BREXIT Sitrep
The website of the Saker of the Vineyard consistently has some of the best non-mainstream (read: non western propaganda talking points) geopolitical analysis out there.
Their “Brexit SITREP: Looking down from Northern England” piece is no exception.
In it, the situation that Jeremy Corbyn, and the English Labour Party finds itself in is beautifully summarised.
Jeremy Corbyn and his traditional left leaning platform is highly electable, while it his Third Way Right Wing Blairite detractors who are the ones who consistently get limited traction in the electorate (and I quote):
- Corbyn didn’t just win (his initial Leadership election), he won in all categories, he won in all demographics, and he won so convincingly, all his opponents were written off.
- There was a surge in Labour Party membership both before and after his election; more than the entire Tory Party.
- This surge was accompanied by a surge in participation at the grass-roots.
- Corbyn has forced repeated U-turns of the government, both making a difference on the ground and discrediting the Tories as a Government. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-corbyns-first-100-days-7044930
- Labour has won all by-elections with increased majorities, by swings big enough to win a general election.
- Labour lost no councils in the local elections, and gained mayoralties of several major cities, including London.
- Corbyn has increased his support amongst the PLP from 20-25 to 40-50. (At least 10 of the original 35 that nominated him came out against him afterwards, whilst some abstained or weren’t present to vote in the recent motion of no confidence.)
- Has replaced his ‘broad-church’ Shadow Cabinet (i.e. ridden with Blairites) with a much more progressive, young, female, and (presumably) loyal one
- He has garnered praise and support from both the SNP and the Greens for his performance as part of the Remain campaign, a campaign where leading Tories on both sides were very publicly guilty of fear-mongering and lying out-right (both of them have very quickly been removed from public view [UPDATE: Boris is back, but the ridicule says it all] ).
- Corbyn received the backing of a majority of MSPs (whilst the Blairite leader of the Scottish Branch has lost face due to her opposition to him).
- Jeremy is now being reported favourably in at least some of the MSM (the Independent: “looking like a Prime Minister”).
- Labour has had another surge in Membership (again more than the entire Tory Party), and these ones are outraged at the treatment Corbyn has received both from the MSM and from the PLP, and by the fact they are being denied their vote by the NEC (Labour’s, National Electoral Council).
- A campaign to deselect the Blairite 172 MPs that rebelled against his leadership has now gained the backing of a major union: Unite.
- The NEC voted in Corbyn’s favour, ruling he does not need the backing of 50MPs to face the challenge against him.
You can read the full analysis here.