Despite his defiance, Jeremy Corbyn may be nearing his last waltz as Labour leader if critics and party members have any say in it
Jeremy Corbyn’s time has gone and our country has no leaders or opposition in this economic and political climate. The ‘no confidence’ vote will not be enough to stop his supporters who continue to believe he will be the socialist saviour. Yet if a party leader does not have the support of his own party, he cannot garner confidence in the electorate and win the next general election. If Labour truly wishes to gain back its English supporters it must demonstrate how it supports all its constituents, especially the ones that have suffered from falling incomes and lack of job prospects.
One of the reasons that the UK lost the referendum was the disgruntled working class who have long been ignored by the political elite and Corbyn — the latter proving unable to be a unifying bridge, as the referendum result so clearly showed.
In fact, Labour grassroot support is not enough to guarantee winning an election, but the support of all the electorate, including receiving votes from supporters of other parties, must be recognised. Corbyn has not been able to provide a leadership for individuals who voted Leave, because despite insisting that he supported the Remain campaign, he was privately sceptical of the EU. Core Labour supporters who may have been undecided, voted to leave because their leader was weak and facing opposition.
Corbyn’s unwillingness to resign for the good of the party demonstrates that he does not possess the skills needed to be a true leader: such as compromise and self-sacrifice in times of difficulty. If Labour cannot guarantee a united front they will lose more power and constituents in coming elections, eventually being replaced as the opposition party as other parties gain from their lost momentum.
Politics remains in turmoil over the shock betrayal of Michael Gove who halted Boris Johnson’s plan to become future leader of the Conservative Party. While EU leaders continue to consult on how to best negotiate with the UK. Now a powerful opposition party is needed to challenge the government policy in negotiations with the EU. The Labour Party must now demonstrate that not only will they respect the outcome of the referendum, but that they will hold European powers accountable. With this infighting tearing Labour at the seams, the UK cannot construct a united front to demand the most prosperous trade deal from the EU.
Corbyn did revitalize the youth movement within the Labour Party, while also addressing many concerns that were not addressed by previous Labour leaders. But in a time of such political turmoil where unity between all parties is needed to demonstrate a strong UK to the EU, Corbyn must resign or be challenged.
The new Labour leader must bring out the ideological passions of the grassroots movements, while also engaging the wider electorate. Most importantly, they should provide a powerful opposition that can challenge the trade negotiations with the EU.
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