Jeremy Corbyn

Old post in drafts folder...

Clearly this isn't just about Labour's lacklustre remain campaign. The PLP never thought Corbyn could win an election, and they were hoping he'd go before the next one. The next election is probably going to happen sooner rather than later, so they need to force matters.

Labour already properly tried the unions' choice, Ed Miliband, and he soundly lost the 2015 election. So it's not very likely that someone even more anoraky and student-socialist is going to do any better. More socialist narrative and denial about the overspending of the New Labour years isn't going to win elections.

What won elections was New Labour not Old Labour, economic credibility, keeping the movement's crazies in the attic: Blair. The country needs a credible alternative to the Tories to keep them honest. Without a strong Labour, the working class will turn to UKIP, who are opportunist populist plonkers. Blair and people in his mould can also be blamed for turning people off mainstream politics but that's something to worry about when other more important problems are solved.

One very stupid thing Miliband did was selling Labour leadership votes for £3. This is why Corbyn won by such a landslide. Everyone who left Labour because it wasn't lefty enough, or any narrow-minded Tory, could pay £3 and vote for Corbyn. Who is going to pay £3 to vote for someone more mainstream like Burnham? His supporters are very likely to be full members. This was only ever going to move the party to the left.

I think the Tories really want Corbyn in charge for an election. A team will pour over every commons vote, every article he's ever written, and speech given. There will be never ending questions along the lines of asking him to distance himself from past unfashionable views, which he won't do. Some of the characters involved in Momentum should be an embarrassment to a credible future PM but will be a goldmine to the Tories.

The membership need to ask themselves if they want a party that's electable or whether they just want someone to preach to the converted and to pat the membership on the back. If they re-elect Corbyn then there's going to be more revolt in the PLP, and things will get nastier. De-selections, etc.

P.S. This was an interesting read: http://www.newstatesman.com/2016/08/explaining-love-jeremy-corbyn