Labour regains an ideology as Corbyn is crowned

Jeremy Corbyn’s victory is nothing short of a historic moment in the life of British politics, what comes next though will be just as interesting to watch

A new era of politics has been brought to life with the election of left-winger Jeremy Corbyn to pursue the role of Labour leader. Corbyn claimed his crown with overwhelming support from party members as he took 59.5 per cent of the vote in just the first round, ahead of runner-up Andy Turnham by more than 40 per cent. To reign alongside Corbyn will be Tom Watson, who won in the third round of ballots taking 50.7 per cent of the votes – a win not quite as fantastic as Corbyn’s, but a win none the less. Politics has truly received a seismic shift as a result of this contest; Corbyn, who entered the race by the skin of his teeth after managing to gather the minimum amount of MPs to get his name on the ballot, has proved how the dark horse really can emerge victorious.

After waiting with baited breath, the resounding cheers at the Labour conference as it was announced that Corbyn had received over 250,000 votes clearly demonstrated the enthusiasm of many Labour supporters across the country who believe Corbyn’s election ushers in a new wave of politics. However, many more centre-left and centre-right supporters will view Corbyn’s election as a death penalty to the party and a clear sign that Labour cannot win in the 2020 General Election.

A multitude of questions have arisen in the wake of this result, questions that will receive almost immediate answers such as: ‘Who will Corbyn appoint in his cabinet?’and ‘Which shadow ministers will resign as a result of his leadership?’ But there are also questions that will be debated and discussed for the next five years such as: ‘What kind of opposition to the Conservatives will a Corbyn-led Labour provide?’ and ‘Will voters ever believe that Corbyn could make a competent Prime Minister?’ What is for sure right now is that Labour has changed somewhat dramatically – the difference between Blair’s promising leadership almost 20 years ago is a stark contrast to Corbyn’s, yet society has changed too and become increasingly apathetic towards politics, so is Corbyn the remedy we need to heal the wounds of political disenchantment?

In the hour since the result has been announced, there has been a great deal of reactions to Corbyn’s coronation from those inside and outside the party. Former leader Ed Miliband has said ‘I’ll be offering Jeremy Corbyn my full support’ – this does not seem surprising as their ideologies are not poles apart, with Ed having experienced labels such as ‘Red Ed’, he knows what it means to be targeted by the conservative media and is likely to sympathise with Corbyn on this issue. However, on the other side of the political spectrum, Defence Secretary Micheal Fallon has said that Corbyn’s election means that Labour is now ‘a serious risk to our nation’s security, our economy’s security and your family’s security’.

The fearmongering among the Conservative camp has already begun an hour after the result. Meanwhile, UKIP leader Nigel Farage has tweeted: ‘A Labour Leader who doesn’t believe in any immigration controls. Clear that those who want strong border controls must vote UKIP’. It’s unsurprising that Farage is discussing immigration, but with the shifting attitudes now amongst many in response to the plight of the refugees, is this really a wise move?

Corbyn’s empassioned speech demonstrated his qualities as a well-spoken, insightful and determined leader. He knows exactly how to evoke emotions from his supporters as he said to new members: ‘Welcome to our party, welcome to our movement’ and to the old-timers, he likely touched their hearts by saying ‘Welcome home’. Corbyn also spoke about how the Conservatives have used the 2008 economic crisis to put a ‘terrible burden’ on the poorest in society and expressed that Britain needs a different economic strategy that does not produce more and more inequality. Corbyn’s anti-war stance was also reaffirmed in his speech as he said: ‘We must recognise that going to war creates a legacy of bitterness and problems’ – very different to the rhetoric and beliefs of former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, indeed, Corbyn is almost an exact opposite to Blair, which is likely why so many Labour supporters welcome him as a refreshing change from the disturbing memories of New Labour.

The political prospects for Labour’s next five years appear complex, compelling and challenging. Corbyn faces the wrath of many backbench Blairites who will likely continually oppose his policies and ideas, as well as those Blairites outside the walls of Westminster whom he may find difficult to gather support from in the run-up to the next general election.

In my opinion though, I think Corbyn will be able to unite these opposing views within his party, so that a civil war of infighting does not erupt. This will not be an easy task, but what is definite is that Labour now appears to have a distinct ideology – something that has been missing in recent years and something which many voters have thirsted for in this drought of political engagement.

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