I try to be as balanced as possible with Corbyn but I actually thought his speech yesterday was very good. I am not uncritical, I think his handling of Brexit has been awful, as has his handling of the Palestinian stuff and the de-selections (but probably for completely different reasons than what most of the political commentators would have you believe!).
However that speech yesterday was really good. I agree with people saying large parts are unrealistic. I think there's a couple of points on that though. We no longer live in an age where realistic politics is going to be effective. People are extremely angry after austerity and want radical alternatives that don't pass the test of realism within the current context. Johnson understands this and will fight on the same basis. Appealing to a "sensible" middle ground in an increasingly polarised space is a disastrous strategy. Unfortunately most people who comment on politics will have you believe that's what's required because it's what they believe, it doesn't make it right though.
You also have to acknowledge, that he is picking the fights with the right people from an electoral perspective. Nigel Farage has made a career of this, he proposes things that could never be achieved but are popular and then turns the attacks on those who don't implement them. It's an astute approach. He has framed problems with the NHS on Drug companies. They are very shady and to an extent are costing people lives. The right lead us to believe the NHS is failing because of migrants. If the lefts response is to say the NHS is great, when people see it's struggling they will lose. It's a good new front to open up and it will outflank the right.
The same is true of private schools, most people can't stand them and it turns the frustrations on the wealthier sections of society. Likewise with OFSTED it's an easy fight to pick and gain capital from.
There is a reluctance from the centre to the right to acknowledge Corbyn is actually good at anything. I don't know how they think he got 38% of the vote (a figure only Blair can beat in the last 40 years). He continually has terrible approval ratings and most of his party against him so it's not because of clear strong leadership. It's because the policies he has are very popular. He's doubled down on them.
This puts a lot of pressure on Johnson and Cummins, who's strategy is clearly to try and outflank Labour to the left on domestic issues and money for services. That has been blown out of the sky with those policies. Whether they choose to make any attempt to keep up and thus triangulate them, or have to completely change tact is up to them. Neither option is a good one really.
So yes well done Corbyn, he also got some good shots in on Johnson and I would say it was a very effective speech and one of his best.
However that speech yesterday was really good. I agree with people saying large parts are unrealistic. I think there's a couple of points on that though. We no longer live in an age where realistic politics is going to be effective. People are extremely angry after austerity and want radical alternatives that don't pass the test of realism within the current context. Johnson understands this and will fight on the same basis. Appealing to a "sensible" middle ground in an increasingly polarised space is a disastrous strategy. Unfortunately most people who comment on politics will have you believe that's what's required because it's what they believe, it doesn't make it right though.
You also have to acknowledge, that he is picking the fights with the right people from an electoral perspective. Nigel Farage has made a career of this, he proposes things that could never be achieved but are popular and then turns the attacks on those who don't implement them. It's an astute approach. He has framed problems with the NHS on Drug companies. They are very shady and to an extent are costing people lives. The right lead us to believe the NHS is failing because of migrants. If the lefts response is to say the NHS is great, when people see it's struggling they will lose. It's a good new front to open up and it will outflank the right.
The same is true of private schools, most people can't stand them and it turns the frustrations on the wealthier sections of society. Likewise with OFSTED it's an easy fight to pick and gain capital from.
There is a reluctance from the centre to the right to acknowledge Corbyn is actually good at anything. I don't know how they think he got 38% of the vote (a figure only Blair can beat in the last 40 years). He continually has terrible approval ratings and most of his party against him so it's not because of clear strong leadership. It's because the policies he has are very popular. He's doubled down on them.
This puts a lot of pressure on Johnson and Cummins, who's strategy is clearly to try and outflank Labour to the left on domestic issues and money for services. That has been blown out of the sky with those policies. Whether they choose to make any attempt to keep up and thus triangulate them, or have to completely change tact is up to them. Neither option is a good one really.
So yes well done Corbyn, he also got some good shots in on Johnson and I would say it was a very effective speech and one of his best.
