Maurice Mcleod

As a Corbynista, I’m looking forward to this election

Every one of the last five years has involved a major electoral event. As a Councillor in my home borough of Wandsworth in London, I’d forgive myself for feeling jaded at the thought of knocking on even more doors as the days get shorter and colder. But when the starting pistol was fired for the 12 December election, my only feeling was one of excitement. I’m one of those drawn back into politics by Jeremy Corbyn, and I think the chances of getting him in 10 Downing Street are pretty good. Just as Westminster seemed amazed at the progress that a supposedly unelectable Labour party made in the last general election, I suspect they’ll be in for another surprise this time around. For those interested, this is how I see it.

The last two years have been difficult for any ardent Labour supporter. I’m not sure if I count as part of the metropolitan elite, but most of my friends probably do. Since the referendum, I’ve had endless conversations with left-leaning friends about how Labour wasn’t making a strong enough stance to stop Brexit. Several former Labour voters have said they just can’t back Corbyn this time through anger at his dithering over Brexit. I’ve asked them why they weren’t similarly angry about stepping over rough sleepers on their way to work or watching children get stabbed to death on the streets of our big cities – but no amount of persuasion has so far brought them back into the Labour fold. Try as I might to explain that the party’s response to Brexit had to be nuanced to keep the coalition of Labour’s inner city strongholds and northern heartlands together, my pals have struggled to accept that Corybn’s lukewarm support for a ‘People’s Vote’ was anything other than a betrayal of their Remain sensibilities.

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