Jeremy Corbyn holds one of the most unenviable positions on the planet. As leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition, his term has been characterised by several successive blunders, which have prevented him from mounting a credible opposition. As leader of the Labour Party, he faces an internal mutiny that has irrevocably damaged his stature.
Within his parliamentary caucus, he represents a minority faction since the majority of Labour MPs have expressed a vote of no confidence in his leadership. Thus, he seems to be leading an opposition on two fronts.
His attitude during the Brexit referendum has further exacerbated his lack of credibility. The Labour Party’s lacklustre campaign, Corbyn’s refusal to appear alongside David Cameron and his seemingly insincere support for the Remain camp have undoubtedly caused some damage to his image.
Furthermore, the Labour Party’s message to vote for Britain to remain part of the European Union seems to have been lost in several working class constituencies, which voted overwhelmingly to leave.
His track record puts in doubt his ability to connect with voters both in Labour’s traditional constituencies and with undecided voters.
Following a mass resignation from the shadow cabinet, Corbyn’s leadership has been challenged by Owen Smith, a former shadow secretary of state for work and pensions. Smith may find himself campaigning for a poisoned chalice. His bid has, so far, failed to excite both pundits and supporters.
Within the Labour Party’s grassroots, Corbyn enjoys widespread support and the chances of him being re-elected are high. In contrast, his authority within his parliamentary group seems to be non-existent. The forthcoming leadership election will likely lead to further blood-letting within a party that seems hopelessly divided and unelectable.
Yet, there is one element which, if not dealt with effectively, might have widespread irrevocable implications to the wider political debate.
Prolonged internal clashes and conflicts are all detrimental to democracy
The Labour Party is now dealing with what the British media has described as a full-blown ‘row’ over anti-Semitism. The former mayor of London and left-wing stalwart, Ken Livingston, claimed that Hitler was a Zionist and supported a Jewish homeland before “going mad” and killing six million Jews. Livingston was subsequently suspended from the Labour Party.
His comments came in the wake of another embarrassing incident where one Labour MP compared Israel’s policies to those of Nazi Germany and suggested that Israel relocates to the United States. The MP has also since been suspended.
Corbyn himself had to withdraw some remarks made in 2009 when he had described Hamas and Hezbollah as “friends.” He attempted to deal with the anti-Semitic climate by commissioning an inquiry to draft a report on the situation. The report urged MPs to reject all use of abusive language and to refrain from using “Hitler, Nazi and Holocaust metaphors, distortions and comparisons in debates about Israel-Palestine”.
However, at the launch of the report, Corbyn said that “our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organisations”. This comment provoked widespread condemnation from various groups that believed Corbyn was equating the actions of the State of Israel with those of Islamic State.
During the same launch, Ruth Smeeth, a Jewish Labour MP was accused of colluding with the media by an activist of the hard left. Smeeth left in tears and reproached Corbyn for not intervening. She later called for his resignation.
Unfortunately, such sentiments are not limited to Corbyn’s Labour Party. Anti-Semitism remains prevalent in large parts of the world. Indeed, it is still common for some people to refer to Zionist conspiracies or to blame Israel indiscriminately for several woes or even to question the veracity of the Holocaust. If political institutions fail to counter such sentiments effectively they risk turning such stomach-churning sentiments into acceptable prejudices.
Prolonged internal clashes and conflicts are all detrimental to democracy. At this key juncture of British political and constitutional development, the Labour Party and its elected representatives are proving to be inept at carrying out their constitutional mandate to be an effective opposition. These developments do not bode well for its future.
andre.deb@gmail.com
André P. DeBattista holds degrees in public policy and international relations.