Is Jeremy Corbyn good for British politics?

THE promise made by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of a new style of politics may appeal to those under 30, but the Labour MPs who fought the Militant Tendency back in the Eighties will know what’s in store under Corbyn’s leadership. Many will recall his high-profile support for militants who wrecked local parties and held sway in cities like Liverpool. Most were later expelled from the Labour party. Liverpool’s population declined sharply in the mid-Eighties when Militant’s policies destroyed business confidence and infiltrated schools and community groups. Neil Kinnock and his aides realised Militant wasn’t just ideologically opposed to Labour — it also brought a heavy mob into Liverpool Council, dubbed Hatton’s Static Army, to enforce the Militant writ. It took Liverpool 15 years to recover from the debt and loss of business confidence left by Militant’s policies. The Tories don’t seem to realise that if Corbyn gets a majority, Labour will have a stranglehold on large parts of the country. They seem unable to highlight the way Labour strongholds of Manchester and Liverpool are now booming due to the Government’s sound financial policies over the past five years.

Name and address supplied. I’M MORE optimistic for Corbyn than the pundits are: I think he can win the 2020 General Election. Corbyn represents the grassroot politics of the Left and as such is an anti-establishment figure. He brings a new-found authenticity with new ideas and rhetoric — not to mention his anti-austerity economic philosophy. The ritualistic antics of Conservative Party leaders such as Cameron, Osborne and Johnson highlight the way in which a quasi-aristocratic political elitism, based on wealth and connections, socio-economic status and personality, has led them to assume they are ‘born to rule’. It seems to be a prerequisite of achieving political office that you come from a privileged background and hold an Oxbridge degree. This political elitism has become embedded in the Westminster political establishment. Corbyn challenges this; he provides an antithesis to this phenomenon by challenging the small clique who dominate the political landscape. He has already shown his principles, paying his respects to those who sacrificed their lives in World War II but standing in silence as people sang God Save The Queen, demonstrating his republican credentials. Corbyn has the potential to shake up Westminster for the better, going beyond the ‘bubble’ by building a progressive grassroots movement with a broad coalition of individuals, transcending class and patronage in society. His personality and antielitist credentials will only serve the Labour party for the better.

OLIVER B. STEWARD, Norwich.