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A scathing assessment of Corbyn from @IanDunt
I& #39;ve *tried* to be a bit more optimistic about Corbyn, but I largly agree with the main points here.
A few thoughts on what we can learn from this (short thread): http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2020/04/03/week-in-review-the-last-day-of-jeremy-corbyn">https://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/202...
I& #39;ve *tried* to be a bit more optimistic about Corbyn, but I largly agree with the main points here.
A few thoughts on what we can learn from this (short thread): http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2020/04/03/week-in-review-the-last-day-of-jeremy-corbyn">https://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/202...
1. To start with I agree with Ian that this wasnt primarily about policy; many of the so-called & #39;far-left& #39; policies where really popular.
I think the problem is that, taken together, the sum of these policies felt implausible and overwhelming.
I think the problem is that, taken together, the sum of these policies felt implausible and overwhelming.
One thing Blair did was only ever present 5 specific policies to run on (you don& #39;t have to agree with all of the outcomes of the Blair years to learn from them on strategy). The result is it just feels much more real & deliverable.
@HelenHet20 has made the same point on @TPpodcast_ & I think it also goes for the Warren & Sanders campaign in the US (pick a few popular progressive policies and stick with those)
I discussed this point with @Roger_Berkowitz of @Arendt_Center https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/arendt ">https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/arendt&qu...
I discussed this point with @Roger_Berkowitz of @Arendt_Center https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/arendt ">https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/arendt&qu...
2. Much better media relations: it& #39;s striking how uniformly the press is on the governments side in the UK. I think the Corbyn team had an attitude that the press was simply an enemy & that became a self fulfilling prophecy.
(Now I grant that it might always be harder to get good press as a left-wing party but that doesn& #39;t mean you don& #39;t try, there& #39;s a differnce between bad and awful)
3. To @IanDunt s central point: you need to be self-critical (maybe not publically), learn from your mistakes, & adapt.
There& #39;s elements of the Corbyn movement that have been really resistant to that.
There& #39;s elements of the Corbyn movement that have been really resistant to that.
I think it& #39;s partly ideological, a consequence of seeing yourself as against the system, and partly just a type of group identity that emerged. Either way it wasn& #39;t helpful.
Also a clear moral for the US left. We should be thinking critically about what went wrong for us in this primary & adapting.
Here& #39;s my opening thoughts on that (but it& #39;s a conversation I hope to keep having on the podcast): https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/sanders-warren ">https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/sanders-w...
Here& #39;s my opening thoughts on that (but it& #39;s a conversation I hope to keep having on the podcast): https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/sanders-warren ">https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/sanders-w...
4. Finally, I think the Corbyn team mistook a general anti-establishment mood (and agreement with certain policies) with agreement with a much more specific anti-establishment ideological narrative that capitalism is failing as the system needs to be overturned.
Concretely, the median voter dislikes the establishment & supports free broadband and so on BUT they don& #39;t like talk of revolution or abolishing the system.
Another moral for the US left.
Done, thoughts?
Another moral for the US left.
Done, thoughts?
