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?

Or could it be that anything that he was doing was never mentioned in mainstream media who have their specific favourites and he was just portrayed as a fumbling old man?

medium.com/@sararoseofficial/everything-i-never-wanted-to-have-to-know-about-labour-and-antisemitism-649b5bc1e576

I was speaking to an anaesthetist consultant last night who had good opinions about stramer. It was based on looking at the history of his experiences and what he had managed and various examples of his impact. His CV is work horse, practical etc.

I don't know much about him and am not a Labour supporter (greens generally) but we need strategic practical thinkers in politics. I don't think either Boris nor Corbyn are.

Essentially the nhs is an absolute priority from his pov and that's who he felt was currently able to understand.

Unfortunately idealists preferred Corbyn and so smear stramer.

There are some extremist factions, some of them very nasty people, in the Labour party and people didn't trust Corbyn to keep them at bay,

People just didn't trust Corbyn.

People did trust Boris.

Corbyn was on record as being anti-EU for many years and then suddenly switched to being pro-EU around the referendum.

Corbyn called Hamas "his friends".

Corbyn invited two convicted IRA bombers to the House of Commons as his guests, and attended an IRA funeral where he said that he was happy to commemorate those who died fighting for an independent Ireland.

I've absolutely no idea why he was ever allowed to become Labour leader, it was an absolutely crazy decision that will take years to remedy. People will not vote for a party where there are people like Corbyn in positions of power.

Or could it be that anything that he was doing was never mentioned in mainstream media who have their specific favourites and he was just portrayed as a fumbling old man?

The media do rule image; at the same time when politics in the U.K. swings too far to the right it takes centrism to help claw it back. Which is how Blair got in. And then how Cameron got in.

Though the details Florenz lists demonstrate he's wasn't a fumbling old man.

Being Magic Grandad same as being A Good Laugh does not qualify you for being PM. If people had had a credible alternative to Corbyn Labour, I'm sure they would have voted for it. Not saying the Tories wouldn't have won last time but it wouldn't have been 80 seats.

In 2019 I didn't vote for Corbyn nor Johnson.

For those of you who voted Corbyn and know and appreciate his political strategies can I ask how do you think he would have dealt with the current Ukraine/Russia war? I think he is a pacifist so do you think he would have taken a more neutral stance?

He is too far to the left. He wanted to scrap trident - would that really have been a good thing to have done given the current situation with Russia? I’m in no doubt what do ever that he would have cut our armed forces which would leave us like sitting ducks. I didn’t like John McDonnell at all because of some of the things he was coming out with in the lead up to the election and he would have been in Corbyn’s government (this was one of the main reasons I didn’t vote for Corbyn). These are just some of the reasons. Do I think Boris did a good job? No I don’t but I don’t think Corbyn would have been any better either. I like the current Labour Party more because they are more centre left.

I'm not sure I liked Corbyn. I think he is humourless, charmless, and heavily redolent of the 'Loony Left' which hugely turned-off voters in the 80s. He's not precisely a 'bright' man. Whether or not he is anti-Semitic - I think it's unlikely - he dealt with the issue very poorly. He was doggedly protective of people like Diane Abbott who has been a good MP, by and large, but doesn't belong in a Cabinet. He had an upsetting fondness for baker boy caps which made him look like Antony Sher in 'The History Man'.

I voted for him twice, with little hesitation.

How is starmer worse?

Working class, his parents worked in a factory and as a nurse. Starmer got himself into grammar school and worked in a factory himself to get through Uni. Working class poor people are allowed to become lawyers you know.

It was a while back but didn’t many MPs want him to leave at one point, presumably they knew he was not a good idea but he was too stubborn to go

The 1922 has a system for NC vote not sure what Labour’s version is

You are having a hard time OP, very unjustly IMHO. I was no fan of Corbyn but the criticisms he received were certainly OTT in the light of the last PM. Over-spending policies, racism, terrorist group supporter, all can equally be levelled at the other side. Corbyn would not have been a good leader but by no means disastrous.

Racist, anti-semite, supporter of terrorists who put adherence to ideology above all else.

And also not very competent.

Corbyn wouldn’t engage with, or take a stand on, the (huge) issue of the day which was Brexit. How a party leader could just stand aside on an issue which would permanently change the course of the country’s history was beyond me.

The choice, between him and Boris, was a no-win as they were both appalling.

I think for a lot of people it could have been a case of better the devil you know. Corbyn didn't seem to have any idea how to finance all his grand plans and he would say whatever he thought would get him a vote. Corbyn talked a good talk, he's pretty good in a debate but there wasn't much substance there so perhaps people felt the tories were a safer pair of hands. Plus after the IRA stuff and antisemitism came out he lost a lot of support.

I disliked both of them equally so i voted on local issues.

He met and supported with representatives of terrorism in NI and was anti semitic.

I think there was a moral panic and smear campaign when it became apparent in the early days of his leadership that he was very popular and could actually take power. This would have been disastrous for billionaires, big business and so on, so they threw the kitchen sink at stopping it.

And now Labour is led by a damp dishcloth instead.

Labour, under Corbyn, increased their vote in the 2017 election (though they still lost). There is an interesting graphic here.
yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2017/06/22/how-did-2015-voters-cast-their-ballot-2017-general

Labour grabbed quite a few votes from the Greens and the Lib Dems - but a lot more from people who voted Tory in 2015.

Corbyn gets the credit for this but ISTM another leader would have got more and would have won that election for Labour.

OP is new at Glavset.

You’re really not fooling anyone with the wide eyed dismay at Capitalism. But assuming for a second that you are genuine, perhaps look into what socialism looks like in reality. Not sure a debate on MN will give you the whole picture when your question is so incredibly basic.

@Parkperson00 I believe Queen Elizabeth School in Barnet, North London is a state school. I have no idea if Corbyn's children went there though or if that is the school you mean.

As pp said, evidence shows elements of socialism are extremely effective, as shown in the Nordic model- free childcare and public transport etc. why do Tories talk about socialism with such horror as if everyone agrees it’s a terrible thing? When under this government the vast majority of the population are not experiencing any of the supposed benefits of capitalism; that’s just for a few rich people whose wealth has grown massively through the pandemic when nearly everyone else has lost business, food banks have had to open up all over, the NHS is being dangerously neglected, schools are having to pay for repairs through fundraisers, parents, and it’s usually the mothers taking the hit, can’t afford child care and sacrifice their careers and pensions. The obvious solution is more public spending and that includes sorting out the management of the nhs so spending is done effectively. All the privatisation makes a business out of public need where the top dogs get all the money and prioritise themselves, not the people who need and are entitled to the services. The state of the NHS and transport is evidence that this does not work!

Yet you’re not giving anything away are you. Why direct someone to look it up when you’re clearly so knowledgeable; please enlighten us!

To answer your question, OP I have no idea why he was a terrifying prospect. He's been a MP since 1983 and popular in his constituency so presumably not that awful.