The commentators 18-09-15...on the Labour partyTo some, the new politics may look like it resides entirely in the domain of old-style socialists and rightwing nationalists with a curious attachment to totalitarian regimes. What you don’t understand is that the leaders of the new politics are a wholly new phenomenon because they are in fact a popular uprising against the sickening hegemony of globally-minded moderates. The new politics is about harnessing the energy of those who want a better society just like Tony Blair and Barack Obama did, but obviously not like them at all. The new politics smashes the tired old Westminster model consensus. The new politics is for all those who never gave up on the old ideas. The new politics is on its way. The new politics never left. There is no such thing as the new politics
- Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times What has the Labour Party come to — that great movement of patriotic working people, founded on Christian principles of fellowship between men — if its leader thinks it acceptable to choose such a man as John McDonnell (above) to shadow one of Britain’s three greatest offices of state?
- Tom Utley, Daily Mail Corbyn has already, under duress, proclaimed his love of the those parts of the country he regards as just. He is happier, though, lamenting that it is too class-bound, not far enough along the Marxist historical trajectory for his liking. It must be hard for him to be confronted with choices after so long in the comfort zone. Can you really govern a nation whose anthem you would rather not sing? It is a disconcerting sight to watch a man uncomfortably saying nothing but who claims he wants to speak for the nation - Philip Collins, The Times
The Labour party is not best understood as an old-fashioned struggle of left and right. It is better to see Labour as a permanently unresolved engagement between competing traditions. The three most important of these traditions are ethical socialism, labourism, and social democracy. The first emphasises the kind of person you wish to be, the second the kind of person you represent, and the third the kind of thing you seek to win support to do. Most Labour MPs of modern times are a mix of the second and third traditions. But it is no accident, as the more doctrinaire Marxists say, that Jeremy Corbyn’s roots are in the first and second traditions, and not in the third
- Martin Kettle, The Guardian As Corbyn’s been leader for five days now, the Press are calming down a bit. By tomorrow headlines will only say things like, “Cor-Bin Laden will force pets to be Muslim”, followed by an interview with 89-year-old Vera, who says: “It’s not fair because my hamster’s scared of burqas. That’s the last time I’ll vote Labour.”
- Mark Steel, The Independent Corbyn needs to get to grips with the mainstream media. Shunning Andrew Marr and the Sun is not a strategy that will lead to electoral success.
But the Press, too, must rethink. If people are offended by Corbyn's singalong choices or dress sense, it is fair that they are reported. If his oratory leaves something to be desired, it is fair that that, too, is commented upon. But let's get this into perspective. Those are side issues; the first job of the Press is to report the news, so when a new leader makes his first important setpiece speech, it would be good if newspapers told us what he said rather than what they thought - Editor's blog: All singing from the wrong hymn sheet Comment Awards, 2015Thursday 17 September, 2015 The Financial Times and The Times again lead the way in this year's ei Comment Awards, with eleven nominations apiece in the shortlists announced today.
Sathnam Sanghera is responsible for four of those Times nominations - featuring in the media commentator, diversity, technology and individual comment piece categories. Freelance Yomi Adegoke who founded Birthday Magazine for black teenage girls, is among four writers shortlisted in two categories - in her case young commentariat and media commentator. George Monbiot of the Guardian completes the media line-up and is also nominated as science commentator and Gillian Tett of the FT is listed in both business and economics. Her colleague Janan Ganesh is shortlisted for political commentator and the big prize - commentariat of the year, where he is up against the two most recent winners David Aaronovitch (also nominated for comment piece of the year) and Caitlin Moran. SubScribe is honoured and surprised to find a place on the individual blogger shortlist, and fully expects to come third behind Barrister Blogger Matthew Scott and Stuart Forster of Go-eat-Do. You can see all the shortlists here. Comment archive, 2015 |
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