A Liverpool viewer shares his opinion of first Labour leadership husting

5/8/2016

Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith at the Labour leadership hustings in Cardiff. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

My opinion of the first Owen Smith / Jeremy Corbyn televised husting from Wales

I have just watched all of the first leadership husting and thought Mr Corbyn explained his plans and strategy on ensuring a Labour government at the next election very clear and also more importantly in such a way that people who never voted Labour last time can see a true alternative to the failed neo-liberalism politics of the last 30-40 years.

He even offered the opportunity for the parliamentary rebels within the party to come back and work with the leadership again.

He said that Smith and the PLP would be welcomed back to offer a united opposition to the Tories.

The challenger not once said he would work with the current leadership.

This made it clear that it is Smith and the rebel MP's who will split the party.

He agreed with Mr Corbyn again and again, shared his vision on many of his policies and views but still said we cannot win under you Jeremy.

He agreed to invest in training new and also existing manufacturing and engineering skills to ensure that we can again become a nation which builds and invents again.

For the challenger to just repeat the policies already in place and in the planning with repeatedly saying 'Not under you Jeremy' is nothing short of insulting to the vast majority of the membership who have already made it clear that we have the leader to put forward all of what he claims he can deliver.

It is clear that Smith clearly puts the benefit of the party and therefore the country slightly behind his own ego.

This evenings' husting showed that Smith and the 172 MP's who he kept insisting cannot work under Mr Corbyn are only interested in image over substance.

He offered no real alternate plan from the current one, just that he and they can put it across in a more image friendly manner.

If tonight's viewing proved anything it was, I believe, in showing that we already have the leader in place to ensure a Labour victory at the next General Election and also that the party will inevitably lose some self-serving members of the PLP who cannot see past their own inflated egos; therefore when they do lose this challenge, and they try to split the party they can be replaced with politicians with the loyalty and foresight to ensure that we have a true socialist party that reflects the wishes of the membership.

Thanks to Colin Nash
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10 Comments

Andrew McKay

5/8/2016 08:38:03 am

We already had a leader voted in on one of the largest mandates ever. A leader who has inspired 300.000 plus new members in a short space of time 180.000 prepared to have an extra £25 wrenched from their pockets in this man's defence

Mr Smith and his progress cronies FAR from believing Labour cannot win under Corbyn, are absolutely terrified he WILL WIN. Thereby introducing a true left wing opposition to their corporate paymasters hegemony.

Smith and his ilk care only for Smith and his Ilk. The fact he agrees with everything Corbyn says. But will go back on instantly if elected proves that very fact.

calvin parsons

5/8/2016 08:58:36 am

Well said and observed. I, like you, was of the same opinion. I have supported JC from the start and he is the only one who can take the war to the Tories and win.

Maureen Dickens

5/8/2016 09:11:42 am

Thankyou so much for putting my thoughts into words.
Each time I have tried to express my disgust at Smith's rudeness and shocking behaviour, I become almost incoherent!!
Well done Jeremy Corbyn, you have strength calmness, resolve and self-respect, all attributes to be welcomed in a Leader who is totally committed to the people he represents.

Robert

5/8/2016 09:44:55 am

The removal of the Chilcot report and the protection of New labour and Blair, once Corbyn stated he would send Blair to the Hague, the front bench left on mass. For a report that cost Millions which blamed five people it's been shelved totally with the Tories and Labour doing everything it could to protect those five.

The whole pretend to get out Corbnyn because he cannot win, caused the report to be forgotten labour did a brilliant job.

Here we are taking about a pretender for the crown of Corbyn, by selecting all the Corbyn Polices and adding few useless ideas like getting rid of zero hour contracts but having a one hour contracts ?

But labour is now badly damaged with talk of splits very time anyone goes against Blair's regime we hear splits we had it with Brown the threat came with Miliband and again now with Corbyn maybe the left should state it's time to split, not promise these people jobs if they come back, I sure as hell will not vote for my MP because she comes back to labour , after what she did.

Maggie Gothard

5/8/2016 10:53:24 am

Owen Smith was shouty, ageist, extremely rude and downright repetitive with accusations not backed up by facts. He is nothing but a PR puppet who can inspire nobody. Why should anyone vote for a Corbyn Copy when we already have the real thing?

Marcus Harman

5/8/2016 07:30:31 pm

Sometimes to win a war, you have to lose a battle and make sacrifices.
Let labour split.
If it's broke, let it pass on into history if necessary.
This will leave "Smiffy" and his rebels fighting seats against Tories while a new, cleansed party for people rises, grows and smashes them all into political irrelevance.
It is however the rebels who must either get in line or go and fight the real enemy. If they are not willing to do that, then in my eyes, they become the enemy themselves and are to be resisted.

Kevin Mulins

9/8/2016 08:46:43 am

Exactly my sentiments. Progress backed by Sainsbury who backed SDP in 1981.
Is ready to make the break and steal the Labour name we must resist this. They have to make the first move.
Jeremy's team are wary of this.
They may steal the front bench if they elect a leader from amongst the 171 but then we can expel them from the Party and get more radical candidates iin place for a GE. With the present programme and local candidates we sweep the board. We just need to hold our nerve and stand United

Robert

9/8/2016 09:43:42 am

They cannot steal the labour name, and New labour was not a registered name , but the fact is they have decided on a new name it's the Progressive democrats , which is fine .
How many MP's would be willing to give up the job they have to form a Party which has no money no offices and little chance of winning backing at this time , they would not.

They might form a party within the labour party pick it's own leader and see if they can win over converts that way, they have been doing this for years with Progress who has been hand picking MP's to form a new party within labour.

But labour chances of winning in 2020 left or right is now pretty much zero

Robert

9/8/2016 09:35:37 am

In the meantime we would have a Tory party and Liberal party that would grow out of the labour right joining one of them.

As for a new party growing, it took labour years to get elected on it's own right.

If the right wish to form a new party then fine , the left have one now it's called the labour party

Charles Frith link

9/8/2016 05:28:39 pm

It's very simple. The people trying to split the Labour party all have one thing in common. They are Zionists. That's it. Ask them, write to them, research them. Jeremy Corbyn is not a Zionist. Free Palestine.

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A Liverpool viewer shares his opinion of first Labour leadership husting

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