Corbyn's reshuffle?

ToffeeDoug · December 29, 2015

I like Jeremy a lot, but he could well be lighting the blue touch paper of open rebellion if the rumours of Hilary Benn losing the shadow Foreign Secretary's are true. John McDonnell virtually confirmed this tonight saying there would still be a job somewhere for Benn, then tried to backtrack saying it was Corbyn's decision to make.

A calculated risk? A leader trying to stamp his authority? Or a cunning plan to ease his own way out through the back door?

Woolly Blue · December 29, 2015

SpurtingLesbian · December 29, 2015

summerisle · December 29, 2015

dandydan · December 29, 2015

It's going to be a good old fashioned purge.

chewee · December 29, 2015

He extended an olive branch by inviting several moderate MPs into his Shadow Cabinet, since then they have proceeded to feed the media with blow by blow leaks from virtually every Shadow Cabinet meeting. Probably not all but some are culpable, only way to weed out the cause is a cull.

Also worth pointing out these leaks started long before Syria split. No real option now in my view, if he is to do things on his terms (like a leader should) then he has to have a united cabinet. Talk of Ed Miliband returning to Labour's front bench, now that would be a surprise.

hibbo'sclass · December 29, 2015

Corbyn's reshuffle Nob's Cry

Tubey · December 29, 2015

You're watching the end of Labour as a serious parliamentary force, and in all likelihood a party split.

Corbyn has no choice though. He either does it and imposes his political philosophy as a leader (which will result in Labour being coherent but utterly unelectable) or he compromises, lacks leadership and becomes just like the rest - bending to the political winds.

He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. He should never have been made leader; it was always a mental decision. I've yet to meet one person who previously voted Labour in real life who will vote for Corbyn. The extreme left wing bubble on GOT isn't representative.

SpurtingLesbian · December 30, 2015

Tubey said:
"extreme left wing bubble"

30 years ago they would have been classed as Centre Left, so far has the pendulum swung to the Right these days.

Tubey · December 30, 2015

SpurtingLesbian said:
30 years ago they would have been classed as Centre Left, so far has the pendulum swung to the Right these days.

Totally correct. But given it's now 2015, Labour should live in that world and not the 1980s.

That's the problem. The general public now aren't the same as when Corbyn was a younger activist. His voice does not resonate with people who actually vote. You'll have the anarchists giving support and some loud mouths on Twitter, but that happened for Milliband in the GE too and he ultimately got thrashed, as those groups don't turn out and vote.

Old people, the middle classes and "patriots" for want of a better word do - all Corbyn does to them is sound like he'll hit their pocket and take away the countries defence and sovereignty.

He's a completely busted flush at this point and it's only going to get worse.

tonyhorne · December 30, 2015

Tubey said:
He's a completely busted flush at this point and it's only going to get worse.

Possibly true amongst those who in recent times have turned up to vote for whichever shade of Thatcherism seems in vogue. The gamble is that there is an untapped groundswell of support who perhaps don't vote as they don't see that it will make any difference. If Corbyn can mobilise these folk anything could happen.

Garrick · December 30, 2015

Tubey said:
Totally correct. But given it's now 2015, Labour should live in that world and not the 1980s.

That's the problem. The general public now aren't the same as when Corbyn was a younger activist. His voice does not resonate with people who actually vote. You'll have the anarchists giving support and some loud mouths on Twitter, but that happened for Milliband in the GE too and he ultimately got thrashed, as those groups don't turn out and vote.

Old people, the middle classes and "patriots" for want of a better word do - all Corbyn does to them is sound like he'll hit their pocket and take away the countries defence and sovereignty.

He's a completely busted flush at this point and it's only going to get worse.

Two things:

1. Without the huge Scottish support they had previously and the LibDem collapse, Labour's center left coalition was dead in the water anyway. Shifting the platform to the left at least gives them a shot at pushing up turnout.

2. I sense a shift to the left in general is coming in the Western world. The demographic shifts in progress and economic inequality aren't generally good things for conservative governments. Corbyn could very well be ahead of that pendulum swing in the UK, or perhaps not be the right person to usher it in, I don't know the details of British politics well enough to make that call.

Either way, Labour will be back soon. Hell, look how fast things swung in Canada. 148 seats gained in a single election.

orly · December 30, 2015

Would absolutely love it if he has the plums to boot that little snake Burnham out

dandydan · December 30, 2015

Garrick said:
Two things:

1. Without the huge Scottish support they had previously and the LibDem collapse, Labour's center left coalition was dead in the water anyway. Shifting the platform to the left at least gives them a shot at pushing up turnout.

2. I sense a shift to the left in general is coming in the Western world. The demographic shifts in progress and economic inequality aren't generally good things for conservative governments. Corbyn could very well be ahead of that pendulum swing in the UK, or perhaps not be the right person to usher it in, I don't know the details of British politics well enough to make that call.

Either way, Labour will be back soon. Hell, look how fast things swung in Canada. 148 seats gained in a single election.

In what way do you think a shift further left is coming in the West?