Why I accosted Jeremy Corbyn — and am staying in the party

Having been “outed” as the woman who accosted Jeremy Corbyn at JW3, I want to explain my motivation.

As an active member of the Labour Party for 56 years, I have seen it move from right to left and back again several times. I see myself as on the same wing of the party as was Michael Foot so I’m no Blair Babe. I have been shouted at by right-wingers, and literally spat at by Militant Tendency in the 1980s. Never before, however, have I been in such despair about the intentions of those in control of the party.

I am not angry with Corbyn because of his nonsensical anti-Israel stance. Israelis are not quaking in their boots because Jeremy doesn’t like them. And since he never seems to hear any anti-Jewish comments, I can only suggest that he consults an ENT doctor.

It is his centralist, dictatorial ideas, reminiscent of the then Soviet and present Rus- sian policies, which frighten me, along with his total lack of effective opposition to our government. This Tory government, pushing plans which they would have had to fight tooth-and-nail for in the Commons only a few years ago, on education, the criminal justice system, the NHS and the economy must think themselves in heaven to find that the only real opposition is coming from a few dissident Tories and, amazingly, the House of Lords, while Corbyn obsesses about invisible seats on trains and, of course, Israel’s iniquities.

The reason for this is that Corbyn’s Momentum friends are not interested in parliamentary democracy — they embrace the politics of the street, the picket-line protest and, ultimately, revolution.

Supporters of parties other than Labour should not rejoice; it’s very unhealthy for democracy to lack an active Opposition, permitting the governing party to have its own way. That’s never proved good for Jews either.

My guess is that there will be another Leadership challenge in 2018, this time with a moderate candidate who can unite the Party to present a credible, alternative government. So, after much heart-searching, I’m staying in the party to try to ensure that happens.