Jeremy Corbyn Was (At Best) an Accidental Figure in Britain’s 2017 Election.
His chances of becoming a future Prime Minister remain slim.
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Britain’s current Prime Minister, Theresa May, is having a bit of a rough time at the moment. Her decision to call a snap election induced political commentators to predict a Conservative landslide.
The "Merkle of Maidenhead" (May) and her competent "team" were originally supposed to smash the Corbynites and severely diminish Labour’s potential to form a government for the next two decades.
However, as is so often the case in political life, things went a bit off script.
May has now lost her slim majority. Circumstances have forced her to establish a controversial confidence and supply deal with the DUP (Northern Ireland’s largest party) which could fall apart at any time.
So, what went wrong?
As a result of May’s election fiasco, Labour has gained around 50 seats. Now Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s radical socialist leader, has been identified as the "Prime Minister in waiting."
Many commentators have praised Labour’s "positive," "hopeful," and "optimistic" crusade.
Corbyn’s authenticity and capacity to entice younger voters via savvy social media campaigns have been continually appealed to.
In contrast, May has been depicted as some kind of emotionally deficient android.
Her monotonous "strong and stable leadership" election slogan and decision not to meet victims from the Grenfell Tower fire have irritated and incensed the British public in equal measure.
Neither-the-less, notwithstanding Theresa’s numerous blunders, it remains highly unlikely that Jeremey Corbyn will become the next Prime Minister.
The election was never really about him: nor was the result.
Months prior, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Jacob Rees-Mogg (tipped to become a future Speaker of the House), cautioned against an election. He did not contend that Labour would become a significant threat. Rather, Rees-Mogg feared that the public would not look upon partisan opportunism too keenly.
Despite being very amiable, Rees-Mogg is something of an eccentric positioned firmly on the right of the Conservative party. He is infamous for using the word "floccinaucinihilipilification" in parliament.
Regardless, Rees-Moggs’ musings upon the "high-mindedness" of the British public should have been taken more seriously.
The prima facie obvious ought to be stated: Theresa May called for a predominantly pointless election. May was playing party political games and the public were having none of it.
Alongside Rees-Mogg, "Brenda from Bristol" was another prophet of this year’s British general election.
Prior to her Vox-Pop interview (which has since caused an internet sensation), Brenda was blissfully unaware that yet another election had been called.
Neither-the-less she emphatically spoke for millions: “You're joking. Not another one! Oh, for God sake I can’t stand this! There is too much politics going on at the moment. Why does she need to do it?”
It is easy for political enthusiasts like myself to forget that governmental affairs garner a rather minimal significance on most people’s radar.
Brenda and Rees-Mogg successfully tapped into the vexation and contemptuousness which persistently lingered in the background throughout Britain’s last election.
Columnist and former MP, Matthew Paris, sums up the Conservative party’s capacity for hubris marvellously. If Labour is annihilated down the line, the “Tories will […] rejoice. The barbarians are fighting among themselves and no longer threaten us! Hurrah!” The prospect of an unchecked, unchallengeable, conservative party is simply reprehensible, even for many on the centre right.
Despite their (thoroughly reasonable) reservations about Corbyn, many people were determined not to vote for May and her cohort of disciples. Rather, they inclined towards the only (somewhat) electable alternative.
However, a Corbyn premiership would be disastrous and most people know it. Just because people lent a protest vote to Labour this time around, there are no guarantees that this migration will solidify in any meaningful way.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tories make a reasonable comeback next time a general election is called. May will most likely be out of the picture by that stage. A new leader (Amber Rudd? Ruth Davidson?) will have emerged.
Nevertheless, claims that Labour have indeed transfigured their long-term fortunes within a few short weeks are more than a little presumptive.
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