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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/18/can-jeremy-corbyn-provide-the-leadership-that-labour-needs
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| Can Jeremy Corbyn provide the leadership that Labour needs? Can Jeremy Corbyn provide the leadership that Labour needs? | |
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| Ronan Bennett’s “leadership” as exemplified by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell (You want leadership? Corbyn’s been on the right side of history for 30 years, 17 September) isn’t “leadership”, it is a catalogue of opposition. Corbyn and McDonnell opposed “Cameron’s bombing of Libya and Blair’s invasion of Iraq”, but did these gentlemen offer up an alternative strategy? It doesn’t require a great deal of acumen to be opposed to miscarriages of justice, extended detentions, unequal pay, gender inequality, racism, tax avoidance by the super-rich, the bedroom tax, the present government’s welfare reforms, and mismanagement of the NHS. | Ronan Bennett’s “leadership” as exemplified by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell (You want leadership? Corbyn’s been on the right side of history for 30 years, 17 September) isn’t “leadership”, it is a catalogue of opposition. Corbyn and McDonnell opposed “Cameron’s bombing of Libya and Blair’s invasion of Iraq”, but did these gentlemen offer up an alternative strategy? It doesn’t require a great deal of acumen to be opposed to miscarriages of justice, extended detentions, unequal pay, gender inequality, racism, tax avoidance by the super-rich, the bedroom tax, the present government’s welfare reforms, and mismanagement of the NHS. |
| It does require “leadership” to come up with solutions to these iniquities, and to address the very great problems facing the nation, including the challenges following the Brexit vote, our poor productivity, the weaknesses in our economy, our trade imbalances, our infrastructure weaknesses, the housing crisis, future funding for the NHS, the deficit, the energy sector, climate change, the tensions in Northern Ireland, and the gulf between rich and poor. Is the current Labour leadership enunciating coherent policies to address these issues in a way that the electorate is finding convincing? Or do the leadership find it easier to stay within their comfort zone, and concentrate on yesterday’s issues, such as unilateral disarmament and Orgreave?Barry MellorLondon | It does require “leadership” to come up with solutions to these iniquities, and to address the very great problems facing the nation, including the challenges following the Brexit vote, our poor productivity, the weaknesses in our economy, our trade imbalances, our infrastructure weaknesses, the housing crisis, future funding for the NHS, the deficit, the energy sector, climate change, the tensions in Northern Ireland, and the gulf between rich and poor. Is the current Labour leadership enunciating coherent policies to address these issues in a way that the electorate is finding convincing? Or do the leadership find it easier to stay within their comfort zone, and concentrate on yesterday’s issues, such as unilateral disarmament and Orgreave?Barry MellorLondon |
| • Bravo to Ronan Bennett for saying it, and to the Guardian for printing it: leadership is not just about being “strong”. Bennett points out that “strong” leadership has given us a series of disastrous failures abroad, from Iraq to Libya. Jeremy Corbyn opposed all those wars, which makes him “right” rather than “weak”. But what about leadership in the Commons? Corbyn has been accused of being a “weak” leader because he does not come across as a fighter. He is not forceful enough, even in countering the attacks from his own benches. In other words, he is not a “strong” leader – and therefore not a leader at all. The truth is that the slanging matches that pass for parliamentary “debate” these days are just as dysfunctional as the wars we have been fighting abroad. The government has made a record number of U-turns since Corbyn was elected. These were not the result of battles at prime minister’s questions, because that is not how politics works. A good leader is not necessarily someone who puts up a good fight, but someone who commands respect. Jeremy Corbyn commands respect because he has integrity. That is what makes him a leader.Timmon WallisLondon | • Bravo to Ronan Bennett for saying it, and to the Guardian for printing it: leadership is not just about being “strong”. Bennett points out that “strong” leadership has given us a series of disastrous failures abroad, from Iraq to Libya. Jeremy Corbyn opposed all those wars, which makes him “right” rather than “weak”. But what about leadership in the Commons? Corbyn has been accused of being a “weak” leader because he does not come across as a fighter. He is not forceful enough, even in countering the attacks from his own benches. In other words, he is not a “strong” leader – and therefore not a leader at all. The truth is that the slanging matches that pass for parliamentary “debate” these days are just as dysfunctional as the wars we have been fighting abroad. The government has made a record number of U-turns since Corbyn was elected. These were not the result of battles at prime minister’s questions, because that is not how politics works. A good leader is not necessarily someone who puts up a good fight, but someone who commands respect. Jeremy Corbyn commands respect because he has integrity. That is what makes him a leader.Timmon WallisLondon |
| • An excellent piece of reminiscence from Ronan Bennett on what constitutes “leadership”. And to those who made the right call he could have added Tam Dalyell, the Labour MP who retired in 2005 as father of the house and who consistently had the guts to make the right call, usually finding himself in the same lobby as Corbyn. On Iraq and the Falklands war (remember the Belgrano?), to name but two. And to face the same denigration.Benedict BirnbergLondon | • An excellent piece of reminiscence from Ronan Bennett on what constitutes “leadership”. And to those who made the right call he could have added Tam Dalyell, the Labour MP who retired in 2005 as father of the house and who consistently had the guts to make the right call, usually finding himself in the same lobby as Corbyn. On Iraq and the Falklands war (remember the Belgrano?), to name but two. And to face the same denigration.Benedict BirnbergLondon |
| • Ronan Bennett suggests that the key to good leadership is being on the right side of the argument even when unpopular. He is wrong. A successful leader clearly articulates a direction and goals already felt by many to be necessary, gives confidence that they are achievable, and inspires unity of purpose. In a democracy, this means winning the support of party, leadership, and a majority of the electorate. It is here that Jeremy Corbyn is failing. He is right when he says that strong leadership has nothing to do with starting wars, which are often a distraction from weakness.Jim PettmanAnglars-Juillac, France | • Ronan Bennett suggests that the key to good leadership is being on the right side of the argument even when unpopular. He is wrong. A successful leader clearly articulates a direction and goals already felt by many to be necessary, gives confidence that they are achievable, and inspires unity of purpose. In a democracy, this means winning the support of party, leadership, and a majority of the electorate. It is here that Jeremy Corbyn is failing. He is right when he says that strong leadership has nothing to do with starting wars, which are often a distraction from weakness.Jim PettmanAnglars-Juillac, France |
| • Are Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for “organising academies” for Labour party members (Corbyn promises academies for activists, 14 September) the same as those Tom Watson has been working on and announced on 12 September in his report on his first 12 months in office as deputy leader? Is this another example of Jeremy Corbyn’s problem as a leader – the first among equals – in not acknowledging the role of his colleagues in an effective shadow cabinet?Rosemary RossHarpenden, Hertfordshire | • Are Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for “organising academies” for Labour party members (Corbyn promises academies for activists, 14 September) the same as those Tom Watson has been working on and announced on 12 September in his report on his first 12 months in office as deputy leader? Is this another example of Jeremy Corbyn’s problem as a leader – the first among equals – in not acknowledging the role of his colleagues in an effective shadow cabinet?Rosemary RossHarpenden, Hertfordshire |
| • I read Ronan Bennett’s column with growing interest and agreement. Many times friends have called my sanity into doubt because I have surely joined the lunatic fringe in supporting Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell. These two men have their leadership qualities questioned every day of the week by their dissenting MPs, social media and the press, and manage to rise above the vitriol – they have taken the flak and are still standing, and that says it all about resilience, courage and determination. And yes they have made the right calls in the past, and yes that is why they are appealing to a large swathe of the public. Corbyn showed real leadership quality at prime minister’s questions last week on the retrograde move to bring back grammar schools. If he wins the leadership contest, let’s hope this ushers in a respectful, unified party. Judith DanielsGreat Yarmouth, Norfolk | • I read Ronan Bennett’s column with growing interest and agreement. Many times friends have called my sanity into doubt because I have surely joined the lunatic fringe in supporting Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell. These two men have their leadership qualities questioned every day of the week by their dissenting MPs, social media and the press, and manage to rise above the vitriol – they have taken the flak and are still standing, and that says it all about resilience, courage and determination. And yes they have made the right calls in the past, and yes that is why they are appealing to a large swathe of the public. Corbyn showed real leadership quality at prime minister’s questions last week on the retrograde move to bring back grammar schools. If he wins the leadership contest, let’s hope this ushers in a respectful, unified party. Judith DanielsGreat Yarmouth, Norfolk |
| • When Labour lost elections in 2010 and 2015 it was rightly accused of not listening to the views of many of its actual and potential voters. Election defeats, the rise of Ukip and the Brexit vote are all telling us that large numbers of people are discontented. Now I’m witnessing another kind of “not listening” – the constant demeaning of the people who support Jeremy Corbyn. This seems very similar to the “not listening” to people’s concern about immigration prior to the 2010 election and the “not listening” to concerns about the EU before the referendum. | • When Labour lost elections in 2010 and 2015 it was rightly accused of not listening to the views of many of its actual and potential voters. Election defeats, the rise of Ukip and the Brexit vote are all telling us that large numbers of people are discontented. Now I’m witnessing another kind of “not listening” – the constant demeaning of the people who support Jeremy Corbyn. This seems very similar to the “not listening” to people’s concern about immigration prior to the 2010 election and the “not listening” to concerns about the EU before the referendum. |
| Among the liberalish left, why would we not be listening? Perhaps mainly because opinion formers fear that Corbyn (or what he stands for) can never win power. This seems similar to the view surrounding Trump’s early stages on the campaign trail. But look where he is now. Another fear is that his support is “hard left”. But look more carefully at where his support is coming from. Much of it is from young people. Listening to a young woman speaking in defence of him on Question Time on Thursday, it is impossible to imagine her – and, I suspect, many like her – as “hard left”. | Among the liberalish left, why would we not be listening? Perhaps mainly because opinion formers fear that Corbyn (or what he stands for) can never win power. This seems similar to the view surrounding Trump’s early stages on the campaign trail. But look where he is now. Another fear is that his support is “hard left”. But look more carefully at where his support is coming from. Much of it is from young people. Listening to a young woman speaking in defence of him on Question Time on Thursday, it is impossible to imagine her – and, I suspect, many like her – as “hard left”. |
| What I hear is not from the “hard left” but from those who see there is much going wrong with our country. The growing increase in inequality, the favouring of those who have wealth, the apparent inability of government to bring to account corporations that avoid tax, the fallout from the 2008 crash hitting, through austerity, those least responsible for it while the banks benefit from public subsidy. | What I hear is not from the “hard left” but from those who see there is much going wrong with our country. The growing increase in inequality, the favouring of those who have wealth, the apparent inability of government to bring to account corporations that avoid tax, the fallout from the 2008 crash hitting, through austerity, those least responsible for it while the banks benefit from public subsidy. |
| So shouldn’t we be trying to understand what it is that Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters are telling us rather than obsessing over the man himself?Dave DugganBristol | So shouldn’t we be trying to understand what it is that Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters are telling us rather than obsessing over the man himself?Dave DugganBristol |