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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Jeremy Corbyn is a spineless wimp

87 replies

Dongdingdong · 03/12/2018 18:18

As everyone will know, Theresa May has challenged Jeremy Corbyn to a televised debate on Brexit. According to Sky News, Downing Street accepted a proposal to screen the debate on the BBC at 8pm on Sunday December 9th.

The BBC's plan would see both leaders take questions from a panel, including commentators and other politicians, as well as debating each other - which to me, sounds like an eminently sensible proposal.

However, Corbyn has proved to be reticent, not only challenging the choice of channel, saying he'd prefer the debate to take place on ITV (with no good reason at all, as far as I can see).

He then said he didn't want any interaction from other people - just a one-on-one debate with Theresa May. I don't get this at all - surely, in the spirit of democracy, the more voices and different opinions that are allowed to be aired, the better!

AIBU to think it's coming across as though he just doesn't have the nerve to stand up and debate on prime time TV, and is just trying to slither out of the whole situation by making ridiculously lame excuses? What is he so afraid of?

OP posts:
EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 03/12/2018 22:34

Like I said I am not defending her

He has always been difficult his actions during the referendum were pathetic not sharing a platform win Cameron Hmm

RedWineIsFabulous · 03/12/2018 22:38

< gets hard hat>

I think that JC is utterly useless.
Help us all if there’s ever him, Abbott and McDonnell running the show.
As for PM questions, TM wipes the floor with him ( you never see those bits on the BBC, which incidentally is as left wing bias as anything ). You only have to watch the news to see that.

Nat6999 · 03/12/2018 22:40

What's the point of a TV debate when TM will just continue spouting her none answers that her deal is the only deal. Having just seen the headlines that the Tories are going to be investigated for contempt for withholding information on the legality of the laws surrounding Brexit, she might not be in power by next Sunday.

BishopBrennansArse · 03/12/2018 22:41

PM questions is hilarious as she is utterly incapable of answering a straight question anyway

BishopBrennansArse · 03/12/2018 22:43

@Nat6999 they've been saying that for yonks but still she clings on like skiddies in the pan...

user1468942365 · 03/12/2018 22:48

He's not spineless. He's too far into believing his own hype for that. Believes his own charisma. Is a danger to the party.
Who said 'socialism is a great policy until you run out of someone else's money?'

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 03/12/2018 22:52

It was Thatcher

Nat6999 · 03/12/2018 22:53

BishopBrennansArse If she slithers out of this one then we will know she is truly teflon. If it is proven then it's even more proof that her deal is bent.

SillySallySingsSongs · 03/12/2018 22:54

Having just seen the headlines that the Tories are going to be investigated for contempt for withholding information on the legality of the laws surrounding Brexit, she might not be in power by next Sunday.

Not quite. There is a motion to debate it. It is also the Attorney General who is in 'trouble' not necessarily the PM.

Walkingdeadfangirl · 03/12/2018 22:59

Treezylover: do you literally just wait for anti-Corbyn posts?
Yes, because he is a spineless wimp that unfortunately has been given the power to potentially cause havoc in the UK.

voting 500 times against your own party is really ‘doing nothing’
Ok not literally nothing, it does involve him walking down a corridor and back. Go Corbyn. Confused

everythingisginandroses · 03/12/2018 23:05

All I want for Christmas is Corbyn for PM.

SillySallySingsSongs · 03/12/2018 23:07

All I want for Christmas is Corbyn for PM.

That's what I don't want for Christmas.

Bluntness100 · 03/12/2018 23:10

Turning it around, why won't May accept the ITV proposition?

Becayse she set the challenge, it's up to him if he accepts or not.

I suspect he is worried about unfair bias from audience members. Although clearly it doesn't bode well for a man who claims to wish to be prime minister not to wish to appear on the bbc.

Teresa May has also gained in confidence, and as Corbyn has admitted he hadn't even read the Brexit agreement, I suspect it will be hard for him to be well schooled enough to take the debate, he may well show his ignorance. In addition he doesn't have another solution, quite fancies leaving, and probably knows rhe impact of leaving with no deal. So he's a bit fucked really.

However he's an excellent rabble rousing back bencher, that's where he should have stayed, taking a full on debate and handling Teresa May and audience members where he can't just shout it's all shit, is going to be problematic for him. And clearly he knows it.

Bluntness100 · 03/12/2018 23:11

All I want for Christmas is Corbyn for PM

Sad times for you then, I'd think of something else to ask santa for...🤣

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 03/12/2018 23:14

Yes I saw Corbyn admitting he hasn’t read the agreement wtf Blair or Brown would have stayed up hours to read it through

MeredithGrey1 · 03/12/2018 23:21

Maybe he’s hoping that if he’s difficult enough about it they’ll scrap the whole pointless idea. No one will learn anything they don’t already know, and as much as I don’t like the deal, debating the finer points of whether or not labour could have got a better one is a total waste of time because they don’t have to negotiate with each other, one of them has to negotiate with the EU, and as far as the EU is concerned they’re done negotiating.
If Corbyn wanted to remain then that would be different, but a debate about whether the deal should be different (when the EU have already said it won’t be) is a pissing match.

That said, I’m not really overly critical of Labour’s general position. They can’t support a hard brexit (because they’re not idiots), they can’t really support remain (because the referendum was to leave) and they can’t support the government’s deal because they’re the opposition and scrutinising what the government does is quite literally their job (and because it’s looking like a bad deal and if it all goes tits up they want to be able to say it was nothing to do with them). It’s also exactly the same position the Tories would be taking if the situation were reversed.

Bluntness100 · 03/12/2018 23:22

And it's a long agreement, 500 odd pages of small text. It's going to be hard for him to not just read it, but learn it and understand it enough to debate its merits and articulate why it's not suitable and then compare it to the effect of no deal.

I also suspect Teresa May knows this. Hence her challenge. She knows it and she can debate its merits. She knows he doesn't and can't.

That's why she's challenging and he's squirming. As she likely knew he would.

Walkingdeadfangirl · 04/12/2018 00:47

Maybe if he had a better education he would have been able to actually read and understand the EU/UK Brexit agreement, as it is he will be at a disadvantage during an intellectual debate. Maybe Diane Abbot will explain what it all means to him. LOL LOL LOL

"I am a politician, GET ME OUT OF HERE"

thegreatbeyond · 04/12/2018 04:00

'cause havoc in the UK'?

Do you follow the news? TM is managing this noble feat by herself...

FunkyKingston · 04/12/2018 05:05

or that he wasn't at an inappropriate wreath laying ceremony

I'm no great fan of Corbyn, but being inappropriate at a wreath laying ceremony would involve him doing pissing up against the cenotaph whilst singing the Horst-Wessel-Liedm 'Wearing a coat in cold weather' is hardly inappropriate or a calculated insult to the war dead.

Dorsetdays · 04/12/2018 06:29

And it's a long agreement, 500 odd pages of small text. It's going to be hard for him to not just read it, but learn it and understand it enough to debate its merits and articulate why it's not suitable and then compare it to the effect of no deal

Jees...think that pretty much sums up why this country would go to absolute rat sh*t if he ever got in. It’s his JOB to read and understand it although to be fair Labour aren’t exactly known for their attention to detail and accurate figures are they?! Hmm

SillySallySingsSongs · 04/12/2018 06:34

Wearing a coat in cold weather' is hardly inappropriate or a calculated insult to the war dead.

That wasn't what I was referring to. More ocassions where he was there but not participating.

Ryderryder · 04/12/2018 07:52

I presume you didn't vote for Theresa May than op?

Ryderryder · 04/12/2018 07:56

Maybe you are refering to Nadine Dorries with you I'm a....
After all age keep eitrwring in about the seal being rubbish as we don't get a voice in Europe. Well isn't that rather the point of Brexit
.FWIW I voted remain and hated TM but actually she has gone up in my estimation.

Ryderryder · 04/12/2018 07:57

Wittering on about the deal

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