Well, there we have it: Jeremy Corbyn has just been announced the next Labour Leader

[InTheBox]

With 59% of the vote (first round).

I've just been following the live BBC broadcast and just wanted them to get on with it.

No doubt people on both sides of the political spectrum will be overjoyed with the result.

"The whole country is swinging left "

Well not exactly - we just had a massive Tory victory. It would be more accurate to say the whole country is swinging right to be honest.

'the labour party and its supporters are swinging left and blairism is no more
that does not equate to the whole country'

I think it will and it will try to swing to UKIP as well, but a UKIP vote is wasted since the Establishment doesn't allow it any representation, so the only alternative for change is a swing to the left and Corbyn.

"The whole country is swinging left "

"Well not exactly - we just had a massive Tory victory. It would be more accurate to say the whole country is swinging right to be honest"

It would more accurate to say neither.

It wasnt a 'massive Tory victory'. They won on a 12 seat majority which is not 'massive' by any stretch of the imagination.

'Er, the centre isn't collapsing.'

Here is Andrew Marr, a left wing BBC bigwig

"Andrew Marr: British politics is broken ?? the centre cannot hold"

www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/03/andrew-marr-british-politics-broken-centre-cannot-hold

I think it's really exciting. Finally a return to parties that are actually distinguishable from each other. Finally a party leader who stands for something other than just "being in power".
Finally we might actually have real choices to make on polling day

The Murdoch empire and the Fail thrive because they give readers / viewers just what they want. They confirm the worst of prejudices and deliver up the fatty chicken nugget politics to the ignorant, instead of healthy but boring meals. They are political porn, but porn is so profitable

The BBC did so well predicting the last election, of course
You can find confirmation of any theory or prejudice via Google.

The clever bods that write statistics and stuff predicted the conservatives wouldn't get in at the last election, how wrong they were. I've stopped paying attention to the press and stats and stuff so much as you can make any statement or figure suit any agenda.

Fwiw I think the idea of Corbyn or a party that swings that far left leading the UK is horrendous and turns my stomach

"The power of social media and sites like mn are being completely dismissed but it's a different world now. Plenty of voters no longer read newspapers/watch BBC news they get their information from a much wider variety of sources"

No, the tendency of people to get their media content through social media rather than newspapers has not given people "a wider variety of sources" for God's sake--it has has the opposite effect. It has enabled people to cocoon themselves in an echo chamber where their Twitter feed and FB feed are full of people supporting their views and pouring scorn on the other side. Ultimately it is part of the reason why some of the Corbyinistas are still living in la-la land and actually believe that JC is capable of winning a GE.

Someone said it really clearly, can't remember who, but not me. To paraphrase, they said that they felt Corbyn was about 80% likely to crash and burn, 20% likely to effect real change, however, since those were the best odds they'd had in a long time, they were damned well going to take them.

I think it's really exciting. Finally a return to parties that are actually distinguishable from each other. Finally a party leader who stands for something other than just "being in power".

This, exactly. I'm quietly excited about Bernie Sanders, too. If nothing else, he and Corbyn have given people the conviction that we and government have the power to change society for the better, contrary to the intellectually corrupt consensus that the 'real world' should be run for the benefit of big business and that we the people just have to suck it up. (Quote from somebody else, btw.)

I have never seen Corbyn as a superhuman, he's an experienced politician with genuine integrity. We'd almost stopped believing they exist. I agree that many of his more OTT supporters will jump ship, but at the same time more will probably join up as they start to see what he stands for.

believe that JC is capable of winning a GE

It's unlikely he will even stand!

The Murdoch empire and the Fail thrive because they give readers / viewers just what they want. They confirm the worst of prejudices

I agree but feel that they also shape what people want, cultivate our knee jerk responses, and then pander to them.

I dunno, I suppose it comes down to how optimistic you are about the potential of humanity to rise above short term self interest.
Possibly it depends on circumstances, easier to manipulate people who are afraid of losing what they have in conditions of scarcity...that kind of thing. ??

TheNewStatesman is right. Labour convinced themselves they would win the election with their twitter campaigns and groups, but they were talking to themselves. There weren't many pensioners on their twitter campaigns and circles.

But it is also true that the mainstream media is losing readership and influence and sales. People are no longer so easily controlled by the central planning message distributed through the media. The Guardian and Polly Toynbee didn't back Corbyn, but Labour members ignored them, they understood that they were part of teh ancien regime and now we are in a new world.

BigChoc, I disagree. Murdoch & Harmsworth tell people what they want. It's a perfectly overt policy.

Rather sad that so much of our population thinks their media reflect what they want. But M & H rely on it.

Mmm anyone else old enough to remember michael foot?

The Labour Party has done what it's best at again. Looking inward and pleasing themselves when of course they forget that it's the electorate that matter not the party.

Still it's much easier being in opposition and not having to really have credible electable policies.

Once again they are pleasing their own champagne socialists and congratulating themselves and totally letting down the real poor and disadvantaged in the country who will again turn to UKIP or return the Tories as their representatives at the next election.

Shame on them.

' have never seen Corbyn as a superhuman, he's an experienced politician with genuine integrity.'

I like Corbyn and his sincerity but I think we are going to see his weaknesses soon. Is he really up to the job the people have tasked him with? I don't know him enough and haven't seen enough of him, but I am beginning to think that his weakness will be touchiness and an inability to hold it together under pressure. He didn't do the Andrew Marr interview today and they put Tom Watson up instead and apparently he may not do all the PMQs. Andrew Marr asked "is he frit?" and I hope he isn't but fear that he may be. The Tories will wind him up and if he can't take it then he will blow it all because the people want to see someone who can take the heat and stick it to them (just like Farage can).

I don't know if Corbyn can do it. I hope he can.

The internet allows us to get out of a coccoon which is why you have Thatcherites and dry Tories like I am on the thread happy to commune with left wing labour supporters. It is all to the good.

He admitted that Hamas should be our friends, are you all ok with that?

And that Labour didn't spend enough when last in power?

Oh yes and he's a public school boy too just like Cameron. Working class principals my arse. All chatter and self congratulation and no sensible credible affordable policies. No real understanding of the issues of the vast swathes of their natural voters who are worried about immigration, school places, NHS, jobs. The winners here are UKIP and the Tories.

Absolutely fucking ridiculous.

Corbyn has got so many positions that are against the mainstream that the Tories will have an easy time having a go at him. Can he handle it or will he lack the courage to deviate from the politically correct response the Tories will force him to give? If he can't do it, then he is toast.

Farage was under exactly the same pressure on different issues, but Farage had teh guts to take them on and stick it to them which is why he survived the media onslaught and won 4 million votes.

Corbyn is going to face a media onslaught aqnd a Tory wind-up campaign which will be easy to do given his non-mainstream views. Will he chicken out and throw the towel in?

I often think politics is about 20 years behind. in this case I think it's more like 5 - which is an improvement ha ha - but we really needed a proper left wing candidate like Corbyn in the election just gone.

I find Cameron's comments about danger utterly stupid.

I was talking to my mum - at 40, I've only ever felt like there were 2 realistic options to choose from so I would like the Labour Party to split and make it 3. In my age group, most election choices have been right and right-lite.

(poor mum then said "stop reminding me how old I am, I've had loads of realistic 3 party options") Lol.

PS I really hope he does change the nature of PMQs. All the bluff and buster is such a waste of time.

I should probably add - I'm not a Labour Party member, nor do I think Corbyn is some sort of saviour. I'm just relieved to see change and an expansion of options.

Foot was going to win, Hello. The SDP breakaway, supported by Goldsmith I believe, was timed to undermine a Labour victory. It worked. The breakaways, however, saw Foot as a far weaker candidate than Healey and voted for him before leaving. They were probably right that Healey would've put up a stronger opposition.

Foot and Corbyn are similar in their idealism & pacifism, among other things. But Corbyn's much more connected with ordinary people.