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| Pro-Jeremy Corbyn rally, June 2016 (Image: Independent) |
My reasons for this dissociation is different to the likes of, say, Lord Sugar who left because he disagreed with the way Labour was heading towards in terms of ideology. However, by doing this, the entrepreneur is part of the problem. For me, his actions were ironic - running away from the issues the Party was facing back then (in May 2015) rather than help reform. Recently, he tirelessly tweeted his way into suggesting that the European Union has the capabilities of reform, hence why he voted Remain at last week's EU Referendum, but thought Labour was dead and buried with no hope of return.
You see, I want to be part of a society that isn't judgemental to others, where people are appreciative of different cultures and groups, and where individuals of certain influence make rational and common sense decisions that can benefit the wider community. Part of this vision, in my eyes, consists of clamping down the bullying and intolerance we hear of too often. I had hoped Labour as a Party rose above this - after all, their inclusiveness and the fact they bonded so well as a team after former Prime Minister Tony Blair left the country in ruins in 2007 was what attracted me to them. I sensed they were forming a different kind of politics even then. However, these past 12 months has seen the party go the completely opposite direction of their vision.
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| Liz Kendall (Image: Twitter) |
It all started last summer during the Party leadership election. Eventual winner, Jeremy Corbyn, was initially the underdog until a splurge of support from Unionists and newly paid members ensured him a comprehensive victory. At first, I had my reservations about him and backed Liz Kendall, supposedly the other side to Corbyn in the Labour political sphere.
However, as time went on, Corbyn tried to get on the side of his sceptical colleagues. He would have completely put his foot down on potential tax credit cuts but asked Labour House of Lords representatives to instead back a 'delay' in such measure, after listening to the very few MPs from the Party who abstained from that Parliamentary vote. Corbyn also wanted his Party to collectively vote against the recent Syria air strikes against terrorists, but when more than 60 of his MPs already made their mind up to support the government's notion, he announced that they were to have an 'Open' vote. And most recently, he delivered over a dozen speeches for the Labour 'In' campaign when many knew he's been a Eurosceptic for much of his career.
So in nearly ten months under his leadership, Corbyn has sacrificed his views in order to benefit Labour on a number of occasions. He separated his personal and professional views which in politics, it's very difficult. But I think this has been the honourable thing to do, and for him to distinguish the two must be commended. Yet, he has never been given a chance to show his ability to unite to great effect by his colleagues. This was confirmed this past week when the vast majority of them gave him a vote of No Confidence because they thought his lack of enthusiasm in the EU Referendum opened the door to a Brexit victory. They have called for him to resign as leader, and emphasised on this for so long, I'm nearing to breaking any television that showcases such nonsense.
Am I an avid supporter of Corbyn - not particularly. But I know he is someone who takes what he does seriously, passionately and professionally. There are a host of things I disagree with him on, such as his attitude towards the country's finances. If he were ever to be Prime Minister, he may have to cut funds in certain areas, even if it's against his wishes. In today's political terms, any cut to a department is an austerity measure - something I'm unsure he has totally grasped on. And I fundamentally believe his constant voting against many Labour government policies between 1997 and 2010 was bizarrely woeful. But there's no the point in delving into the past and work on a stable present for a stronger future.
Surely, however, his past disagreements with the Party justifies his leadership, or at least a key role in the front bench? The whole point of including everyone in a community or organisation is that we allow every view to be address and respected. It works both ways. Yet, Corbyn was always a behind-the-scenes MP so when he disagreed with Blair for example, they felt like whispers in comparison to the coup against him today.
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| Corbyn in House of Commons (Image: Daily Mail) |
In essence, Corbyn is being bullied out of something he's more than qualified to doing. He rightly says he has a powerful mandate to perform as leader and I believe that he has core qualities in management so many bosses don't appreciate - listening. The ability to listen is more powerful than liking the sound of your own voice. He does both. Yet, the calls for him to resign, the hatred towards him by his own colleagues is something I cannot associate myself with.
Corbyn has been an MP for longer than some of his colleagues, passionately against him, had the eligibility to vote. If there's anyone who has key experience as a politician, it's him. He's been there, wore the t-shirt and has represented his constituents for decades.
Corbyn's main weakness however is his lacking ability to execute his cases. He is, what I call a monotone politician - his tone of voice is the same as when he passionately spoke against the War against Iraq in 2003 as he did about backing Remain in the EU Referendum. He also hasn't managed to unite his faithful supporters, known as the 'Corbynites', with those MPs who voted No Confidence against his leadership, in fact this division has widened in the past 12 months. We're now in a situation where the Corbynites want the 'Moderate' Labour MPs ousted by the next general election. But if that were to be the case, Labour will end up with about 40 MPs left.
A sense of unity is so crucial and it works both ways. And with a potential snap general election by the end of this year, it is crucial every politician from the Labour Party are professional friends. They must take away their pride and be part of a union, or they'll run the risk of not being anywhere near Downing Street for years to come.
You may not believe it, but every one of those MPs have a common goal - to form a Labour government. But there is so much animosity, they don't allow each other to discuss rationally, and the press are having field days reporting every row and fight.
So, to Chuka Umunna, Tristram Hunt, Dan Jarvis, Harriet Harman and the hundreds of other Labour MPs apparently sick of Corbyn - whatever happens to Jeremy Corbyn these coming days and weeks, he'll still be there, as a leader or backbencher. So you have to be nice to him or he'll rebel against your views just as loud as you've been doing these past months. Can't you all just try and get along?
In the meantime, I can't see myself being a member of Labour while this madness is going on. I don't have the power to reform the Party the way they can. At the moment, it's going so badly for them I can't see myself voting for them if there were to be an election tomorrow. Please prove me wrong, but please, stop the bullying; liaise and include. There's too much anger as it is in Britain post-EU Referendum - either inspire, or lose more elections.
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