by Mark Angelides
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed almost certain that Prime Minister, Theresa May would be returned to Parliament with an increased majority and that the Labour Party would be on the Brink of collapse. However, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn seems to be defying the odds and narrowing the poll gap faster than anyone thought possible. Previously, it was OK to ignore his somewhat colourful past, and his less than appetizing current crop of political associates, but as the election looms closer, many in the UK are worried that Corbyn may actually be within striking distance of the top spot.
His activism and politics have been consistent over the decades and this is a rare trait for any politician. He has captured the imagination of many who hope for a different type of politics and has encouraged many politically inactive people to become engaged.
Jermey Corbyn is beloved of the Left and comes across as a decent and principled guy. He has been a Socialist for the last 30 odd years and has attracted a lot of young voters to his cause, but many, including MI5, have serious concerns. His
As reported in the Telegraph, Corbyn “was investigated over fears that he could have been a threat to national security at a time when he was supporting convicted terrorists and campaigning for a unified Ireland.” The British security service, MI5, opened a file on him in the 90s because of his connections specifically to the Balcombe Street Gang who over 14 months waged a bloody bombing war against England.
Eilis O’Hanlon, critic of Sinn Fein and renowned Irish writer says:
“When they [Corbyn, McDonnell, and the rest] were out defending the IRA . . . [they] didn’t know when, or if, that campaign would end. They still happily supported, or had an ambivalent attitude towards, Republican violence. They knew exactly what they were doing, and how their solidarity was used by the Republican movement to paint its murder campaign as part of some wider campaign for social justice.”
The National Review has done an in-depth piece on Corbyn in which they state:
“…he explained that what was needed was a “political compromise” with the Islamic State. Some of what ISIS has done was “quite appalling,” he conceded, but the same could be said of “some of what the Americans did in Fallujah and other places.” The following year, Corbyn told Press TV (them again) that the American “assassination” of bin Laden was a “tragedy”.
Jeremy Corbyn’s current team is another issue entirely. His Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell has his own IRA connections and history. Shadow Home Secretary, Dianne Abbott, is regarded as almost the entire nation as an “Anti-White Racist” whose comments that “white people love to play divide and rule” have strangely not lost her any friends within the Labour Party. And then there is his campaign manager, Andrew Murray.
Andrew Murray has been a member of the Communist Party for 40 years, has a picture of Lenin on his office wall and has even suggested that Joseph Stalin was much maligned. If you want to see where this Labour campaign is heading, consider what Murray said: ‘We need urgently to raise the level of our Leninist education. Everything we are talking about, the imperialist crisis, inter-imperialist conflict, war, political strategy and tactics, are Leninist issues. We need to do far more to study Marxism-Leninism.’
Let’s be clear, Communism and Socialism are as valid political ideologies as Democracy and Republicanism, some people want them, some people hate them, and regardless of personal opinions, everyone is entitled to their own political beliefs. But do the British people actually know where Corbyn and his team are coming from? The language (on all sides) of today’s politics is couched in what we call “progressivism”, and there are set phrases and implications that are used by almost all politicians. Very few say what they actually mean, and this is the danger. The British people may vote for one thing, and wake up with something very different. If Jeremy Corbyn were completely open about his hopes for the future of the UK, how many people would vote for him?
N.B. One of my closest friends is a diehard Corbyn supporter. PK is a smart guy with a lot of political knowledge and is himself a Socialist (from a strong Socialist family). He agrees with many of Corbyn’s ideals, and believes that a Corbyn victory will lead to a more socialist Britain. The British Media portray Corbyn as hapless and unelectable, this is not the reality.