I’m talking about the Labour leadership contest and the increasingly fractious tone of the competition. It must be so tough for the BBC. Comrade Corbyn is making the headlines and IF polls are to to be believed (and that is one huge caveat) may actually be in the lead. Remarkably HIS supporters on the social networks are claiming the BBC is biased against the Dear Leader. Do you agree? We’ve seen Blair saying his piece, we’ve now had Prescott rebuff that, and the latest suggestion is that Kendall MUST step down to allow Burnham or Cooper to overhaul Corbyn. The BBC seem perplexed about the whole issue and it’s clear that they, like Labour, don’t know what to do. Do they go along with the farcical Corbyn roadshow, and if not, who can they nudge along? It’s certainly NOT Kendall, the BBC are clear that Labour in 2015 is a cold house for anyone with even a vestige of Blairism about them. As Labour thrash about like a fish out of water, these must be tough times for the BBC. With no real meaningful opposition to Cameron (apart from that which sits on his back benches) and Labour looking to lose again in 2020, can the BBC survive a decade of Conservative type government?
SO WHERE DOES THE BBC STAND?
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At first I was confused as to why the BBC were so hostile to Jeremy Corbyn; he’s a die-hard socialist, after all, so I’d assumed they’d be delighted to see a communist leading their favourite political party.
Then I remembered common purpose. Common purpose is liberal progressivism with a socialist-lite agenda. Blair was their herald and their first champion and 13 years of Labour misrule saw common purpose spread its tentacles through every orifice of public life, from schools and universities to local government and beyond.
The one thing common purpose absolutely does not want to be associated with is blood red socialism. Even the Labour Party these days describes itself as Democratic Socialist (so, you know, not the ‘nasty’ kind of socialists that always f*ck things up and inevitably end up being totalitarian fascists).
As far as the upper-echelon common purpose drones in Labour and the BBC are concerned, Corbyn is bad news for the Cause. His brand of socialism – red in tooth and claw – is not just outdated and baggage-laden, it’s also potentially toxic to the happy-clappy multi-culti ‘borderless Europe’ common purpose brand.
The BBC want a reliable, on-message pair of hands like Burnham (in an ideal world), although I suspect they’ll happily settle with Cooper or Kendall at a push. Anything but Corbyn. Labour and the BBC have not spent the past 20 years building up the common purpose agenda to see it derailed at the last hurdle by some old-skool ‘Dave Spart’ commie throwback.
Personally, I’m really enjoying the political convulsions. Never let it be said that the death-throes of the Labour Party don’t at least provide the rest of us with hours of entertainment.
“death-throes of the Labour Party”
You don’t live in S Yorkshire then?
It is entertaining though.
Ah….S.Yorkshire….not very bright that lot..
Indeed. I have a surfeit of popcorn in my neck of the woods (North Northamptonshire) should any one like to join me.
Excellent analysis. I can always understand a proper socialist . That we are at opposite ends on most, but not all, things makes it easy.
Common Purpose liberalism is an insidious and smothering brand of fantasy politics dreamt up in the Universities and suchlike. Bearing no relation to reality it seeks to create the world of it’s desires.
It is the antithesis of what real socialists and conservatives think of as a just and free society.
It heartens me that Corbyn is doing so well. We all have a common enemy and that is this common purpose liberalism.
And I include the Cameron/Cooper etc clique in this
Yes. One of the sins of socialism is that it may be anti-EU (the RMT is, for one, and they get a suspiciously rough deal from the BBC, compared to Mr Mcluskey’s lot, despite the latter’s notorious support for the corrupt ‘politician’ Lutfur Rahman). The real Left’s understandable rationale for this is that the EU is just a claque of cheap-labour crony capitalists with no regard for the interests or liberty of the working classes, whether individual or collective.
I think you can respect an opponent who operates from genuine principles, regardless of whether you think those principles are horribly mistaken. I had much respect for Michael Foot, despite the hounding of him in our press. And respect for your opponents is a foundation of ‘democracy-real’ (as opposed to ‘democracy-lite’ which is based on shared tears and a consensus enforced by bullying).
I must admit that I thought it quite funny that we could pay our £3.00 and vote for Corbyn. But then I have a sympathy for the viewpoint that Danny Finkelstein wrote yesterday that strong government relies on a strong opposition. But then maybe that is the role of the SNP? But what about Corbyn for 3 years and then when Dave stands down another Dave flies in from across the Big Pond and cleanses the Miliband name. Although when I saw the interview he gave to the BBC after the election, I think he is as bad as his brother. But to see the BBC without knowing ‘the line to take’, and spending far too much time on the Labour leadership (a bit like a hung parliament before the last election) does have some entertainment value.
Corbyn’s not as funny as he was in the 60’s and 70’s
But he’s even dirtier now.
I’ve paid my £1 (ex-forces) and I’m going to enjoy every moment of the cat fight. The horror of JC winning will have the Thornberrys and Burnhams wetting themselves and I’ll be joining them through laughter.
The reality we mustn’t forget is that Cameron is a liberal leftist, despite his party name, indeed his party is left of centre.
Corbyn obviously is extreme left. The whole of politics has shifted totally to the left. This isn’t good especially bearing in mind that the electorate don’t share the same position.
Democracy is the big loser in all this.
Yes we can all laugh at labours dilemma but this dilemma will be visited on this country in ways we cannot yet begin comprehend in years to come.
Corbyn and his principles.
I am suspending judgement until he moves into 10 Downing Street.
Which I hope will not happen.
He might make Ghengis Khan look like St Francis of Assisi.
Meanwhile ACL Blair, why is this totally insane organism not in Broadmoor?
Or given its own planet to live on.
Whilst driving this morning, I was listening to Radio 4’s Today programme. On came Yvette Cooper, totally intent on talking non-stop, for as long as possible, avoiding answering any questions, and simpering into her ‘Labour Party Healer’ mode. However, it was still a bit of a car crash as the Mr Humphries, the BBC interviewer, actually pointed out that he was asking totally reasonable and simple questions which she was avoiding like the plague.
However, the one thing he didn’t pull her up on was when she dropped into reflective mode, and mentioned one of her constituents, who, she claimed, she had met on election day, and ‘….. had £1,000 of bedroom tax arrears’. Nasty Tory Taxes, eh ? Somebody really should tell this dilly that you can’t be in arrears on something that isn’t a tax at all, and certainly she can’t have owed anyone a penny in ‘Bedroom Tax’. But never mind, eh, any old lie will do for Labour, and she is married to Ed balls, so her real knowledge of financial matters is probably nil. But she wants to be the leader of the Labour Party, and possibly even of our country ? God forbid.
However, when you look at the alternatives, wilting wallflower Liz Kendall who seems to vanish into the background at the drop of a hat, Andy Burnham (South Staffs – ‘nuff said !), and the monster raving loony lefty, ardent friend of any terrorist-group-du-jour, Jeremy Corbyn……. Not even a Hobson’s choice.
The bedroom ‘tax’ is a perfect example of why labour has totally lost it’s way, how many people are affected by it.. hardly any. The ‘poor’ as a large working class group simply do not exist, the ‘working’ classes are the new upwardly mobile ‘classes’, the working classes labour were brought into existence to stand for have gone. This is why immigration is at such high levels, they are the traditional white working classes replacement. But unfortunately for labour although getting many immigrants votes they are not the sole territory of labour, of course the more immigration there is pro rata labour will be better off, this is why it is totally uncontrolled a policy designed to return labour to power eventually… as it will be without any shadow of doubt.
Define difference between ‘Bedroom Tax’ and ‘TV Tax’ ?
The Bedroom Tax is not actually a tax but a reduction in allowance so that those in council accommodation receive the same in benefits as those in private rented accommodation. The latter was reduced under the last Labour Government so it was intended that the former was to be brought into line (so also a reduction). This only affected very few households and if implemented properly would not have affected those with greatest need (i.e. disabled tenants). However, Labour and Liberal councils especially (but no doubt some Conservative ones too) wanted to use the disabled like political footballs and reduce their benefits, knowing that it wasn’t the intention of the act.
The Television Tax, however, is a poll tax and is designed to hit poor people hardest in relative terms with the prospect of being sent to gaol if not paid. It is also applied to all people with televisions even though they may avoid watching the BBC like a plague.
Thatcherrevolutionary. I can’t as there is no such thing as a ‘bedroom tax’. I think you misunderstand my post. my point was that what labour see as important is irrelevant to most of us.
They whittled on about the wicked tories destroying the NHS in the election build up yet polls show 70% of the population are satisfied with the NHS, so again labour are fighting on a platform no one really cares about.
I would think that Corbyn’s views would be entirely in line with the more philosophically juvenile members of the BBC staff. He would certainly be a big hit with the average QT audience.
Corbyn’s another Red Ken.
The BBC will love him and his ‘reasonable’ sound bites.
Anyway, Labour have always loved being in opposition. Just sit there and hiss and boo whilst getting paid.
They’re certainly going to have many years of getting used to it.
Endless Newsnight and Radio 4 material for the BBC and regular appearance cheques for wittering Labourites.
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