Principle for the people
Mr Jeremy Corbyn is a
man of principle, it took a second failed general election attempt to prove
conclusively that he is not a man of the people.
As I read on Twitter
yesterday when the exit polls suggested Boris Johnson had successfully gambled
and won the general election as the Labour Party was about to be handed its
most catastrophic defeat in a century, I could not help but agree that “The
problem with the government of the people, by the people, for the people, is
the people.”
Yet, to blame the electorate for an electoral loss is to entirely miss the point of elections.
Democracy and winning elections are the mastery of the art of persuasion. We
have to admit, in spite of and despite the prevailing circumstances, Jeremy
Corbyn has been unable to persuade the people of your agenda, no matter how noble,
you have not successfully won their hearts, their minds and their votes to your
side.
He didn’t help himself either
Now, I do understand
that there is a perspective that the whole establishment and the mainstream media
had demonised Jeremy Corbyn complete, and he for himself probably with his
history and associations did not help matters that much. I for one have voted
for the Labour Party since 1992 in all general elections including this, whilst
I have given my vote recently to the Liberal Democrats in the local and European
elections for the simple fact that the Labour Party had departed from the ground where general elections can be won.
Tony Blair won three
general elections comfortably, the last he won even after the taint of the Iraq
War had taken hold. Whether Tony Blair is liked or not, you cannot ignore his
electoral successes and anyone who wants to win elections with the Labour Party
will at the very least study the strategy and methods by which he was able to
appeal and win the confidence of the people to govern.
Opposition or government
At this juncture, the
Labour Party needs to decide if it wants to be a party of government, 9 years
in opposition is a long time and if Boris Johnson runs his full term, the
Labour Party will languish in opposition for 14 years.
You cannot do policy
from the opposition and it is sad that the Labour Party hierarchy ignored the prescient
warning of Tony Blair when for the first time, the opposition parties could
control the agenda in parliament having had Boris Johnson on the ropes. They
ignored him and now, the Labour Party has become a rump of itself with Jo
Swinson being sent on her way.
I voted Labour in the
election, not for the sake of Jeremy Corbyn but by recognising my constituency
MP, Lucy Powell does a good enough job and that she should not be punished for
the unfortunate situation of her party leader. All politics is local, at least
that is what I see.
No sweet scent of Jeremy
Yet, I cannot deny
that there were so many insurmountable misgivings about Jeremy Corbyn with many
of my immediate interactions on social media and the reported issues on the
doorstep. People just could not see Jeremy Corbyn being Prime Minister. That I
was able to hold my nose and see more of the man, that was not how many others
felt, odium and opprobrium seemed to dog him to the point that it overwhelmed
the ability to assess him objectively.
Having lost two general
elections, there is no doubt in my mind that Jeremy Corbyn is first responsible
for the losses along with his team and the cult of Momentum which I would hope
falls into the black hole of ignominy and history as Mr Corbyn departs the centre
stage. There must be a collective responsibility of the shadow cabinet for this
disaster.
You need to win
elections to initiate and implement policy, else, your ideas remain on paper
and are mere words of no import. The idealism that has driven the Corbyn agenda
will not win elections, we need more pragmatism that broadens the church of the
Labour Party to include the full spectrum of people and ideas that must embrace
the Blairites and the Corbynites in common purpose for the United Kingdom.
The five stages of defeat processing
I appreciate that
many of the ardent supporters of Jeremy Corbyn are loss in the first stage of
the Kübler-Ross model of
the Five Stages of Grief (Defeat), they are in Denial of the truth that
Jeremy Corbyn bears the principal responsibility for the loss of the 2019
General Election. Some are expressing Anger at the media and even the
electorate, that is misguided.
I doubt there is
anything to Bargain for, the time for that passed when between the Labour Party
and the Liberal Democrats, they could have a coalesced to keep the Tories out.
It is the great regret of missed opportunities for which I hold both Jeremy
Corbyn and Jo Swinson responsible.
Then, I hope they
will not spend too much time in Depression before they reach the point of
Acceptance that Jeremy Corbyn is a failure and he has to go sooner rather than
later, that the Labour Party needs a new direction with the fundamental
principle that they must prepare for government with a leader to whom the
people can relate and a message that can persuade the people of the Labour
Party is the better choice.
Missing the prize
As for where we are,
the prize is with Boris Johnson and I fear with the infighting, the cult of
Momentum, the anti-Semitic charge, and the exodus of Labour Party moderates and
centrists, the party of the working people took their eyes off the prize and
gave victory to Boris Johnson. What could have been, but we are where we are
now.
The world will not
end, maybe Brexit will really happen, but Mr Johnson has enough room to manoeuvre
without being held hostage by a faction of his party. Heck! We have had three
years of Donald Trump and not a world war for each year he has been in office.
I fear, that Donald Trump might well win a second term if the Democrats do not
refine their socialist tendencies.
Resist the third martini
I do not have a
palate for strong alcohol, a Martini will probably kill me, if I attempted a
shot and dared a second, but by all means, I must resist the third Martini, just
as Jeremy Corbyn should not have a third shot at leadership or the general
election and the Labour Party as it now will fail at a third visit to the
people, if it does not radically reform and return to winning ways.
We’ll be fine,
everything has a shelf life and the era of Boris Johnson will pass. Lastly, I
congratulate Boris Johnson on his victory, and I hope he sees the great calling
of office to lead and be a successful Prime Minister. Our prayers follow with
great expectations. Our hope remains strong for a bright future.
Courtesy of the William Kentridge exhibition at Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town.
