Jeremy Corbyn
Open Letter to Jeremy Corbyn: Grassroots movements have a place, but they are not the key task of parliamentary opposition
As Labour gears up for another leadership contest, Anne Power makes an appeal to Jeremy Corbyn to stand down as leader of the opposition. She writes that although she respects him as a good local MP, his divisiveness in the PLP and weak performance during the Brexit campaign indicate he is unsuited to leading the […]
Labour’s century-old problem: Leadership performance
Party leadership requires rhetorical performance – but the Labour party has broader issues with leadership: it doesn’t understand it, writes John Gaffney. Those challenging Corbyn must therefore grapple with questions of what leadership entails, what the relationship(s) between leader and the parliamentary party, the electorate, and the media should be – not least because the […]
Parliamentary arrangements after a Labour split might be easily solved, but bigger questions will be more difficult
In the post-referendum turmoil facing the Labour Party, there are increasing questions about whether the party might split. Despite shadow cabinet resignations and a Parliamentary Labour Party vote of no confidence, Jeremy Corbyn seems determined to hang on, and to force a contest if necessary. If that proceeds, a split looks very likely. But what […]
Predicting the 2020 election? We are not even sure if the results of 2015 are going to change.
Last Thursday, the UK went to the polls. While different parts of the country voted in different elections for posts of varying significance, political observers could draw conclusions from a wide and varied set of results. Here, Alun Wyburn-Powell gives his take on proceedings, and on the news that the Conservatives may be forced to […]
Could Corbyn win an election by mobilising non-voters? Not if he doesn’t win over Conservative supporters too
Less than a year after the election, average polls suggest that Labour continue to poll at about the same level or worse than the 2015 result. Anthony McDonnell writes that this is worrying for the Left, as previous trends indicate their poll numbers usually rise significantly relative to the Conservatives’ within months of the Tories […]
Minority views? Labour members had been longing for someone like Corbyn before he was even on the ballot paper
Recent media reports suggest Labour MPs may be gearing up to move against Jeremy Corbyn. This is supposed to happen before a change in rules could see the number of nominations needed for any would-be candidate to enter a leadership contest reduced. Yet Corbyn was not elected by mistake, explain Tim Bale, Paul Webb and Monica Poletti. A large number of […]
Corbyn’s election was an organisational phenomenon that raises profound questions about political party ownership
Changes to the way the Labour leader is elected were an essential factor in Jeremy Corbyn’s victory. Meg Russell explains how the switch to a ‘one member one vote’ system was a fundamental change for the party – and for British politics – with last summer’s events raising profound questions about party democracy. This text is adapted […]
It is far from clear whether the Labour Party is ready for the forthcoming EU referendum
Last time the UK undertook a referendum on our membership of the European Union following a renegotiation of the terms of membership, it was Labour in office. This time, the process will be overseen by a Conservative government, with Labour in opposition. Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s first Eurosceptic leader in a generation, has pledged to support […]
Corbyn’s reshuffle was unnecessary, protracted, and botched – but it may not make any difference
Jeremy Corbyn’s first reshuffle as Leader of the Labour Party has been met with a diverse array of reactions, with some describing his marginalisation of those who had been critical of his leadership as “revenge”, while others assert his right to choose whichever team likes. Here, Alun Wyburn-Powell uses reshuffle to pursue a broader debate […]
Party mechanics: Why Labour would struggle to oust Jeremy Corbyn
If moderates in the party thought the parliamentary vote on Syria might help them get rid of Corbyn as leader, they are very much mistaken, writes Tom Quinn. He argues that in fact their options look quite limited, due to Corbyn’s wider party support, the absence of any mechanism for a confidence vote on a […]
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