Professor John Barry School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy Queen’s University Belfast

BA Politics (Single/Joint Honours) BA International Politics and Conflict Studies (Single/Joint Honours) BA Philosophy (Single/Joint Honours) BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) More information: visit the School of Politics website phy/Studywithus/UndergraduateDegrees/

The Rise of Jeremy Corbyn

In September 2015 Jeremy Corbyn was announced as winner of the Labour leadership contest (60%) He replaced Ed Milliband who resigned after Labour lost the 2015 General Election in May. His victory will have a real impact on British politics for the next few years

First of all he had to be nominated by 35 Labour MPs. However he could only find 15 who really supported him. He was eventually able to get 20 MPs to nominate him even though they intended to vote for another candidate. The 20 who agreed to nominate him wanted to widen the debate- and most thought he would lose anyway. There was then a 3 month campaign on TV and in meetings around the country. Over 400,000 people voted.

All Labour party members could vote (243,000) Members of many trade unions could vote (Over 70,000 cast a vote) Anyone who paid £3 and became a registered supporter could vote (approximately 105,000 people did this during the campaign)

Of these 105,000 registered supporters who paid £3 to vote in the election, 84% voted for Jeremy Corbyn. His supporters suggest this is evidence that he is able to reach out to ordinary people far more than ‘safe’ politicians However many of these ‘supporters’ had previously supported other political parties. Even some Conservatives tried to join believing that a Corbyn victory would lead to disaster for the Labour Party

He is 66 years old and has been the MP for Islington North in London since He is on the left wing of the party and was a huge supporter of Tony Benn Despite his party being in government from – he never became a minister, mainly because he was a huge critic of Tony Blair and ‘New’ Labour In fact he voted against his own government over 500 times. He was especially critical over Tony Blair’s foreign policy and marched against the War in Iraq in

Bernie Sanders (USA)Alexis Tspiras (Greece) (January 2015!?)

“I was first elected in 1983, and I remain every bit as determined to fight for a better society today, as I was then. Prioritising the needs of the poor and protecting human rights is what I do best, be it at home or abroad, and I’ve been honoured to represent the people of Islington North and take their concerns and needs to Parliament. The great changes in our society, from votes for women, to anti-discrimination laws and support for the disabled have all come from ordinary people demanding that their MP do what is right for them. Social housing should be available to all; the NHS and welfare state must be kept to protect us in times of need; and getting rid of dangerous and wasteful nuclear weapons and ending the wars that have blighted the globe in recent years are a must, and I devote much time to these aims.”

We are big fans of Jeremy Corbyn. With him we can finally see real change in this country. For too long Labour have tried to be just like the Conservatives. Tony Blair even got us involved in a war in Iraq – A war that Jeremy strongly opposed He is not an ordinary politician. He says what he thinks and he never attempts to be fashionable. He might be 66 but young people have been enthused by his new ideas. In the last election 34% of people didn’t vote. If we can persuade those people with our new and distinctive ideas then we can win in At last we will have a real socialist government

A return to old style Labour socialist politics But also ‘new politics’ – new style of doing politics Defence of the NHS, criticism of the ‘free market’, anti- austerity, calling for scrapping of Trident nuclear weapons system, renationalisation of the railways and energy companies Democracy and openness – his approach to Prime Ministers Questions

We are Labour supporters but electing Jeremy Corbyn will end in disaster. The last time Labour had a hard left programme was in This allowed Margaret Thatcher to win another massive victory and it took us years to recover. We lost in 2010 because people didn’t trust Ed Milliband and many thought he was too left wing. How can going further to the left do any better. We have simply handed the Conservatives victory in He rebelled against the Labour leadership over 500 times, but he will now expect loyalty. He plans to engage non voters – but it is the millions of people in the centre who decide elections – not non voters.

The former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, who led the party to three election victories, had a simple message to those whose heart was being swayed by Corbyn: “Get a transplant.”

As a Conservative I am very pleased that Labour has elected Jeremy Corbyn. This will damage the party and ensure a Conservative government to at least 2025! The man is a danger to our country. He wants to abandon our nuclear weapons, leave NATO and possibly leave the European Union. He is always happy to be associated with dangerous groups, whether that be the IRA or HAMAS His economic policies will mean higher taxes for everyone. He wants to spend millions of pounds on welfare and spending – that has to be paid for somehow!

He approached Prime Minister’s Questions differently v=1TUKGijIzoI v=1TUKGijIzoI He was filmed not singing the National Anthem at a memorial for the Battle of Britain He announced his ‘Shadow Cabinet’ (Over half are women)but half of the old shadow cabinet refused to carry on with Jeremy Corbyn as leader

What is striking is that, in conventional ideological terms, they are his six most left-wing policies – nationalisation of rail and energy companies, higher corporation tax, greater regulation of low pay and private rents, and local authority control of free schools and academies So, is this evidence of a shift in public opinion to the left on these issues? Tapping into a sense of ‘unfairness’ and ‘injustice’? Strong support for some of Corby’s policies on curbing the market and expanding state control, but not for his international or tax- raising agenda

It’s not that voters always reject extreme policies; but they prefer them to be implemented by moderate politicians, for this provides the reassurance that they are being carried out in order to further the national interest, rather than an ideological agenda. Corbyn’s ‘new politics’ has struck a cord and is viewed and received positively by many people Compared with David Cameron, voters regard Corbyn as more in touch with people like them, more willing to listen to other points of view and more trustworthy. These are important advantages. In principle, they could be exploited to persuade voters that he is a national, and not just a factional, leader. If he is to stand any chance of leading Labour to victory, he needs above all to sound and look like a Prime Minister.

Will he push the Labour Party to the left (his own views) or compromise? Will he condemn Labour to permanent opposition? Or will his anti-austerity message a) change the Labour Party’s policies and tactics and b) gain the support for more people in the UK? Will his election revive a) the Labour party in Scotland? and/or b) allow Labour to stand in elections here in NI?

How long will he last? ‘The rise and fall’ narrative? Will he shift the Labour as a whole to the left? Is left-right politics back? And is that a good thing?