Why do some people think Corbyn was a ‘terrifying prospect’?

[StillCuriouser]

Taking a quote from a comment made on another thread.

I am not massively engaged in politics, but from what I understand Corbyn was pro-environment, pro-public services and re-nationalisation, he was a man who lived according to his own values.
He was laughed at for riding a bike and making jam. He was accused of being anti-semitic, though I didn't see any persuasive evidence of this, and- though not wanting to engage in whataboutery- Johnson’s awful racist remarks didn’t prevent him from gaining power.

I understand that people will have disagreed with him in policy. But what about him was did people feel was “terrifying” and so beyond the pale?
If Boris was electable and Corbyn was not I feel there must be something horrific about Corbyn that I am missing?

Thanks, I guess this explains why he was so horribly unpopular within the party, and why he didn’t appeal to the working classes… but I can’t understand why they would think Eton-educated member of the Bullingdon club would be a preferable choice?

It's was hardly his doing that he born into privilege. Are only poor people allowed to be socialist?

You’ve assumed people who didn’t like Corbyn preferred Boris, but in fact plenty of us didn’t like either option. At all.

You seem to be saying you understand people disagreed with Corbyn’s policies but there’s nothing terrifying about him as a person. You’re missing the fact that for many, it is precisely his policies that were terrifying. Again, I’m not saying Boris was better.

Because I was born in the Soviet Union.

Oh, and I'm also Jewish.

Two reasons I would rather vote for the Pirates party 🏴‍☠️ than for Corbyn.

I can’t understand why they would think Eton-educated member of the Bullingdon club would be a preferable choice?

I think it's because Boris 'owns it'. He has never claimed that he isn't privileged. This is more authentic, so goes down better.

Remember that vast swathes of Mumsnet are Tory landlords.

Remember that vast swathes of Mumsnet are Tory landlords.

Are they?

he is a ridiculous idealist

he wouldn’t share a campaign platform with David Cameron during the referendum (we all know he is anti eu anyway as much of the far left are)

he voted against his own government constantly

he really belongs in the Socialist Labour Party that’s his politics but would never have a parliamentary career from doing so

what would he have done at international talks where Israeli ministers are present turn his back, wrap himself in a Palestinian flag and refuse to talk to them

but the most telling thing for me is that just a few weeks after the Brighton bombing he invited convicted IRA volunteers to a meeting in the HOP. That was utterly disgraceful colleagues had just been murdered, families had lost loved ones and the country was shaken to the core but having a cosy chat (he played no part in the peace talks) was deemed the right thing to do as apparently it had been organised before the bombing. That is who he is not a man who negotiates but a man who has set ideas and has no interest or empathy with the other side or those he perceives to be in the other side

Tory landlords 😆

obviously new to MN as every election a labour landslide has been predicted by the majority though last election it was mainly a slim win for labour

and leave didn’t stand a chance

whatever MN overwhelming predicts you can place a bet on the opposite and most likely win

At a time when I feel so thoroughly disgusted by the moral bancruptcy of the current PM it has made my question what was so horrific about Corbyn that people votes for the current car crash. That’s all.

No point asking on here....or anywhere really, you'll just get the same lines trotted out with very little evidence.

I've taken to ask 'why?' on Twitter every time I see someone write 'it would be worse under Corbyn blah blah blah' - never had a response - not once.

People say it because they are incapable of independent thought and the vast majority of the British public are dim!

How so? Most people feel sympathy for peoples being badly treated but it doesn't mean they automatically support Hamas or the IRA. But if as a politician you're seen alongside banners in these demonstrations or talking to members of these organisations, it's very easy to tie you to the same beliefs. Not a problem when you're an isolated backbencher but if you're a party leader, you open yourself up to all sorts of allegations and manipulations by the press. And that's what happened to Corbynwhich led tobeong one of the many reasons people were turned off him.

This is interesting OP , re Corbin as a ‘terrorist sympathiser’. www.theweek.co.uk/100943/fact-check-is-jeremy-corbyn-a-terrorist-sympathiser?amp

Apologists for Corbyn try to paint this as no different from Mrs Thatcher having secret talks with Sinn Fein-all part of the peace process, blah, blah.

There is of course a huge difference between the actual Prime Minister who has actual power speaking to Sinn Fein and some obscure bank bencher.

I’m with you OP. I can’t work out why he is worse than any other politician. Why is potential antisemitism worse than the racist shit BJ has come out with? JC’s accusations of antisemitism come from the meetings he has had, and support he has shown, for certain people. BJ has been very public and open with his mocking remarks. (To be clear though, I don’t think someone should be PM who has evidence of antisemitism; but I also don’t think someone who uses language like “piccannies” should be PM.)

One prominent thing on the thread that’s stood out to me is PP talking about how there was no confidence in how he’d fund anything. Looking back at the GE, he definitely did promise the world.

But I’m sure under JC leadership, labour support increased. So I don’t think he’s hated as much as he appears to be. Just that his opponents are very vocal.

I think the problem came at the election when he just started promising money to everyone and it did lead to questions of how that would all be financed

Whereas Boris Johnson's lies were swallowed whole.

But the op asked why people didn't like or didn't vote for Corbyn. His extravagant spending promises were part of people's mistrust of him. Your comment about people swallowing Boris's lies is just the same crap as people saying oh but Corbyn would be worse. Why do people always have to bring in another political party to try and make their politician sound better?

Possibly I should have said that the media were out to discredit Corby, so subjected him and his policies to the kind of scrutiny that Johnson didn't get.

What the fuck makes you think Corbyn was my politician? I was making a point of comparison. That is all.

Any decent person’s values terrify the selfish, the privileged and the morally bankrupt.

OP your question is an entirely valid and thoughtful one. As are your responses. But unfortunately evidence-based, thoughtful discussion is not what guides people, and no matter how hard you push for rational responses you won't get them.

No one will come out and say 'I just don't like the man and Labour's not for me' which is what it boils down to. I'm not a particular Corbyn fan but I cannot imagine anything he would have done in leadership that could have landed us in a worse position than we are in now.

Proof of this are the wild allegations about his privilege vs Boris's, his racism vs Boris's, the allegations that 'slippery Starmer' as a an earlier poster labelled him is just as bad ... There's no point in countering these systematically because most people are not looking for evidence-based debate. All one can do is be aware of one's own biases and prejudices and try to avoid them. Don't bother trying to call anyone else out on theirs.

Many people don’t care about Palestine, They really don’t. They care about Ukraine as they are our European brothers and there is a real chance Putin might fancy his chances at moving through Europe to us if he is not defeated in Ukraine. But Palestine is not important to the lives of the majority of Brits. And yet Jeremy Corbyn kept banging on about it. Talk about things that matter to the day to day lives of people instead!

And socialism? How’s that supposed to work? I’ve got a well paid job which is valued for its use to society, but it took years and years of hard study to qualify. If under socialism it was paid the same as a role with no professional study required at all, why would I bother? Am I merely supposed to put in the graft for the benefit of society? Because I predict that that wouldn’t work out well.

He promised a lot of things that would have been a hell of a lot more beneficial to us than the lying tories who promised a lot but only made sure the rich got richer.

corbyn is a peaceful and honourable vegan. How the hell he can be painted evil is beyond me.

I didn’t like Corbyn and wouldn’t want him as PM. I’m sure there were elements which were genuinely delightful and well-meaning, but there were many things he said and did which I felt were deeply problematic. And I say this as a left-wing Labour voter.

I felt that Corbyn enjoyed being a trouble maker and stirring things up more than he was genuinely interested in becoming PM. He seemed to thrive on deliberately taking the opposite view and just being a bit cantankerous for the sake of it. I always thought he’d have been better as a trade Union leader than an MP.

I actually voted for Corbyn but I am in such a safe Tory seat it was more of a protest vote and I knew it would make zero difference.

I think Keir Starmer is an incredibly intelligent, principled man who always tries to do the right thing. But he doesn’t go in for the kind of loud, braying politics we’re used to seeing so I don’t think he’ll ever succeed. Which is an enormous shame. Mind you, he does need to figure out what a woman is - desperately trying to please all isn’t doing him any favours.

Also for what it’s worth Boris and Co are a giant shower of cunts who are corrupt as fuck. Utterly depressing that they ever got anywhere near government.

It’s possible to deeply distrust Corbyn while also intensely disliking Boris. Lots of us felt politically homeless because we disliked both. And many still do feel politically homeless (because of the woman/GRC issue).

@Mousemat25 It’s not one or the other!! It is possible to be dismayed and horrified by what is happening in Ukraine and be proactive in supporting the effort to support Ukrainians as is equally the same to that of tribulations in Palestine and the plight of Palestinians. We are all humans and opinions like yours @Mousemat25, where people are othered, that causes issues in the first place! We should abhor any human right violations or abuse of power etc.

Please don't believe the tosh written on here.Corbyn was a deeply principled man who threw the self serving , snout in the trough nature of so many tories , into sharp relief.Thwy were threatened by that, and hence the unrelenting smear dampaign against him.

I wouldn't use the word sinister but I didn't vote labour at the last election (not that it mattered in my constituency, and spoilt my ballot knowing that) because I fundamentally disagreed with his economic policy. It was re-nationalising the post office that pushed me over the edge. I couldn't have any respect for someone who thought that would be a good use of public funds. Then him doing random things expressly for votes like offering additional public holidays with no mention of the cost to the economy, or impact on shift workers who would struggle with childcare etc, just confirmed he was throwing sweeties with no real idea what he was talking about. I do actually believe we'd be in a worse position if Corbyn had been in power over Covid. We're in a terrible position now, but if you look around the world it most definitely could be worse (and could be better).

I got accused of being Tory scum for my position. I've never voted Tory in my life, and don't think I could bring myself to.