Jeremy Corbyn

I’m starting to think Corbyn is some genius satirical plan by Chris Morris.

He’s being interviewed by Andrew Neil on BBC1. My 13 year old daughter has a firmer handle on the economics and principles of the EU.

He’s like some bloke disinterestedly rambling about it in the pub. He thinks getting out of the EU will allow a labour government to get involved in the state funding and intervention of certain industries. The 70’s just phoned Jezza. They want their policies back…

Can you hear that noise? That’s the sound of Kier Starmer smashing his face repeatedly into his desk

I do now actually believe he’s a Tory stooge

He’s like some bloke disinterestedly rambling about it in the pub.

Don’t agree. He seems fairly composed to me.

When you’re asked to score enthusiasm out of 10 to know things are grave.

He seems fairly composed to me.

That’s what I thought. Measured answers. Willing to admit there are unknowns. No soundbites or quick fixes.

“Willing to admit there are unknowns.”

I respect that in Politicians.

Willing to admit there are unknowns?

The whole thing is a ****ing mahoosive unknown!

But then he’s already written Theresa a blank cheque, so I don’t suppose anything he has to say is of much relevance. Which given that he had absolutely nothing whatsoever to say is probably just as well

The whole thing is a ****ing mahoosive unknown

Yes but which politician of any pursuasion would ever say that? Or anything like that – they would come across as hysterical, and have their faces projected on to the moon or a turnip by the Sun.

All politicians are subject to a fine line of dialogue aren’t they? They can’t really express themselves like we can.

Only a few MPs ever get close – Dennis Skinner / George Galloway spring to mind, and we’ve seen what the newspapers do to them.

Both Brexiteers too.

I have heard Sturgeon when asked a difficult complex question say ( I paraphrase) ” Thats a very difficult question with no easy answers, my personal instinct is this, we will have to consult with experts and formulate a policy as a party”

Perciliar article written by JC here:
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/jeremy-corbyn-there-is-an-alternative-to-bargain-basement-brexit-1-8465486

On the one hand I agree with a lot of the content. On the other it doesn’t sound like he’s written it – It contains stuff he’s hardly managed to mention in PMQs – i.e. an actual rebuttal of May’s “Bankrupt Britain” line.

Maybe he has written it – and that’s why it’s like a brain dump.
Full of errors that should have been picked up by a profreader too.
“But there is no evidence of that whatever”
“Other of our goals”
It’s a bit hyphen-happy too.

Given Corby’s stated opinions in that piece, his determination to enforce a three line whip to ensure that the labour party, waves the government through to do the complete opposite of what he wants, is even more inexplicable.

Or maybe I’m looking for clarity from someone who just doesn’t do clarity, especially not on Europe

I can see that he wanted to honour the result of the referendum.
Also – if he’d have said ‘we’ll block a tory brexit’ but if we get into power we’ll brexit safely for you’, he would have got absolutely nowhere.
This fight was lost last spring. Cameron is initially to blame. Then the EU for not throwing him a bone in his ‘negotiations’. Now May is going to use it to bleed everyone dry.

Thing is, I’m still no clearer what Corbyn is for. I know he’s against nuclear, and at odds with most of his colleagues but I haven’t seen a passionate vision from him on anything. He seems to treat the possible break up of the union as an academic exercise, is nominally pro Europe but also anti. and is clear he wants to hold the government to account despite doing the complete opposite for over a year.

Thing is, I’m still no clearer what Corbyn is for.

Thats you, me, and everyone else then

He is pro;
Making jam. Sugar free, obviously , as he’s totally anti-sugar on health grounds.
Taking a day in lieu if he takes a phone call on a Sunday.
Motorbike holidays.
Grey shell suits.
Stem angles.
His magnificent manhooddate.

But of course, whenever he’s on TV he’s only asked about Trident, Shoot-to-kill, Anti-semitism, etc. So it’s no surprise that you don’t know what they are.

CFH – you missed out manhole covers – or was that your last one?

So if zero hour contracts are banned, what will the new higher limit be? 1hr? 10hr? 37hr?

Isn’t Ken the one re manhole covers? And Hitler, obviously.

PS: Alex can you link to those policies on a more reliable source, like the Labour Party website for instance?

You forgot the last bullet point

• The planting of more magic money trees

You forgot the last bullet point

• The planting of more magic money trees

Quite. Besides, “a green economy creating a million jobs” isn’t a policy, it’s pie in the sky waffle. I could just as easily say that I’ll create a pie economy creating ONE BILLION jobs.

Kick profit makers out of our* NHS? Really? Where does the line get drawn? Diesel in an ambulance, only from a state petrol station? Medical devices? No, you can’t have any profit for your company, employees or product development, we only pay cost. Or buy from a state owned medical device manufacturer. Silly pie in the sky waffle, not a policy.

*Please would politicians stop this? It’s the NHS. Saying our every time you say NHS doesn’t make it any more important than it already is. Nor does it mean you can lay claim to it any more than anyone else.

Afaik neither the Labour Party nor the Conservative Party have issued a manifesto since the 2015 GE.
Both parties have begun the Policy Forum process that is meant to form a manifesto leading up the 2020 GE.

The source material for the JC policies (which is the question asked) was from the Jeremy Corbyn Leadership campaign last summer.

http://www.jeremyforlabour.com/policies

“The source material for the JC policies (which is the question asked) was from the Jeremy Corbyn Leadership campaign last summer.”

The leader doesn’t dictate policy, it has to be agreed with the party. I would question if anything on that list is current policy.

…but I’m still interested in what people think the minimum legal contract working hours should be.

It’s not the number of hours – it’s the denial of a contract to those that seek it.
i.e. Currently all the benefits of zero-hours contracts are with the employer.

So you need something in place to prevent workers from being exploited. e.g. if you’ve worked X hours a week for Y weeks on zero-hours, then you should be offered a contract/permanent position.
i.e. go from the status of ‘worker’ to ’employee’.

Last time I heard, over 30% of people on zero hours contracts work 30 hours a week or more.

(Ed Milliband proposed that Y=12 weeks)

“It’s not the number of hours – it’s the denial of a contract to those that seek it.
i.e. Currently all the benefits of zero-hours contracts are with the employer.
So you need something in place to prevent workers from being exploited. e.g. if you’ve worked X hours a week for Y weeks on zero-hours, then you should be offered a contract/permanent position.
i.e. go from the status of ‘worker’ to ’employee’.
Last time I heard, over 30% of people on zero hours contracts work 30 hours a week or more.
(Ed Milliband proposed that Y=12 weeks)”

So after zero hour contracts have been abolished, zero hours contracts will still be available and perfectly legal.

Interesting use of the word ‘abolish’.

So do you want them to stay?
Do you like the proposal?
Or are you just trying to score points?

I was in the pub with a Government Mandarin the other day who is leaving to pastures new, so was slighly indiscreet. He said they don’t even bother preparing Ministers for Labour front bench questions anymore as they are an irrelvance, they focus on the SNP and backbenchers.

I think anyone who didn’t know who anyone was, watching PMQ’s, would come away with the impression that the SNP were definitely the official opposition, and the bumbling bloke, mumbling into the despatch box, never once looking up from the notes he’s clearly reading word for word, was just the stand-in representative from some fringe lefty group.

For the last 12 months, the only MP’s Theresa May has had to worry about are either Scottish, or sat behind her. Its a tragedy for democracy really. Good job theres not much of any importance going on, that really, really needs an effective opposition to keep in check eh?

So do you want them to stay?

Yes.

As I understand it, it used to be that workers didn’t require a contract. So casual workers just didn’t bother with a contract and so zero hours contracts didn’t exist. Then some legislation changed (was it the working hours rules?) and everyone had to have a contract by law. Because of that casual workers needed contracts, but they stated 0 hours.

So now, if contracts are legally required, but you don’t want to ban casual work altogether then you have to pick a minimum.

What minimum do you pick? Make minimum contracts 1 minute? 1 hour? 16 hours? 37 hours?

So yeah I want 0 hours contracts to remain legal. …and I’m willing to bet that when Corbyn sits down and thinks about it for more than 60 seconds he will understand the problem and he will too.

Kick profit makers out of the NHS. So no;

Medicines or Medical Equipment

Shall I go on ?

oob – I’ll rephrase. Do you want the balance of employer/worker rights and advantages to stay as they are with regard to employer responsibilities for people currently working under zero hour contracts?

Kick profit makers out of the NHS. So no;

Medicines or Medical Equipment

Shall I go on ?

You’ve already missed the point, so don’t bother.

Extra clue: nobody will actually “kick” anybody or anything – it’s a figure of speech.

i.e. Currently all the benefits of zero-hours contracts are with the employer.

Not entirely true. I have a second job and am on a zero hours contract. I only work 13-15 days a year for this second job and it works brilliantly for me, and employer also.

I get some some extra play money occasionally and my secondary employer can fill in the occasional need in a niche market.

That’s not to say some people are being screwed over on zero hours minimum wage. What could perhaps work better was to state that zero hours contracts must be supplied at least 2x minimum wage…

– it’s a figure of speech.

No, it’s one of “Jeremy Corbyn’s Policies”. Says so at the top of the list.

What could perhaps work better was to state that zero hours contracts must be supplied at least 2x minimum wage…

Yes, I was thinking along those lines too. That’s what would happen in a contracter vs employee role in my industry. No reason why it shouldn’t apply at the bottom of the scale too. Doesn’t necessarily have to be 2x, but for me, the balance is currently wrong.

“it’s a figure of speech.”

“I’ll rephrase.”

jonnyboi was right.

Corbyn was the only one with policies in the leadership contests. You can pretend otherwise (and yes he has turned out crap) but its the truth.