The recent election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party has sparked one of the largest scale political debates we’ve seen all summer. Across the social media battle ground, shots have been fired, quite literally, left, right and center. Impact Comment reviews the oh so wide ranging opinions which have been flying around on the internet and within the student community at the University of Nottingham.
Opinions from across the internet
“The Labour Party is now a threat to our national security, our economic security and your family’s security.” David Cameron on Twitter
“Corbyn’s answers may be wrong but many of his questions are right. Instead of patronising his supporters, the insular ruling elite and their allies in big business and big finance need to realise they are the cause of Corbyn. I doubt that Corbyn-led Labour will introduce the more human world I want to see: markets made more competitive; democracy made more local; families boosted as the bedrock of society. But you never know…” Steve Hilton for the Observer
“The Labour Party is now a threat to our national security, our economic security and your family’s security“
“The Tories are trying to define Jeremy Corbyn early on, so a first impression will stick no matter what. Needs quick countering” Left wing commentator Owen Jones on Twitter
“Liz Kendall, Yvette Cooper, Caroline Flint, Angela Eagle and Stella Creasy, all talented, all fought for Labour’s top two jobs and lost. Critics can argue what matters is not their gender but the policies on which they stand. But gender, alongside race and class, shapes a different day-to-day experience that, consciously and unconsciously, is inextricably entwined in the politics a person espouses.” Yvonne Roberts for the Guardian
“For all my dislike of Corbyn’s policies, at least he has the guts to set them out.” Columnist, satirist and comedian Old Holborn on Twitter
“Corbyn is a cipher, a semi-mythical figure into whom his supporters read their “mad as hell and not taking it any more” frustration. It is surprising that he has got through an entire leadership election campaign without anyone noticing, but he is one of the most characterless, uninteresting people to have made it to the front rank of British politics – as his supporters are about to discover, but as I suspect that the wider British public discovered in their first impression of him in his victory speech.” John Rentoul for the Independent
“For all my dislike of Corbyn’s policies, at least he has the guts to set them out”
“This man is unlikely to get a good headline for the foreseeable future. Just remember who owns the newspapers” Writer, journalist and broadcaster Marcus Chown on Twitter
“Corbyn himself has pinned a lot of his difference in opposition to the way he’ll handle PMQs: he will crowdsource the questions and won’t engage in the idiotic putdowns and wordplay that currently pass for great parliamentarianism.” Zoe Williams for the Guardian
“Corbyn is clearly undetectable all over England, but can he do anything in Scotland? SNP switch back to him” Past Conservative MP Louise Mensch on Twitter
“This “new kind of politics” that the Corbyn campaign has pursued will take some getting used to. It’s not just politicians, journalists and political experts who will have to get their heads around a new set of rules, but all of us. Democracy is a process and it is a learned, evolving one. The people who built this victory are not men in suits and West Wing wannabes, they are the more than 16,000 activists across the country – many completely new to any formal political process.” James Schneider for the Independent
“More than 15,000 join Labour in 24 hours after Jeremy Corbyn victory” The Independent on Twitter
“It has revived debates about nationalisation, nuclear deterrence and wealth redistribution and returned the basis of internal Labour party divisions to politics rather than personality. It has energised the alienated and alienated the establishment. The rebels are now the leaders; those who once urged loyalty are now in rebellion.” Gary Younge for the Guardian
Opinions from our writers at the University of Nottingham
“The Labour party is now a threat to your family’s security”, says David Cameron. What, Dave, more so than your snooper’s charter, your removal of housing benefits for the under 21s and your systematic unravelling of the NHS? The truth, once we get past the headlines, is that Jeremy Corbyn’s election heralds the return of politics that is compassionate, grassroots and uniquely positive.” Priya Thethi
“A left wing utopian not fit for the real world”. No a real MP that represents ideals that the electorate can and will engage with. Jez cares – gender equality, peace and diplomacy in the Middle East, allotments and cycling – and so do I.” Louisa Chenciner
“Left or right, it’s refreshing that the ‘new’ face of politics isn’t polished PR-fodder”
“I think Corbyn’s success in the election is owing to the destabilisation of the country following the recession and as a result, Labour voters becoming increasingly attracted away from the political centre ground to the ideals of the socialist left. Saying that, I don’t think he’s going to be good for Labour’s campaign, I think it’s the second time Labour have made a big mistake in electing a leader – David Miliband was also a much better candidate than Ed in my opinion.” Yvonne Conroy
“Jeremy Corbyn is a politician we can respect. He is not afraid to stand up for what he believes is best for our nation and what he stands for is a new type of politics. Corbyn’s type of politics demands honesty and equality for its people. It could be seen that the new party leader is no more than an idealist who will cause great rifts within Labour. Scrapping tuition fees and the United Kingdom’s nuclear programme may seem unrealistic but whether Corbyn succeeds in implementing them is perhaps immaterial. Corbyn represents a public cry for change. Although extreme in many of his policies, Corbyn could be the face of an alternative voice within the system. Not everyone will agree with his policies but it is undoubtedly refreshing to witness the election of a politician who seems to speak for the people.” Beth Webb-Strong
“Left or right, it’s refreshing that the ‘new’ face of politics isn’t polished PR-fodder but an older man with a clear passion, dignity and apparent wide reading – a nice change of pace in what seems quite a superficial age, irrespective of politics.” Liam Inscoe-Jones
“He has mobalised an audience like few before him … The only thing that will destroy him is perhaps the party that chose to elect him.”
“I think that it’s really good that the Conservative party have a direct opposition now, which makes for more exciting politics. However, I believe that if he became Prime Minister it would be very bad news for the country.” Emily Ling
“Despite the unexpectedly substantial following Corbyn has railed up, his appointment as Labour leader brings with it an uncomfortable feeling of imminent doom. As a leftie myself, I endorse the party wholeheartedly, however his socialist tendencies will surely be as detrimental to working class Britain as Cameron’s current government. What we need is a Labour leader who can strike a comfortable balance between left and right, rather than being so far left as to jeopardize any real chance of a powerful and effective Labour government. Rather than be the reinvigoration lefties hoped for, I feel that Corbyn’s shelf life will be sadly limited, and with it, the Labour party’s too.” Anna Hand
“I do not see how people can refuse to congratulate Jeremy Corbyn. He has mobilised an audience like few before him. Spurring people up and down the country to take a stand for the politics that they believe in. The only thing that will destroy him is perhaps the party that chose to elect him.” Rachel Lewis
“I sincerely admire a whole host of Corbyn’s policies and ideals. The scrapping of Trident, more cycling, more allotments; ideas which fundamentally encourage local living. His conviction that all children should have the opportunity to play a musical instrument or be involved with theater is music to my ears. However, I myself and, more importantly, I believe, the British public, will reject his brand of watered down socialism. His politics might be hopeful, but at its core, it in fact denies individual aspiration. Unfortunately, Corbyn isn’t going to cut it for Labour. I’m afraid that his election will leave Labour, once again shouting from the side lines. We don’t live in a socialist Utopia and the reality is that you can’t score goals if you’re not even kicking the ball.” Maddie Waktare
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go jez!