruled by what the commercial infotainment media, what Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Netflix and many other services provide, little else. And most of that is shallow, shallow and more shallow.
it’s a Darryl Kerrigan moment:
You’re dreaming!
It’s not a revolution until he gains some measure of power, and at the moment he’s not even in charge of his own caucus!
I’ll give better than even odds that the UK Labour Party tears itself apart before the next election but if it actually stays together there’s a good chance it won’t even get enough votes to remain the official opposition.
Watch and learn…
I’m swallowing the vomit as I type this, but sadly I have to agree with the sock puppet on this one. Milliband was the UK’s Phil Goff, and the election of Corbyn looks to me like a re-run of the election of Cunliffe. Corbyn faces the same challenges (both internal and external), although in this case UK Labour seem to have learned from the self-sabotage of their NZ counterpart, and elected a radical new leader after an election, rather than before. If NZ Labour have any interest in being part of a governing coalition again, I suggest they learn from their mistake, stop playing spin-the-leader, and focus on the slow, frustrating work of building a grassroots, democratic organisation around the one they chose.
Thanks Daniel
Another problem Corbyn faces is lack of experience. Odd for a 66 year old, you might say, but he’s spent most of his political career sitting at the back of Parliament sulking about the Blair reforms. He’s got no cabinet experience, not even shadow cabinet experience. He’s just made up the numbers for three decades.
Now by a strange fluke this old bloke has been dragged to Centre Stage where there are a dozen cameras focussed on every word he says. Unless he’s had a crash course in ‘media’ (or he has amazing inherent talent) he’s going to get minced by the machine. In fact it’s already started.
I also think it unlikely that he’s ever sat down and fleshed out the details of the Socialist Paradise he intends to create (my turn to vomit in my mouth) and so some of the first people he’s going to have to deal with are the Whitehall Mandarins who will be looking for detail – even in the Shadow role. Think ‘Yes Minister’. 😉
What I see is a likable old duffer who has been thrown to the lions.
And you know this – how? Have you been watching him for 86 years, Andrew? Or just more of your barking mad fantasies?
Neither did Key and Lange, before they became Prime Ministers. Your point is…?
Got a giggle out of being thanked by “Andrew” for identifying him as a sockpuppet 😉
Frank makes a good point with the Lange/ Key comparisons (as regards cabinet experience, *not* political orientation 😉 Also, Corbyn may have been marginalized in parliament by the Blairites cuckoos in the Labour Party nest, but he has years of public speaking and media experience fronting many extra-parliamentary campaigns, not to mention holding his seat all these years with minimal support from his party.
My point is:
David Lange had a Master Degree in Law and was a talented orator. He paid his way through Uni by working in freezing works. A true man of the people and talented with it. He was an active member of Labour’s shadow cabinet and come into power with a plan to hand.
John Key worked in the field of international finance and was also definitely a major player (by NZ standards) before he even entered into politics.
Corbyn by comparison has done nothing and was pretty much an outcast in his own party. He has never really been allowed into the corridors of power.
Time will tell how well he adapts.
I wish Corbyn all the success. May he be the opposition leader for some time. Good things take time, especially revolutions. Say no to short-term thinking and give him at least three election cycles to see if he can change the conversation. It’s good that the Unions have strong say in the new primary systems here and in the UK, and may they stay the course.
From what I can see his will change a few things, but he isn’t going to fix the real problems in Britain. He only brings the illusion of change.
Good riddance Cameron and hope this makes John Key shake in his boots.
The young are our future path, and Tory Governments are not embracing them and alienating them instead, so they are turning back to our side as the more caring side of society and Corbyn reeks of our caring ways.
Tory’s are so belligerent and mean spirited I cant stand them at 71 yrs.’ old. – Time to pay it forward don’t you think?
I’m inclined to believe that many new zealanders have lost the collective approach to the work force. These days so many people are often employed through agencies on a take it or leave it basis… they work as contractors, or work their own family business (farmers) The left is about collectivism, the right about individistic oppotunity. We have a generation that has grown up in the digital age, dog eat dog, post employment contracts era. The 90 day standdown- where employers get a free pass to take someone on for a specific task and abandon them 89 days later. Here we not only need to change the government but we need change how we have been thinking.
The average number of employees in a company in NZ is (according to Google) 5.6
Think about that.
Going further, if you take a handful of larger companies out of the mix I guess it would quickly drop to about 2.
We’re a nation of self-employed, casuals, contractors & consultants.
That’s why unions are dead & buried.
“According to Google” is not a citation. That’s like me saying that the reason my car brakes work is because of friction.
Real citation please.
As for why “why unions are dead & buried” – methinks you are indulging in a bit of wacky-baccy inspired fantasising? Unions are still very much alive, active, and doing good things for their members. And hopefully, as neo-liberalism begins to wane, unions will assume a greater role in our society.
You can be thankful for unions that you’re not working 80 hour weeks, six and a half days a week, for a shilling and ha’penny.
Don’t hold your breath Frank
>> The left is about collectivism, the right about individistic oppotunity. <<
It pains me to see leftists regurgitating neoliberal myths like this. Any "left" I would consider myself part of is about *both* collectivism *and* individual freedoms and opportunity. The "right" I oppose, from Muldoon, to Douglas, to Bolger, to Shipley, to Clark, to Key, is about collectivism *only* regardless of the real effect on human individuals (not to mention non-human individuals). Look at the way they honestly expect us to tug our forelocks and help them sell more milk powder, mining rights, filming rights, and tourist attractions, while they build an increasingly disturbing police state to protect themselves from us whose don't go for forelock tugging.
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