The socialist Jeremy Corbyn, who led Labour to its worst election defeat since 1935, says his party will be the “resistance” to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In his New Year’s Eve address, Jeremy Corbyn said: “2019 has been quite the year for our country and for our labour movement. And now we are not just entering a new year, but a new decade. And the period ahead could not be more important.”
Mr Corbyn declared that Labour has “built a movement. We are the resistance to Boris Johnson.”
“We will be campaigning every day. We will be on the frontline, both in Parliament and on the streets.
“Protecting our public services. Protecting healthcare free at the point of use. Protecting our communities, in all their brilliant diversity.
“And standing up for internationalism, global solidarity, and co-operation, and working with movements and parties seeking social justice and change all over the world.
“And make no mistake, our movement is very strong. We are half a million people and growing. We are in every region and nation of our country.”
The far-leftist concluded: “The fight continues. There is no other choice.”
Despite claims that the Labour movement is “strong”, just two weeks ago Labour experienced its worst electoral defeat since 1935, with the Boris Johnson-led Conservative Party winning an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons — the largest Conservative majority since Margaret Thatcher was returned to the lower house in 1987.
Further putting into question how effective this “resistance” movement will be is exemplified by the Conservative wins in the working-class northern region known as the “Red Wall”, a traditionally Labour voting bloc that turned Tory Blue in reaction to the progressive-liberal Labour Party betraying the heartland.
Voters rejected Labour’s anti-Brexit stance and did not believe the party could deliver on socialist programmes such as mass nationalisation of utilities and free broadband, and instead voted for the Conservatives in what has been an extraordinary political realignment of the working class.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said after the election results were announced that he was “humbled” that Labour voters lent him their support, saying: “I, and we, will never take your support for granted. I will make it my mission to work night and day, flat out, to prove you right in voting for me this time and to earn your support in the future. In this election, your voice has been heard, and about time, too.”
Jeremy Corbyn is set to step down as leader in the spring. Political commentators have suggested that it could take ten years for Labour to recover from its swing to the far-left — itself a reaction to the globalist-liberal politics of Tony Blair. Rather than finding a new leader who will work to reclaim those working-class Brexiteers, the socialist movement Momentum is grooming Corbyn acolyte Rebecca Long-Bailey as the 70-year-old’s replacement.
Pledges from the Salford and Eccles MP such as her wish to revive “progressive patriotism and solidarity in a form fit for modern Britain” are likely not to resonate with the heartlands, pointing to Labour remaining on the “resistance” backbench for quite some time.
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