When the country faces a crisis, Corbyn stands firm in position
Since the commencement of parliament after the summer recess to the eventual five-week prorogation ordered by the prime minister, British politics has not faced this much of an existential crisis since the Second World War’s coalition government.
The Conservative party has been in utter turmoil since the Brexit referendum three years ago, exacerbated by the leadership win of Boris Johnson and his subsequent dangerous political manoeuvres. Whilst the government accepts six Commons defeats in six days, the leader of the opposition is brought to acclaim for his role in parliament’s catastrophic saga.
Jeremy Corbyn, always depicted to be most controversial and unpopular Labour leader since the party’s foundation, has stepped up to the plate against his critics. He sits at the helm of the opposition benches as a statesmanlike figure whilst his opponent rambles in exaggerated speeches whilst expelling veteran members of his party. Corbyn has transformed his image from fence-sitter to steadfast character determined to avert a no-deal crash out. He has forever been excoriated by the liberal elite and his Tory counterparts but now a sense of acquiescence comes his way following his Commons victories.
In the Guardian last week, centrist commentator and Corbyn-sceptic, Polly Toynbee, expressed gratitude for his performance, opining that “parties must swallow their squeamishness and vote the Labour leader in if its required”. She went on to state that during this calamity “he is stepping up to the plate”, a shift from her usual alignment with centre-left political figures. Moreover, hardline Tory media outlets have softened towards a Corbyn socialist government in contrast to the grave risks of a no-deal EU exit. The market-friendly Financial Times ran a headline pronouncing that ‘markets warm to a Labour government”, which challenge their usual stance of “Tories good, Labour bad”. Meanwhile, the Telegraph, forever dubbed the “Torygraph”, suggested in an article that major banks such as Citibank and Deutsche believe “Corbyn (is) better than no-deal Brexit”. During a catastrophic political atmosphere, a hard-left leader of a leftist party becomes the favoured choice after years of rebuttals.
If another general election is called after the threat of no-deal is quashed, a potential Labour government with Jeremy Corbyn as leader should never be ruled out when our current government have significantly failed to appease an intensely frustrated electorate. With an overwhelmingly popular manifesto in 2017, a strong performance in the election result and now coming out on top in the latest Brexit controversy, Corbyn is ready and waiting to succeed. When the country is grappling with a crisis like no other, the country needs a prime minister who can step up to the plate at any time, but also deliver a widespread socialist programme for many cash-strapped Britons.
Boris Johnson has certainly disappointed his party members and voters with his abysmal introduction in parliament. He has botched his desire for a hard Brexit and also left many Remainers in his party reeling from him actions. Not only this, he fronts a government already blamed for their implementation of austerity measures on a general public so desperate for change and prosperity. Their loss of a Tory majority in the last snap election after a twenty-point lead in the polls is a forewarning to what could come if another election is called imminently.
With promise to expand public service and infrastructure considerably, abolish austerity entirely and liberate the working-class for generations, only a prime minister in Corbyn can thrive. His recent parliamentary acts are already gaining praise from his frequent detractors, so it won’t be long before this message resonates with the public.
