Why everything is now different – the Sneerage Coefficient is off the scale.

By life-long Labour Party supporter,

Jim Moores

I have been a Labour Party member for 35 years. I almost left when Blair took us to war with Iraq on a lie.

I have never been to the Party conference and in recent years saw no reason to do so given that no front bench Labour MPS were offering anything different and the whole conference seemed to be a bland, stage managed affair – not quite as bad as the Tories’ marketing exercise which is their excuse for membership engagement.

I have pounded the streets for decades (on and off) and got absolutely sick of trying to convince decent working class people that what Labour offered was different to the Tories while at that very moment our Parliamentary “leaders” were cozying up to corporations and milking their power for all it was worth. Blair and Mandelson have made themselves a nice, comfortable, even rich existence out of “serving” the people. And both Blair and Mandelson have sneered at the pathetic Labour membership and have even suggested we get new hearts.

But this time I thought, “it feels different”, even before Corbyn won the leadership contest. So I booked my place, not as a constituency delegate but as an ordinary member. I wanted to be there to see history made – and history was made. Indeed everyone there felt it, speakers and delegates alike. From all sides the sneerage coefficient could be discerned, by all of us. Inside the conference the mood was fantastically upbeat; outside, in the mainstream media, we were all at war with each other.

How do I know that it is different this time? Because of the Tories and the stream of bile they have been pouring out. Despite all of the attacks against him, Jeremy Corbyn – and John McDonnell and other supporters – has stayed calm, respectful and has answered every charge thrown at him with dignity.

THAT is the difference, the dignity, and everyone I speak to tells me “he’s a decent man” or “I have never been interested in politics but Corbyn has convinced me”. Whenever a Mail journalist sneers about “scruffiness” dignity comes straight back them; or when we get a sneaky sneer from our “supporter” Polly Toynbee, of the Guardian, she is answered with dignity.

Just the simple change to Prime Minister’s Questions sums it all up. The Tories sneered, as did all of their press lickspittles – and that includes the BBC who have disappointed me more than anyone during this last year or so. And the Tories (and in particular David Cameron) were completely disarmed. They had to answer the questions or admit that they did not care a jot about “the public”. But Jeremy Corbyn read out those questions from members of the public. More than 40,000 such questions were submitted – 5 of them were picked which covered the main themes raised.

And as to my fundamental assertion that everything is now different. The eureka moment came at a fringe event hosted by, of all people, Tim Montgomerie (@montie) of the Times and the, splendidly named, Legatum Institute – and most importantly Chief Sneerer on Twitter. He was “interviewing” Nick Cohen of the Observer (@NickCohen4). It was a fantastic sneerathon and all but me and two other people in the room were on the right of the Party. They had obviously come to hear their heroes. However the Eureka moment was when Tim asked us all to put our hands up if we thought Jeremy Corbyn and Labour would win in 2020. I of course put up my hand and there were peals of raucous laughter – or crowd sneerage – from all those present (except my likeminded, two colleagues). But it was not the laughter of happiness; it was that nervous laughter that is heard when the laughers are not quite sure how to react.

Just before then Tim had asked, sneeringly, if there were any “raging Corbynistas” in the room and I had proudly waved my hand. I advised however that I was a Corbynite not Corbynista. Tim and Nick sniggered and asked why the distinction. I explained that the term “Corbynista” had been hijacked by the right  and used in a derogatory way to infer South American revolutionary. Not that I object to the comparison but it plays well to the Tory-floater types – whatever they may be. Yet more laughter but Nick did explain that in times past a Trotskyite would be affronted if referred to as Trotskyist.

So Corbyn, McDonnell and the new Labour front bench have been announcing radical changes like a complete review of the Treasury’s role; a panel of economics advisers comprised of Thomas Piketty, Joseph Stiglitz, David (Danny) Blanchflower, Mariana Mazzucato, Anastasia Nesvetailova, Ann Pettifor and Simon Wren-Lewis; a massive social house building programme; scrapping tuition fees; a people’s bank; major infrastructure projects; a proper living wage; reversing the NHS privatisation; and much, much more.

And what have the press done – raised the sneering level to a crescendo and talked endlessly about Corbyn’s unelectability. The day after his marvellous speech the Times, Telegraph, Express and Mail had no mention of it on their front pages. A silent sneer.

We have even had international sneerage from Sir/Lord Sugar who has recently advised that we should all emigrate to that bastion of democracy, China. This from the man who said in 2008 : ‘Next Christmas the iPod will be kaput’.

Final confirmation came when the Telegraph conducted its own sneer poll and its loyal readers got all confused and came out almost unanimously in support of Jeremy on the Nuclear issue :

And perhaps better still when Sky asked if Corbyn could be next PM they sneered :

Until someone pointed out, in their own organisation :

The world has changed – just ask Bernie Sanders.

Contact:

Jim Moores can be contacted at: jim.moores@socialcarenetwork.com