Taking Blair out of 'Blairite'

Jeremy Corbyn protests in March 2013 (Image: FT.com)

It is difficult to imagine that the most relaxed political party in this summer break is the Liberal Democrats. As the Conservatives are focusing a lot of their time on Calais and Labour's leader, deputy leader and Mayor of London candidates campaign their socks off, the Lib Dems don't need to worry - they have their new leader in Tim Farron - a sensible, safe and satisfying decision for the party, if you ask me. They may get a further boost later in the year, depending on how the Labour elections turn out.

If you believe in what the press say, the next eight weeks is absolutely huge for the Labour Party. Their members are in the process of picking a leader and each of the four candidates offer something different so the direction of the party is going to be determined here. According to the polls, Jeremy Corbyn - who originally struggled to get 35 of his party MPs to nominate him (and most of those who did only chose the Islington North MP to open debate about the direction of the party) - is now the clear front runner to be the leader of the opposition. But the polls have been wrong before, as we witnessed in the general election three months ago, and honestly, I hope they're misguided this time.

As an active member of the Labour Party for over two years, and a supporter for more than five years, I fear Corbyn becoming leader will be catastrophic for the party. While I agree with some of his policies such as the fact that if we're going to combat terrorist groups like ISIS we need to actually go and talk to them directly rather than bombing them which is the primary reason why they're threatening us and making lives in Iraq, Syria and the like an absolute misery. However, the nature of his popularity surge worries me. Labour has historically been a socialist party, which I appreciate. But since the 1970s, the party has relaxed from this avenue and now open to their target voters with a bit more intelligence and balance. It's that balance and delivering reasonable rights to every folk that lured me to the Labour Party.

The only problem with this balance is of its association with former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Labour's leader between 1994 and 2007. Those who worked close to him during his time as leader are today known as being a 'Blairite' - a term that many who intend to vote Corbyn, is defined as more centre-right, closely linked to our current Tory Prime Minister, David Cameron. 'Blair' is considered a very naughty word, something that Labour supporters have distanced themselves from ever since he resigned as Prime Minister.

David Cameron with Tony Blair (Image: Telegraph)

I can understand why Blair is demonised in this way - the invasion of Iraq in 2003 has largely overshadowed his time as Prime Minister - the criticism aimed at him for this decision alone, that left us economically inept and our international reputation thrown out of the window. He also foresaw the global economic crisis in 2007 and therefore ran away and left all his mess with Gordon Brown who had to pick up the pieces. By the end, Blair became toxic and the New Labour chapter, firmly over.

However, if you separate that to the things that were considered a success under Tony Blair such as introducing the National Minimum Wage, the peace process in Northern Ireland (there have been some further tensions here since Cameron was voted as PM from 2010) - then actually, we mustn't be afraid of being proud of parts of the Blair era. The Party didn't win 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections for nothing. There were more than 300 MPs who worked for Blair (including Jeremy Corbyn), there was more to the 'Blairite' era than Peter Mandelson and John Prescott, once loved now loathed just because they happened to be a Labour frontbencher at that time. But because the term 'Blairite' is associated with Blair, and therefore the horrendous Iraq War, many are deciding to speak out in support of Corbyn today after the heavy election defeat in 2015.

What the Corbyn clan don't realise is that Blair wasn't the reason for Ed Miliband's defeat three months ago. Nobody should take the blame - the Conservatives only needed a small handful of seats and they took advantage of the Liberal Democrats dramatic downfall. Labour led a good campaign. Some from the Labour camp suggest the party didn't go left-wing enough. Only thing is, the only wings I believe in are chicken wings and for wanting to 'lurch to the left' being the reason to vote Corbyn alone is very daunting.

Corbyn is anti-austerity, which I appreciate. The cuts have affected many Brits badly - but some who argue that, also suggest that we are spending too much in foreign aid and defence. So whatever happens, austerity is inevitable. If we focus less on the fact that cuts are happening, let's focus on being cost-effective. The Tories austerity policy is statistically working in certain areas but their cuts are too deep and too quick - that I do believe in. Messaging is so key, and yet those gunning for Jeremy Corbyn, and Corbyn himself, are putting Labour back in the 1970s when they were so unelectable, it allowed Margaret Thatcher to be Prime Minister for over a decade - something that many communities in rural Wales and Yorkshire for example are still suffering from.

I can boldly argue that Cameron isn't Thatcher but the way Labour are heading, should Corbyn be leader of the opposition, we will find ourselves in a similar situation as we were 30-40 years ago. Corbyn has been great at campaigning for things he, Unionists and pressure groups believe in, but at what success or price?

I intend to vote for Liz Kendall in this leadership election. Kendall is now considered the underdog and some have suggested she's got no chance of winning and therefore should step aside from the election, which she's valiantly said that isn't going to happen. One of the reason why she's ranked at the bottom is because she has the 'Blairite' label tagged to her forehead by the press, despite never being an MP under Blair.

Liz Kendall (Image: Twitter)

I see Kendall as a candidate who can progress Labour to the next level - she looks to the future. For me, policy is important but more vital is articulating it and when I hear Kendall's speeches, she uses 'working people' the least (which is so important because this obnoxious phrase instantly excludes older people, children and those who are unable to work) and she probably prefers chicken wings to talking about political wings - unless she's a vegetarian. Also, I can see her doing really well in PMQs, something Ed Miliband gradually got when he was leader between 2010 and 2015. You can't disagree with absolutely everything the Conservatives announce - yes, Labour are the 'opposition' but Kendall was the first to appreciate that if the party is to oppose plans, they have to state a viable alternative rather than say 'we disagree' and then strike.

That's the danger I fear we'll face with Corbyn. If you compare him and Kendall to the other candidates, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper look to the present, having been closely associated with Ed Miliband and the previous election campaign. But because Cooper is wife to former shadow chancellor Ed Balls, frequently ridiculed by Conservative-backed press prior to the previous election, and Burnham is a northerner and apparently unlikely to relate to the south east who he ultimately needs to convince to win in 2020 - they aren't likely to win.

Under Corbyn, I sense Labour will be this angry party without reason. Protests every week, increased tensions which would only make Tories case to punish the more vulnerable even stronger. Labour are a moral organisation, more forgiving, about second chances - yet some supporters are fixated about Labour's 'values' rather than people's values.

With the Conservatives you're either on their side or suffer the consequences. Under Corbyn's leadership, it'll be similar to that. An individual from his campaigning team gave me a call last Thursday and asked me whether I've decided who I was going to vote for. I stated 'Liz Kendall as first choice, Yvette Cooper as second', the caller said sarcastically that I was 'unbelievable' before abruptly putting the phone down on me. That isn't the morals that Labour's roots have been based upon. They find 'Labour's values' the most important rather than the values of those living in Britain.

It isn't my intention to write a scaremongering piece about Jeremy Corbyn as I respect people's decisions in wanting to vote for him and if he does go all the way and lead Labour, then I wish him the best. But it may be under the consequence that some leave the party. I've heard some Labour voters intend to join the Liberal Democrats, and it may be a good time to register too - Tim Farron is a highly relatable individual and considering the Tories radical ways over the last three months, it is clear that the Lib Dems played an influential part in getting these radical policies such as degrading the BBC thrown out of the window during their time as a Coalition in 10 Downing Street.