Electability
- same people said he was unelectable as leader
- CLP noms -285 – 53
- huge membership = huge campaigning power
- authenticity/ integrity / honesty / plain speaking / principled
- huge anti-establishment feeling – indicated by EU result
- green/ Lib dem supporters switching
- 4 bi-elections (3 inc share of vote) / 4 mayoral elections / good local elections
o All over the country
- Scotland = legacy
- No indication that opponents are electable
- 3 million voters lost between 1997 – 2010 by Blairism
Leadership
- led the party in a new direction
- inspired hundreds of thousands to join
- changed the narrative
- leading a mass movement
- Determined to act on the mandate given by members
- Helped lead to peace in NI
Ineffective opposition / behind in polls
Forced U-Turns and step-downs on:- (amongst others)
- Forced Academisation
- PIP reductions
- Tax Credits
- Police cuts
Welfare Bill – Smith abstained, is that effective opposition??
foreign policy/ defence issues
- only 5 countries have Nuclear weapons
- proved right on Iraq / Afghanistan/Apartheid/Libya – good judgement
- Trident cost = £200 bn
- Allows free-vote which is sensible on contentious issue
- Brought Sinn Fein into talks in 80’s bringing about peace in NI
Disagreement on domestic policy issues (like what? Not had this one yet)
EU referendum – didn’t campaign hard enough
- 122 speeches / travelled 2,768 miles
- Angela Eagle “Jeremy is up and down the country pursuing an itinerary that would make a 25 year old tired. We are doing our best but if it is not reported it is very difficult’
63% labour = remain
64% SNP
42% Cons
EU referendum - because he campaigned for remain
More in touch
Democratic /Workers rights / Environmental policy
No confidence of MPs / Worried about the future of the party
- Owen Smith not Unity - 1000’s of members will be turned off or leave if Corbyn is ousted
- Lack of trust given his divisive actions
Other (what other things can we expect?)
Not media savvy?
KEY DIFFERENCES IN POLICY
Trident
2nd Referendum – economic cost of prolonged indecision
Smith supports ‘Prevent’ – failed/ divisive / suspicion – lecturers / professors / teachers/students/human rights groups all spoken out against
-90% of referrals lead to no action
10 pledges
An economy that works for all
We will create a million good quality jobs across our regions and nations and guarantee a decent job for all. By investing £500 billion in infrastructure, manufacturing and new industries backed up by a publicly-owned National Investment Bank and regional banks we will build a high skilled, high tech, low carbon economy that ends austerity and leaves no one and nowhere left behind. We will invest in the high speed broadband, energy, transport and homes that our country needs and allow good businesses to thrive, and support a new generation of co-operative enterprises.
Secure Homes for All
We will build a million new homes in five years, with at least half a million council homes, through our public investment strategy. We will end insecurity for private renters by introducing rent controls, secure tenancies and a charter of private tenants’ rights, and increase access to affordable home ownership.
Security at Work
We will give people stronger employment rights from day one in a job, end exploitative zero hours contracts and create new sectoral collective bargaining rights, including mandatory collective bargaining for companies with 250 or more employees. We will create new employment and trade union rights to bring security to the workplace and win better pay and conditions for everyone. We will strengthen working people’s representation at work and the ability of trade unions to organise so that working people have a real voice at work. And we will put the defence of social and employment rights, as well as action against undercutting of pay and conditions through the exploitation of migrant labour, at the centre of the Brexit negotiations agenda for a new relationship with Europe.
Secure our NHS and Social Care
We will end health service privatisation and bring services into a secure, publicly-provided NHS. We will integrate the NHS and social care for older and disabled people, funding dignity across the board and ensure parity for mental health services.
A Free national education service
We will build a new National Education Service, open to all throughout their lives. We will create universal public childcare to give all children a good start in life, allowing greater sharing of caring responsibilities and removing barriers to women participating in the labour market. We will bring about the progressive restoration of free education for all; and guarantee quality apprenticeships and adult skills training.
Action to secure our Environment
We will act to protect the future of our planet, with social justice at the heart of our environment policies, and take our fair share of action to meet the Paris climate agreement - starting by getting on track with our Climate Change Act goals. We will accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, and drive the expansion of the green industries and jobs of the future, using our National Investment Bank to invest in public and community-owned renewable energy. We will deliver clean energy and curb energy bill rises for households - energy for the 60 million, not the big 6 energy companies. We will defend and extend the environmental protections gained from the EU.
Democracy in our Economy
We will rebuild public services and expand democratic participation, put the public back into our economy, give people a real say in their local communities, and increase local and regional democracy. We will rebuild our economy with public investment to deliver wealth for all, across our regions and nations in a genuinely mixed economy. We will act to ‘insource’ our public and local council services, increase access to leisure, arts and sports across the country and expand our publicly-controlled bus network. We will bring our railways into public ownership and build democratic social control over our energy.
Cut Income & Wealth inequality
We will build a progressive tax system so that wealth and the highest earners are fairly taxed, act against executive pay excess and shrink the gap between the highest and lowest paid - FTSE 100 CEOs are now paid 183 times the wage of the average UK worker, and Britain’s wages are the most unequal in Europe. We will act to create a more equal society, boost the incomes of the poorest and close the gender pay gap.
Act to End Prejudice & Injustice
We will ensure that the human rights of all citizens are respected and all are protected from discrimination and prejudice. We will take action to tackle violence against women and girls, racism and discrimination on the basis of faith, and secure real equality for LGBT and disabled people. We will defend the Human Rights Act and we will guarantee full rights for EU citizens living and working in Britain – and not allow them to be used as pawns in Brexit negotiations.
Peace & Justice Abroad
We will put conflict resolution and human rights at the heart of foreign policy, commit to working through the United Nations, end support for aggressive wars of intervention and back effective action to alleviate the refugee crisis. British foreign policy has long failed to be both truly independent or internationally co-operative, making the country less safe and reducing our diplomatic and moral authority. We will build human rights and social justice into trade policy, honour our international treaty obligations on nuclear disarmament and encourage others to do the same.
