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Corbyn’s leadership represents public anger in UK: Analyst

“When Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of the party, it was not really the election of a Labour leader,” says Dr. Rodney Shakespeare. “It was something much more fundamental.”

Jeremy Corbyn’s election last year to lead the UK’s Labour Party was a symbolic rejection of the old generation of politicians and their failed policies, says a British academic and political analyst.

Dr. Rodeny Shakespeare made the comments while discussing challenges that Corbyn is now facing to keep his leadership, after some of the party members tried to dethrone him by accusing him of weakness.

“When Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of the party, it was not really the election of a Labour leader,” Shakespeare said. “It was something much more fundamental.”

Corbyn’s election in the first place signaled “the first signs of a realignment of British politics,” the analyst noted, describing Corbyn’s rise to power as a “rejection” of the failing economic policies that were put forth by all UK parties.

Shakespeare rejected the government’s “economic policy and philosophy’ that says “all is going well, it will all get back into balance,” saying that demand in the British market is shrinking and only part-time and temporary jobs are available.

“The anger of the British public was actually expressed in the election of Jeremy Corbyn and is expressed in exactly the same way with the Brexit vote which nobody saw coming,” the academic added.

On June 23, some 52 percent of British voters partaking in a referendum voted to leave the European Union (EU), a shocking decision that led to political turmoil in the country.

Better jobs, economic freedom and more control over the UK’s borders were some of the Leave campaign’s demands.

Corbyn tried to keep the country in the EU and vouched for a stronger role in the bloc instead. However, he came under heavy fire by some party members who said his efforts to help the pro-EU camp were inadequate.

“Jeremy Corbyn does not necessarily know how to find the new policy which is required,” Shakespeare said. “But what is clear, is that in a symbolic sort of way he does represent rejection of the old.”

That is why “the old structure is fighting back” by attacking Corbyn and implying that he cannot be elected to lead the Labour Party again, Shakespeare further noted.

This animosity is seen in the party’s decision to charge Labour voters a fee of £25 to let them vote, he said. “They wish to smash out the poorer people, those who are feeling insecure, so they will not vote for Jeremy Corbyn.”

However, he said polls show that Corbyn will definitely be re-elected as the party leader.

A recent poll by the Opinium has put Corbyn 20 percentage points ahead of his challenger, former BBC producer Owen Smith.

Corbyn and Smith have until September 21 to appeal to voters and party members. The results will be announced in a Liverpool conference three days later.


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