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A scathing assessment of Corbyn from @IanDunt
I'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
I'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
1. To start with I agree with Ian that this wasnt primarily about policy; many of the so-called 'far-left' 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'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
I discussed this point with @Roger_Berkowitz of @Arendt_Center https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/arendt
2. Much better media relations: it'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't mean you don't try, there'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's elements of the Corbyn movement that have been really resistant to that.
There's elements of the Corbyn movement that have been really resistant to that.
I think it'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'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's my opening thoughts on that (but it's a conversation I hope to keep having on the podcast): https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/sanders-warren
Here's my opening thoughts on that (but it's a conversation I hope to keep having on the podcast): https://www.politicalphilosophypodcast.com/sanders-warren
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'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?
